ATPL test studying help is needed

[SeattlePilot]

Ok here 's the problem.. I have been studying for JAA ATPL exams for a month and it feels like I am spinning wheels. I have been flying for last 12 years in US and have had a CPL in Europe for 8 but now it's time to upgrade to ATPL and these exams are killing me.

I have subscribed to bristol ground schools exams online and have been following the following method:
- Go through each exam from beginning to end with batches of 50 questions at a time .
- Take notes as I see them important.
- Go over exams again...

To me it looks like I am hitting the same questions that I fail over and over again and none of the mock tests give me better than 60% with some being as low as 40%.

I know that the material is a lot and a month is ridicoulously short to go through all of it, but I need to pass these so that I can get the job that I got lined up.

Can anyone recommend any better methods to study?

Thanks...

[greenslopes]

Did mine with a mob in Coventry. That was '98 so no doubt it has changed somewhat since, however if they are still going they were very good. They were a groundschool only but cannot remember the name, 've just googled and it could have been Aviation training association.

Good Luck

Oh if they send you a raft of questions do they not offer some feedback on those you get continually wrong?

[Whirlygig]

That school was probablt Atlantic Flight Training in Coventry.

Back to the OP - the question bank is probably not quite enough to get you through and you could do with some JAA notes.

Check out JAA Professional Pilot Studies by Phil Croucher as a condensed ATPL theory course or you may be able to pick up the Bristol or Jeppesen notes on Ebay.

Cheers

Whirls

[PPRuNeUser0165]

It seems to me you may have hit a brick wall? :ugh:
When I did mine it took 6 months of hard graft and going to lessons everyday. I admire what you are doing but possibly you are going about it the wrong way and maybe wasting your time. You can sign up to just ground school classes, like Bristol and oxford, you can do distance learning too where you are provided with the material and then go in for a weeks refresher with tutors to home into the basic points.
You can just buy the Bristol question bank and bang thru that countless times until you know the questions and answers inside out, however when it comes to interviews you may struggle with the technical questions.
I know the classes aren’t cheep however it may well save you going insane.
although you have a job lined up which in this climate is fantastic just remember.... Slowly slowly catchee monkey!
Good luck!:ok:

[Nimer767]

hey mate ,, i believe that you cant do it unless you get a ground school for like 3 up to 6 month , there is 15 books for JAA ATPL exam which am studying at the moment :) i thought its just a month and i'll do the exam but then i noticed that i need more time ,

good luck

[Andi]

well said T 737. It takes time to tackle those exams.

ATA in Coventry was closed down (as far as I know) in 2002 when
mighty SANDY T. died.I think they merged with Atlantic.

Hang in there mate,dont give up!

Andi

[CS-CCO]

one month to tackle the 14 exams??? :eek:

Not if you're human, even if you're an experienced pilot! Schools usually split the exams through 3 sittings. I'd put them in groups of similarity like:

-Performance with Principle of flight
-Planning with Navigation
-Air Law with operational procedures
-etc.

Now,

0. Go to class, if you can't go straight to n.1
1. Read the books
2. Read them again and this time take notes
3. Buy Bristol database to help you actually pass the exams. Study at least 2 months ahead of each sitting. Do the whole database of a particular subject and THEN do the mocks and write down your results to evaluate your progress. (I even took notes of the areas I was consistently failing and went bak to the books sometimes.
4. During the mocks write down the questions and answers you keep failing. (When you go to bed before sleep read them).
5. Aim for +90% on mocks within a week before the exams. The pressure and different question structuring will make you lower your results by 10%.

Note: If for instance you're tackling 4 subjects, during the 2 months study , regularly take mocks on all of them. DO NOT leave a subject "unattended" for more than a week or you might regret it.

I know for a fact that passing the ATPL exams has been more and more difficult in the last few years here not sure how is it like in the UK though
Hope it helps.

[Whirlygig]

Depending on the original poster's hours, he may not have to attend groundschool classes and may not even have to register with a JAA training provider.

Cheers

Whirls

[McBruce]

Time, patience and energy. It's not an easy task at all, especially if you are trying to do too much.

[sion22]

CATS took on the ATA students and Mike Burton is still with them now

[SeattlePilot]

This is getting ridicolous.. There is so much material on these tests that is amazing.. I also wonder why European method is so heavy on some of these useless information..
Is it possible to take the tests in bunches? Turkish CAA, where I am taking the tests, is not allowing more than 4 tries for these.. To think about that there are some people that memorize the tests is amazing..

[CS-CCO]

Seattlepilot,

Pls don't make me regret having spent 10min writing you the previous answer... if you want to have any success doing these I'd read carefully advise given here on the forum.

Yes you can split them and as I said, you should group them by similarity.

JAA countries allow a total of 6 sittings with a maximum of 4 tries on each subject within a period of 18months of your 1st sitting whatever comes first.

[vitalikroslakov]

Hi there,
it's no matter where you doing this exams – in Turkey or in UK, 4 attempts – standard.
I understand, you know how to fly, but ground school is ground school which you need to pass 1 time in your life.
See what had CCO written to you – the best method to study this stuff.

good luck ;)