Just How Prepared Are You? - Tests & Quizzes

Tests and Quizzes are rather unruly things, which rely heavily on how you interpret the question. That is why many tests ask the same questions worded differently to get a better idea of the understanding level of the ‘testee’.

With that principle in mind here are what I and my friends consider the best Preparedness or Readiness Quotient tests. They start out short and simple with Answer Keys that are rather precise and continue on to Self Assessment tests that let you decide just how ready you are based on the answers you provide.

Set aside a couple of ‘family nights’ and take a test or two each night. On your last night review how each of you did on the tests. Then plot out a preparedness plan, that works for you and yours, to address on the areas you find yourselves ‘short on’.

Remember that Disasters DO Happen! They come in all sizes, shapes and durations. They are not convenient and they will not wait until your family is all gathered at home ready and waiting.

When you take any of these quizzes imagine that a police officer knocks at your door. Some natural disaster is quickly approaching and you have 45 minutes MAX to evacuate...

• How prepared are you for your Pets, Animals and Livestock?
• How secure is your home for sheltering in place?
• How Cyber Secure are you?
• As a military family how prepared are you?
• It’s cold and you have no fire. What would you do in order to keep warm?
• A sever electrical storm occurs. Where is the safest place to be?
• Do you know how to find the emergency broadcasting channel on the radio?
• How will you and your family communicate in an emergency situation if you were separated?
• If you need life-preserving medication, how long will your current supply last if it’s not immediately available?
• Do you have a list of friends and family, boarding kennels or public evacuation shelters that are willing to take pets if you are evacuated?
• Can the water valve be turned off by hand without the use of the tool? Do you have a tool if one is needed? What about natural gas?
• Are all of your important documents in order and ready to go if you have to evacuate?
• How many gallons of water per day does each person in your family need to survive?
• If trapped in your car during a snowstorm, what's the best strategy?
• In the event of an emergency, which agencies will accept your pets?
• What kills more people on average than all other natural disasters combined?
• Do all of your exterior doors have a good quality deadbolt lock with no less than a 1" throw?
• Are all latch-strike plates on your exterior doors secured with at least 3" screws?
• Does your overhead garage door, if equipped with an automatic opener, use a rolling code for signal transfer to defeat "code grabbers"?
• Are all your bushes, trees and shrubs trimmed to eliminate areas for a person to hide near your doors and windows?
• Do all your sliding glass doors have at least one of the following: track lock, insertion pin lock, hinged door bar, metal or wooden dowel in track?
• Are all your windows secured with an auxiliary keyed, or hex screw window lock? Are the keys or hex keys readily available in an emergency? If you do not have keyed or hex screw locks, are your windows additionally secured by pins or nails?
• Have your auxiliary window locks been installed to allow ventilation while maintaining security?
• Do you backup computer files to an external hard drive or other media weekly?
• Do you use wireless hot spots?
• Is your primary Internet connection wireless?
• What are currently Genetically Modified and commercialized foods?
• Haven’t growers been grafting trees and hybridizing seeds for years? Isn’t this the same thing as genetic modification?
• Have GMOs been proven to be safe for consumption?
• How familiar are you with Alerts and warning systems in your community?
• How often do you update your emergency supplies?
• How often do you participate in some kind of fire or emergency drill?
• Do you know what to do in the first 5 minutes of a crisis?
• How much can you do on your own in the first 48, 72 or 120 hours after a major crisis?

What kind of Prepper are you? Well there are all kinds of course. Use the following to get the general idea of where you stand.

Unconscious: Insurance policies and first aid kits, other than that don’t think too much about it.

Novice: One or more of the following: at least a verbal family plan, go-bag, important documents book, 3 days of food/medical supplies, have researched what likely crises can occur where you live, are aware of other Preppers in your area, have smoke detectors but don’t know if the batteries are good.

Intermediate: The previous, plus one or more of the following: at least an outline of a written family plan, go-bag for each family member and pet, food/medical supplies for 7 days, emergency broadcast radio receiver, are familiar with the local emergency agencies and protocols, have emergency currency of at least several hundred to $1000 dollars, have a loose knit group of other Preppers, have smoke detectors and check the batteries twice a year.

Advanced: The previous, plus one or more of the following: a written family plan, go-bags for each family member and pet plus in each vehicle, food/medical supplies for at least a month up to 1yrs worth, an emergency band radio, some alternate power supply for cooking, lighting and heating, attend a class/seminar at least once a year on self-reliant skills at least once a year have a family disaster drill, are familiar with the local and state emergency agencies and protocols, have emergency currency of at least $1000 dollars in other than paper, have a group of other Preppers that share a secondary retreat and meet at least twice a year, have smoke and CO2 detectors and replace the batteries twice a year, have at least one fully charged fire extinguisher that is checked twice a year.

Expert: The previous, plus one or more of the following: written family plan is reviewed once a year, attend a class/seminar at least 2-3 times a year on a self-reliant skill, have family and or neighborhood crisis drills at least 2 to 3 times a year, have longer term food/medical supplies (2+yrs) and alternate heating, lighting and cooking supplies for up to 2 yrs., have 2-way emergency communications with independent power, are familiar with the local, state and national emergency agencies and protocols - plus have researched other global possibilities and monitor the status at least monthly, have emergency currency in other than paper of more than $1000 dollars, are a member of a group of other Preppers with a group secondary retreat and emergency protocols with activation practice at least twice a year, have working and checked smoke and CO2 detectors and several working and checked fire extinguishers and household fire drills at least twice a year.

To read the tests and review the answer keys see Just How Prepared Are You? - Tests & Quizzes

“A prudent man foresees the difficulties ahead and prepares for them;
the simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences.”
Proverbs 22:3

TNT