IDA SV testing

parttimer

Member
So, i dont know who on here may have signed up with the IDA and started the process. I took the written tests and knocked them out. Up next is the SV test which there is very little documentation about. I have looked and all the answers I get are basically it is what the written test covers. Well perhaps some people dont have ALL the tools covered by the written but know their uses. I dont own an extractor, I know about them, have seen them used, but if the interior portion says use extractor Ill look dumb. I dont use a rotary but 1% of my details therefore I am not fluent on it, I use a DA for the other 99%, am I going to be made to use a rotary? Anyone who has taken it and cares to share would be appreciated.
 
I have taken the SV test and found some on-line information very helpful.

This is a good video to watch.
 
This is very useful information to know for the SV test.
Pro_cleaning_process_chart_1_lg.jpg
 
I used to be a tennis racquet stringer (I guess I still am). We had the United States Professional Raquet Stringers Association (USRSA). I was a charter member. Then it got taken over by another organization and their "mission" was to make the profession more professional so members could charge higher prices for their services. Very similar to the IDA. They had a written and practical test, I never was able to take either due to military service and logistics. The organization is still around today and you can still get a racquet strung for the same price as you could in 1975. It might be fun to join the IDA but I would not look for it to make money for anyone but the people taking the dues. What does the IDA do for detailers? The USRSA used to give you stickers and publish a list of members and toss in some free string to test. Is the IDA similar?
 
IDA just seems like a certification test..online test, then hands on.
Then you need to have so many hours a year or two, to keep the IDA certification valid..
I`m sure you can network with other detailera within the IDA and learn about new products and techniques...
 
What the IDA certifications means to me...

The on-line exams...tests your basic knowledge of interior & exterior products & process.
...correct products to use, incorrect products to use, pH levels, what they mean, and why.

The hands-on exams...demonstrate to a CD-SV Recognized Trainer (RT) that you can do it.
BTW - I took my Skills Validation test at the same time as Jason Rose. (in the prior post video)

I`ve spent a lot of time in the IT industry. Just about every vendor (Microsoft, Cisco etc.) has tests.
Folks that have only passed the vendor tests we call "paper tigers". Book knowledge & no experience.
Then there are folks that have lots of hands on experience that will say "I don`t need to be certified."
What the vendor certs mean to me is that you have the ability to pass the basic knowledge in the tests.

The detailing industry needs the IDA. The IDA separates the wheat from the chaff. (there`s a lot of chaff)
If YOU care enough to pay your money and pass the tests, this means YOU care about industry credibility.
Is the IDA going to send me customers so I can make twice as much money after I pass the certifications? No
I have been a member for a couple of years and being IDA CD-SV has not once put an extra dime in my pocket.

How can I be kind...There are a lot of hacks that detail vehicles. Separate yourself. Join the IDA and TEST OUT!
 
There are plenty of ASE Certified Mechanics,and they`re hacks. There will always be hacks whether certified or not.

Just because you have a driver`s license it doesn`t mean you know how to drive.
Just because you went to college it doesn`t mean you`re educated and smart.
Just because you are ASE Certified it doesn`t mean you`re a good mechanic.
 
Again, I don`t disagree.

Back to the IT example...Just because you are Microsoft and Cisco certified does not mean that with the click of a wrong button you can`t take down a network of 1,000`s of computers on a network.

Exams "tests your basic knowledge", after that it is up to the actual person. They have a saying in IT. "The cert will get you in the door. Your knowledge and abilities are what keep you in the door."
 
If it makes you feel like you are better by going through the testing then I say go for it. I`ve been around for awhile now and I think I`ve only heard IDA mentioned twice. Once in this thread and once by Mike Phillips, and I believe Mike has some sort of office within the organization (I could be wrong). If it is not putting money in your pocket then it is doing the opposite. How much does the test cost and what are the benefits? I am open minded and enjoy anything detailing related. I kind of wish the would change the initials of the organization though. Every time I see IDA I think IDK (I Don`t Know). The hands on racquet stringing test requires the technician to remove and replace a racquet grip. Back in the day this was a pita. I could do it but didn`t want to. I never thought my racquet stringing skills rested on whether I was forced to do something or not. I don`t know if the IDA is the same way but there are some jobs I would turn down just because I don`t like to do them. Do they test on applying Pro type coatings? This is something I would be interested in. Sorry to be so long winded. I just don`t hear much about the organization.
 
Great to have people going around trying to get Detailers organized, etc...
This is something that has been going around for Decades...

It never really gets traction because there are just too many people who are Detailing (at whatever level or below whatever level) out there..

Since the overall average of money made at the end of a year Detailing full time, compared to let`s say a great IT job is alarmingly low, I personally think that most Detailers or those working to become full-time Detailers are not going to put out extra money they probably are stretched to have now to join a group that is somewhat organized, has great intentions and all that, but is going to charge a lot of money for the privilege of having a certification on the wall, that no one other than perhaps other Detailers that know about, will even recognize...

Now if the Detailing Organization said - ""We care enough about you and this, that We will really back you up with Free, proven, Detailing Business Software, the Business equipment at affordable lease agreements, 40%+ discounts on all the products and equipment you need, free shipping always, 24-hour hotline for help""..

""We will give you access to the newest, proven, products, and equipment for testing, evaluation, vastly reduced Business Insurance policies, and much more"",..

That person who signs on the line for membership would Still have to put in huge Hours in the Shop - not just doing this mechanically - but really thinking every process through, and reverse-engineering everything to come up with better solutions, and processes to get somewhere in this world and be very successful..

Think about this for a minute - in the IT world (Thank you, Merlin for using this example), there are thousands of really, really, bright, very well educated, at a minimum, Electrical Engineers (the ones who know A LOT of Math past Calculus), and then, way past that high level, the Brainiacs who are constantly thinking about and working on - for example Microsoft Operating Systems Software, and Cisco Routers, etc., so that at the User Level, all will be great and work better, and constantly stay ahead of the Technology Requirements...

How many of these Detailer Organizers are even thinking about what Detailers really need in order to be successful, past taking their money for training???

Microsoft and Cisco are a great example of 2 incredible companies that are ALL IN with making their Systems and Products work great for everyone and Supporting everyone - all the time -

What do you get after paying money for that class/es ? If it will spark something that gets you really enthused and want to go out here with your newfound knowledge and brief hands-on, then that is all the better.. But it will still take a LOT of hours out there and you have to get this all on your own and through great Forums, friends, Detailers, etc...
DanF
 
I worked with a lot of paramedics that passed the tests, I wouldn`t let them anywhere around my family! I took the IDA written test and found it to be extremely old school, I think you should have to have had some kind of "official " training before even being able to take the testing. I also don`t see the need for a detailers Union?
 
Most of the Autopians here have a hard time staying abreast of all the latest products and we spend a ton of time on all of the forums. I`m not at all surprised the written test looked "old school". The industry is changing rapidly. I`d join an organization if they had a newsletter/blog that kept up with all the manufacturers new products and attended SEMA and all of the detailing expos all over the world.
 
I worked with a lot of paramedics that passed the tests, I wouldn`t let them anywhere around my family! I took the IDA written test and found it to be extremely old school, I think you should have to have had some kind of "official " training before even being able to take the testing. I also don`t see the need for a detailers Union?

Face it, as a medic, there are two types. Thinkers and robots. When the doo doo hits the fan, the robots can`t find their way out of a paper bag.
 
Back
Top