CASA Exams remarked

[ozziejim]

Got 68% on ATPL Systems today (bloody fumin'), and I'm 99% convinced the very last question was marked incorrectly, about Cautions, Advisories and Warnings and appeared at the bottom of my KDR, as "Master warning system".

Before I fork out the $130 to CASA for the Re-assessment of Exam results, I was just interested if others have been in similar situations like this and been successful and given passes when their their original Cyber Exam result was a fail or is the whole 'Re-assessment of Exam Results' setup just a facade so CASA look transparent but rarely ever are with dealings of this nature (ie Flight Planning). Is it possible that the CyberExam system makes errors of this nature or am I just a sook who needs to study more and RTFQ!

[uncopilot]

I feel your pain! I got exactly the same mark for the same subject. For me it was the last of all 7 ATPL exams and it was also the last exam session available prior to the Xmas break for ASL. I was soooo looking forward to Xmas holidays with a complete set of KDR's. Anyway like you I was certain I had gotten one question marked incorrectly wrong. I wrote to the newly appointed CASA person responsible for the exams asking him to check my question and my reasons why. To my surprise I did receive a reply and an explanation regarding the question I had enquired about. I had indeed answered the question incorrectly. The CASA person responsible was new to the job I believe and that may have been the reason why he went to the trouble of answering me. Good luck to you. I hope you have better luck than I did. Next time I sat that same exam (on the first available exam booking after Xmas) I passed with a much better result. I truly believe it's luck of the draw with the exam questions you get for systems.

[Jabawocky]

Having no desire to do ATPL exams, I do not know what is in them and not likely to either.

I can assure you though that some questions in CPL and PPL exams have to be answered wrong in order to get them marked correct. After all these years nothing changes :ugh:

So what are your chances?:hmm:

[kingRB]

little to none.

As slam said, just suck it up and resit it.

Keen to hear of anyone who challenged CASA on a fail in ATPL exams and was remarked with a pass though!

[717tech]

Maybe slightly off topic, but my experience with CASA regarding exams has been surprisingly good. After failing AFPA in Feb, I received a call from Gavin (CASA) who explained to me where I went wrong. Was great advise and really gave me the boost of confidence I needed. Passed it a week later.

[farmer dan]

@KingRB:
Yep, got 68% on Flight Planning, put in for a review and ended up passing (after making a few persuasive calls). I didn't ask any further questions, I was just happy to have passed.

@ozziejim: Systems is one of those exams that the smallest detail in the question can completely change the answer. The term RTFQ is very important in this exam. Chances are you might of missed some of the detail in the question.

Cheers,
FD

[solowflyer]

Had failed a NZ ASL air tec exam befor they went computerized and was sure I was correct on a couple of questions I got wrong so applied for a remark and guess what mark went from 68 to 86.

[First_Principal]

At the risk of causing a little thread drift I think there's a fundamental issue with the way these exams are conducted.

That is to say I consider that the exam paper, along with the associated questions, should be returned to the candidate with their score clearly marked. This allows the candidate to more clearly determine where they went astray, or not, and effectively allows a peer review of the entire paper - and marking methodology.

To my mind this could only be a positive thing. Sure one could get the occasional person who may pursue something that they clearly don't get, and are a pain in the process, but on the whole I think it would give a great deal more integrity and better 'buy-in' to the process than is currently the case.

Personally I have not asked for any recount but was interested to note that on my CPL tech exam some years ago I received less than 100%. The resultant KDR indicated a deficiency in an area that I could probably lecture on in University. As it happened I recalled enough of the question to know that my answer was, from first principles, arguably more correct than the one they (presumably) were expecting. Perhaps they weren't expecting an instrument designer to take this exam, and in this case it didn't affect the ultimate outcome, but if I had been on the verge of passing it would have been particularly galling, and would not have accurately represented an assessment of my ability/knowledge of the subject. After all if it doesn't do the latter with some degree of integrity what's the point of the exam in the first place?

So back to the thread, pragmatically I'd say resit it, but if you've got the dosh and feel strongly enough that you've correctly answered something they say you haven't (and recall sufficient of the question to be sure of it) then go for the reassessment - and ask for your paper back with the question(s) concerned.

Yes I realise it's electronic know so it would be the electronic equivalent of paper you'd ask for! Also I imagine they won't comply with the request for return of the information but that doesn't make any refusal right :=, and one day someone is going to pursue that refusal through the courts (or political circles as needed) - more power to them!

FP.

[DeRated]

...but if you'd only got 15 wrong I'd let you fly grandma, wife & kids (I don't have any of any of them) and think that's a pass!:(

The exams are a test of your overall knowledge of a particular subject but no emphasis made on areas that should be a 100% MUST KNOW.....!:ugh:

Guess the theory is similar to the practical "Okay sonny, your landings and take-offs are perfect, checklists great, recognition of an approaching stall is crap but that's only 25% of the required 100 so off you go, one circuit...!"

....should be returned to the candidate with their score clearly marked....

How else will they know what they don't know?

Or even care, without effectively allows a peer review.

[Saratogapp]

Mmmm .... First Prin.

Under that returned paper plan, CASA would be handing back into the general populace, a legitimate, marked examination paper.

That's not going to happen....