Minimum amount of time to complete ATPL theory?

[Dude~]

What is the minimum amount of time needed to complete the ATPL exams, from starting the study to passing the last exam? I.e. how long is the quickest course I can buy? Doesn't matter where, or whether its distance or residential, I just need the quickest.


A couple if places talk of a minimum of 9 months due to their admin structure, but can I do it quicker!

Cheers.

[VFE]

If you sit the exams a couple of months after starting you ain't gonna stand much chance of passing. I think you might be underestimating the depth of knowledge required to pass the JAR ATPL's.

However, I have never heard of a minimum time requirement. The maximum time allowed is 18 months from sitting your first exam. I know there is a classroom hours requirement for integrated training and a requirement for progress testing but that's about it. Classes get booked up quite a way in advance at alot of schools so I think that'll be your limiting factor.

VFE.

[AlphaGolfLima]

I seem to remember having read somewhere a minimum of 6 months must have passed until you are eligible to sit the exams (atpl).
Will have to look it up, though.

regards

AGL

[FlyingForFun]

There are no rules or regulations about this.

The course is supposed to consist of 750 hours of studying. If you do a distance learning course, you can study at whatever speed you want. If you really feel that you could study for 10 hours a day, 7 days a week, then this works out at just over two months.

Add another two weeks for actually doing the exams (assuming you do them in two blocks, as recommended by most schools). Add a bit more, because the brush-up is a mandatory part of the course and it won't be 10 hours a day 7 days a week (although once you add on the time you spend doing brush-up papers, it's not far short!) and it should be possible to have it all done in 3 months. In theory.

In practice, I would be very surprised to hear of people who have done it that quickly. I know my concentration span isn't good enough to study that intensively, I don't know about you.

FFF
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[QNH 1013]

There was a short thread on this not long ago and I seem to remember that someone had done all the ATPLs in 3-months. In my opinion that is probably the minimum assuming that:

1. You're a wizzard
2. You can fit in the compulsary ground schools
3. You already know some of the subject matter
4. You are able to study for ten hours every day.

Do check the minimum study period requirement, however, I believe this is waived if you have passes in any of the old National (pre JAR) exams.

Good Luck

[no sponsor]

Realistically, you've got to be looking at a minimum of 6 months for either full time or doing a distance learning course full time. I'm doing BGS at the moment, and manage about 3-4 hrs per day sitting at my desk - I'm not sure how much of that is 100% useful to me, however. I worked out that even if I started working full time (8 hrs per day), it would still take me about 6 months.

Also bear in mind that full time courses get booked up a couple of months in advance, and the residential part of a distance learning course also gets well booked up well in advance, so you have to plan well ahead.

[Dude~]

Thanks for the replies, but I'm not sure I made myself clear enough. It appears some schools have set schedules and that if you embark upon their course, you will have to work with their schedule, i.e. Cranfield, where it is not possible to complete the exams in under 9 months with them.

So, is there a school that will help me knock some time off this 9 month period without being silly about it, i.e. 70 hrs a week is clearly not really a sensible option for most.

[Arrowhead]

EPTA (Bournemouth) claim 5 months residential - with reasonably good pass rates for UK students.

I did Bristol GS (distance learning) and passed them all in 6 months (started 1 May, last exam 8 Nov, results 21 Nov) - but literally worked 9-6 five days a week without fail, plus 9am-10pm during the revision sessions in Bristol.

If you can do 8am-9pm 7 days a week (no-one can) I reckon you could conceivably do it in 4 months via Bristol:
- 5 weeks learning
- 1 week practise exam questions
- 2 weeks revision course

x 2 modules

But I do not believe anyone can work that much, and still take it all in, and literally not leave your desk for 4 months!


>>---->

[FlyingForFun]

It appears some schools have set schedules and that if you embark upon their course, you will have to work with their scheduleThere are two types of course: distance learning, or residential. On any residential course, you will have to work at the same speed as the rest of the class. On any distance learning course, you can work at whatever speed you want.

FFF
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[no sponsor]

Dude,

Cranfield are different than many other schools. They are the only one I know where it takes 9 months to do the course. This is due to the fact that lectures take place in the mornings, and the afternoon is used for your own study.

If you popped round to Cabair, they will tell you that their ATPL ground schools takes about 24 weeks. This is roughly the same as Oxford, ATA at Coventry and most other schools.

NS

[VFE]

I'll do me bit and recommend Bristol Groundschool distance learning package. Top quality tuition by instructors who know their stuff, can dissovle problems with questions like salt on a slug and who possess the GSOH required at the stage in the game when you need it most.

I'd give them a 10/10 mark. One slick outfit. :ok:

VFE.

[Dude~]

On any distance learning course, you can work at whatever speed you want.

Flying for Fun, sure I can study at whatever speed I like, but with Cranfield Distance Learning you are still restricted to 9 months minimum, due to their set up.

Brstol does seem to be a good bet, but presumably I would have to travel there for the refresher classes and the exams themselves right?

[FlyingForFun]

With Cranfield Distance Learning you are still restricted to 9 months minimumReally? Didn't know that! Ok, that puts a different spin on things! I think you'll find that's quite unusual. Bristol is the only school I have first-hand knowledge of, and they have brush-up courses every month - certainly no restrictions like what you've described at Cranfield.

And while we're on the subject of Bristol, yes, you would have to travel there for the brush-up... but not for the exams, as there is no exam centre near there. You can pick any of the CAA exam centres. I wouldn't let this sway your decision too much, though - you want the best chance you've got of passing the exams, and having to spend two weeks at a time, twice, away from home really isn't a very big deal in the whole scheme of things, IMHO.

FFF
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[gazman21]

hi
whats standard time to complete bristol distance learning ground school?and whats the minimum time needed if studying full time at home?
gazman21

[The Greaser]

There is no 'standard time' that I am aware of. Many people choose distance learning as it gives them maximum flexibility to fit in study with their professional and private lives. I think there is a requirement to have completed 650 hours of study prior to completing the exams. Of course through distance learning no one can prove this has been achieved although with all the reading, progress tests and residential portion of the course to complete this is a pretty good guideline as to how long the course takes.

So how long can it take? Well if you can study full time 8 hours a day at home and have a reasonable grasp of the material first time around then there is no reason you cannot complete the course in 6 months or less.

[High Wing Drifter]

In theory, going by the number of hours that I studies part time assuming 8 hours a day, 2 months per module including brush-up and exams.

However, I think you would need to factor in mental consolidation time and allow for the general dynamics of the situation that would realistically limit the actual amount of productive work to 4 hours a day. I would realistically say three months per module - six in total.

[G SXTY]

Sounds reasonable.

And budget on around 12 months if you have to fit it in round a day job.