Q&A for How to Become a New Article Booster on wikiHow

If you're gone for quite a while, your trial may be stopped until you show you're ready to put more time into it.

Go to your user page and scroll down. This page lists the number of contributions you've made.

All registered users are able to access and post in the forums. New Article Boosters do not have any additional rights in the forums that a non-New Article Booster would not also have.

Go to "My Profile" then to "My Preferences." Just under the wikiHow header are some hyperlinks. Click on the one that says "Notifications," then click "Set an E-Mail Address" and follow the instructions given to you on that page.

The passing grade for Part 1 of the test (the Merge Policy Quiz) is 85%. If you pass the first part of the test, you will be notified.

Keep trying. You can do it! Make sure you read the merge policy very closely and really understand it. If you have questions about something, ask an administrator or a current booster!

Your email address won't be shown to the public unless you choose to share it. It's only used for the test itself, and any feedback.

There are some title policy questions, example editing scenarios, and a coaching portion.

New Article Boosters can promote and demote articles. They can apply to become Q&A patrollers and can vote on articles in NFD Guardian. They can also send out automated welcome messages to new contributors.

New Article Boosters have the ability to participate in NFD votes, but anyone can Merge a wikiHow Article.

You can create one using a free service such as Gmail.

No, New Article Boosters are volunteers who are passionate about wikiHow's mission to teach anyone in the world how to do anything, and they're happy to do so on a volunteer basis.

You become a booster by taking a test, as stated in these steps. If you pass the first test, you are asked to take another. If you pass both of these, you become a trial booster.

Boosters can use the Boost New Articles app and after a month of consistent boosting, get access to the NFD Guardian.

As long as you remain reasonably active, and contribute whenever you have time, you can take as long as you like! We all have real-life commitments that can get in the way of wikiHow. Just note that if you become inactive for a longer period, your trial may be put on hold and your provisional boosting rights removed until you've got more time.

Part 2 doesn't have a pass mark in the same way that Part 1 does. Whilst some questions in this section of the process do have a definite correct answer (and it's best to get as many of these right as possible), some questions don't have such neat right or wrong answers and are designed to test your communication skills and attitude.

This depends. Generally, you'd only have to do part 2, but you can see where you are in 3 months and decide then! Sometimes it's good to try part 1 again.

No, being a welcomer is not inherently an advantage. Being a welcomer doesn't necessarily mean you're ready to be a booster, similarly, not being a welcomer doesn't mean you can't become a booster.

No, an email is required for the test, since you'll need to be able to get any tests and/or responses.

It isn't easy. It takes dedication, and it's not unusual for someone to have a few tries at the NAB test before passing. Be familiar with the policies and actively edit in the community.

It may take anywhere up to about a week to receive Part 2 of the test after passing Part 1. If it's been longer than five days and you haven't received Part 2, you can send a follow-up email to the community manager.

If you pass Parts 1 and 2, the community manager will send you a follow-up email containing directions for Part 3 of the test. You're given temporary boosting rights and are asked to work on promoting and demoting a batch of articles (typically 30, but they will let you know the exact amount). After each batch, you'll receive feedback based on how you did, and you may be asked to complete more batches.

Yes. You’re actually given all Booster rights (except for nfd guardian) when you become a trial booster, so the badge will show on your user page.

It is not about the amount of edits done. It's about how well the edits you have done display your writing/editing skill and good judgment. The idea that you have to have lots of edits has never been a good measurement for assessing editing ability on this site.

You aren't the first person to fail part of the test. Many great boosters didn't get booster rights on their first try. Failing the second part doesn't mean you can never get booster rights, you can try again in 90 days. In that time, you can observe other booster's decisions, review the policy and do other tasks on wikiHow. Go at your own pace and don't be afraid to ask for help. You are not a failure for not passing part of the test––even the best editors don't get things right all the time. Reading the wikiHow How to Stop Feeling Like a Failure might help you to better manage those feelings.

You will usually be told to boost a batch of 30 articles first, and you can take your time with these. You might be granted full booster rights after, or you might be told to do another batch.

If you meet the requirements, you can try. Use your own judgement on whether or not ready for it. It is best to familiarize yourself with the site and its policies first. Don't feel you have to rush into things. Take as much time as you need.

Overall, practice all of your editing skills. New article boosters need to have quality editing skills. Work on suggesting new titles, copy editing, formatting and nominating articles for deletion. Take the feedback you were given and use it. Keep up your good work!

The second part of the quiz will be emailed to you within two weeks if you pass the first part (85% or higher).

One month after a New Article Booster becomes a full booster (not one month after starting part 3 of the NAB test), the booster can receive NFD Guardian rights.