Skills Tests Are Great!

I am specifically referring to the CMA skills tests for pistol and for rifle.

Sometimes I get feedback along the lines of how cumbersome it is to periodically complete the skills tests. In some cases, that might be caused by a lack of access to ranges or qualified safety officers or both, which is understandable but also solvable. In other cases however, it's more about a lack of motivation; the test is seen as a burden rather than as an opportunity. Let's see if I can convince you otherwise.

Answers

The skills test is an opportunity to check the current status of your shooting skills. Since both tests cover most of the basic skills matrix for pistol or for rifle, the test result gives you quite a comprehensive view on where you actually stand. The tests are standardized, easy to set up and thus repeatable and comparable.

They will give you an objective answer to questions such as:

• Can I really shoot as well as I think I can?

• Can I still shoot as well as I used to some time ago?

• Did my practice sessions over the last weeks or months actually have the positive impact that I was hoping for?

• What are my strong and weak points?

• What can I focus my future practice sessions on?

• Do I have to work on my accuracy since my points are high?

• Can I work on going faster since my points are low?

• Can I deliver my performance on a given date and time?

• Can I switch to match mode when I have to?

As a sports shooter with some ambition, who hasn't asked themselves these or similar questions? And by ambition I don't necessarily mean the ambition to win titles or trophies, but maybe just be the ambition to improve oneself. Once over 50 years, there might also be the ambition to just maintain an adequate skill level - a friend told me lately.

Motivation

If you seek your answers periodically, they will give you satisfaction and a goal to work for until the next time. I think it's good practice to get those answers at least every couple of months and draw conclusions for the upcoming training period.

This will give you the possibility to set clear goals and stimulate your motivation to achieve them.

Train Hard...

Train hard, fight easy! Although there's no real "fight" in sports shooting, except of course against one's own laziness, the principle behind the slogan still holds.

What I mean by that is: don't just use the skills test 1:1 but make it even more difficult.

How? Well, here are some ideas:

• Just count the zeros and all other hits as misses (no ones or threes anymore)

• Use 50% targets for some strings, stages or the whole test

• Draw a smaller zero-circle on the normal target and go for that

• Do some or all strings strong hand only

• Do some or all strings weak hand/shoulder only

• Do a certain benchmark score for a string, a stage or all the test 5x in a row

• Do a string 10x and never be above a ceiling score

• Do a string 10x and always achieve zero points

• Have a magazine loaded by a training partner with one or more random dummy round(s) and still make your benchmark for a string, a stage or the test

• Do a string, a stage or all the test low light

• Consciously focus on one point during a stage or the whole test such as for example a really strong grip, the completely motionless front sight when the bang goes, the straight-back trigger pull, curling the shoulders and son on. Assess whether you can do it properly with every shot

.. and so on.

I Am Soo Good...

Yes, maybe you are. So, you are convinced to be really good (don't tell us please) and maybe you feel a little bored with doing a low-life skills test?

OK, here are some ideas of how to make it more challenging:

• If you are below master class, then level up in the first place

• If you are at a certain score in a given division, then shave off 5s, 10s or as appropriate overall

• You are using optics? OK, do it with iron sights - or vice versa

• Take a different - or an unknown! - gun and duplicate your score

• You are a police officer or a soldier? Use your duty gear and duplicate your score

• Use a level 2 or 3 holster and duplicate your score

• Carry your pistol concealed - like you would in reality, not pseudo-concealed please - and duplicate your score

• Use a stronger caliber such as for example .45 ACP or 10mm Auto instead of 9mm or .308 instead of .223 and duplicate your score

Conclusion

Of course, there are many additional points to practice apart from the contents of the skills tests. Some of those points are for example moving targets, low light, stage tactics, movement technique, shooting fitness and so on. There's also a myriad of other tests and drills out there, some valuable some less so, that you can use to spice up your practice routines.

In my experience, the CMA skills tests offer a great deal of possibilities to make your practice sessions interesting, effective and fun. And, oh yes, by doing them you will also renew your CMA license!

Become a Better Shooter!

Sincerely, Andy

CMA Skills Test Page