JAA PPL exams in UK

[acuba 290]

Just a couple of questions about theorie exams in UK:

1. how many possible answers are given: 3 or 4?
2. what means communication exam? Is it exam, after pass of which you going to get a RT-licence or there is one more theorie exam for RT?
I mean how many exams all together? 7 or 7+1(RT)?
3. what chart going to be used on navigation exam? Is it standart chart used for training and published somethere like in USA FAA-PPL or it every time different chart, which you are going to get just before the exam?
4. a PPL-Confuser is still actual or there was much changes in question since last 6th edition?Maybe some better book exist?

sorry, if it maybe stoopid question, but i would like to know it anyway;)

[BEagle]

1. Each question has 4 possible answers.

2. There are 7 theoretical exams, including Communications (PPL). If you wish to obtain a Flight Radio Telephony Operator's Licence - which you will need if you wish to use the R/T when you have your PPL - you must also take the R/T practical test with an RTF Examiner. This is taken in a groundschool facility. There are moves afoot by ICAO to require a specific standard of spoken English.

3. The chart used for the navigation is the CAA 1:500 000. The same as most people use for training.

4. The 'PPL Confuser' does not contain all the questions and answers - and there are 1 or 2 errors. I don't think that it has been updated since the recent exam changes.

[elkrikkos]

Regarding the PPL confuser, are there other books or websites that provide an up-to-date questions database (PPL)?

[Whirlygig]

Yes, there's one called Questions and Answers for the Private Pilot's Licence and published, I think, by Airlife and there's another by Jeremy Pratt.

http://www.transair.co.uk/product4.asp?SID=2&Product_ID=701

http://www.afeonline.com/shop/product_info.php?cPath=38_179&products_id=217

I would prefer either of the above to the Confuser.

There is also some software called PPL Exam Tutor by Softrain. However, I have just found the link and been informed that they are no longer trading but it might be something you could pick up on Ebay!

As far as I can remember, I was given a chart to use for my Nav exam to ensure that it was the correct edition. Check with your groundschool.

Cheers

Whirls

[acuba 290]

The 'PPL Confuser' does not contain all the questions and answers - and there are 1 or 2 errors. I don't think that it has been updated since the recent exam changes.

do you know exactly what kind of errors are there? I am going to start my knowledge check with Confuser soon and this info can be useful...

[DRJAD]

Rather than worrying about what errors may exist in various places, why not simply acquire the requisite knowledge and take and pass the examinations?

[tangovictor]

has anyone, taken the ppl exams, with the people that advertise, in the aviation magazines ? rather then self study ?

[BEagle]

There are no public PPL question databases available for access.

You will have to study the topics, then take the exam. The PPL Confuser may be of some use for revision, but it is not a substitute for study.

[acuba 290]

There are no public PPL question databases available for access.

You will have to study the topics, then take the exam. The PPL Confuser may be of some use for revision, but it is not a substitute for study.
actually i don't understand why...In Germany for example (also JAR) you can get official question catalog from Authority. I got books from jeremy Pratt, but it very complicated for me to learn. For a moment i read JEPPESEN Privat Pilot manual, which is much more easy to understand. There is some differents in Meteo (charts etc.), but i think it not a big problem

[Mike Cross]

What is more important?

1. Knowing which is the correct answer?
2. Knowing WHY it is the correct answer?

You should be able to answer the question correctly by a process of reasoning, not by simply memorising answers.

If you use the publications to test yourself and then analyse where you went wrong you'll be a better pilot because you will understand the subject rather than simply knowing the answers.

[IO540]

There is occassional excessive pontificating here :O

If you want to learn about real practical real-world flying and flight planning issues, get some FAA PPL (or IR if that's what you are doing) books. The study material for the FAA PPL, IR and CPL (I have passed the exams in all of these) is at least 90% really good practical stuff.

If you want to pass JAA exams, get the books which have been written specifically to contain the frequently bizzare language found in JAA (or CAA) exams. I think Trevor Thom works well for UK PPL stuff. The good news is that this stuff needs to be learnt just once per life.

There are specimen questions around for all JAA stuff. For the PPL, you have the PPL Confuser - a great book to work through and contrary to what is frequently said if you get 90+% in that then you will have acquired a good memorisation of the subject matter. Not understanding but JAA is not about understanding, a lot of the questions are highly ambiguous and cannot be answered without a good understanding of the language which the writer was expecting to be used. There are also rather less overtly distributed question banks going around for the JAA CPL/IR (ATPL), compiled from what exam candidates managed to recall after leaving the exam room, and this stuff is widely used by would-be airline pilots when they do their JAA exam revision.

The latest CAA LAME exams are a total joke. Recently I was shown some of the questions and they were dreadfully drafted.