PPL theory study technique

[Martin_123]

Hi All,

my ground school is about to start soon, the school is aiming to prepare everyone for the sitting that takes place at the end of March. (In Ireland we have to do all subjects/exams in one go, after that we can re-do the failed ones) I have all the Trevor Thom books (latest edition from pooleys), I've completed some of them already, started looking into AirQuiz and some other mock exams - turns out nothing's sticking! I can do navigation and other subjects that involves maths/logic just fine, but things like Air Law, Procedures, HP simply wont stick.

Obviously the panic mode is on. What is the usual technique for students to tackle theory? Do you make sure you know most of the theory before ground school begins and use the school simply to revise on subjects or should you go to ground school as a "blank page", knowing bare minimum hopping that you will get the entire exam syllabus in your head before the exam date? How does one plough through 7 books in a few weeks time and remembers all of it?

[Genghis the Engineer]

Basically, do it actively. Reading the book will not get enough into your head for the vast majority of normal human beings.

Make your own notes from the books, abbreviate them, set and solve problems: basically do "stuff" rather than just read "stuff".

When you are at the point where from a few keywords you can recall most of the textbook content, because you have written and used it all multiple times, then start on the practice tests.

Stuff you get wrong on the practice tests, go back to the books and re-learn using the same active methods.

Then do them again, look for 80%+ each time ideally.

Then go sit the exams.


Passive learning is a poor method, and that sounds like the reason things haven't been sticking with you.

I don't know how your particular school works, but in general, good practice is to learn it first, then use the groundschool as revision sessions.


Good luck.

G

[londonblue]

I also found practice papers and worked from then. I used the confuser, and it worked wonders. Any areas you find you consistently get wrong can be reviewed.

[localflighteast]

Just sitting and reading the book is the WORST study method possible. Take it from someone who procrastinated for over a year trying to get her written exam done :)

Don't know about the UK but I found a reasonably priced app for my phone and set it up for quick bursts of 10 random questions at a time. Eventually it builds up a profile of the ones you are getting wrong.

I made index cards with the key points on (especially for stuff like Air law which is just a "memorise the info" game, no logic!) .
I carried these in my bag to read on my commute and would sticky tack them around my monitor at work so that when i got bored, my eyes would wander to them.

Hope this helps

[Martin_123]

how do you manage the risk with these apps that you get confident over the questions that are repeated and then comes the exam day and different questions or even wording knocks the pants of ya?

[Armchairflyer]

+1 for Genghis' advice:Basically, do it actively. Reading the book will not get enough into your head for the vast majority of normal human beings.
Make your own notes from the books, abbreviate them, set and solve problems: basically do "stuff" rather than just read "stuff".Never been able to make any subject stick by merely reading books or scripts. Always used my own extracts (mostly handwritten despite my abysmally scratchy writing, sticks slightly better than typewritten notes), whether at university or for the PPL.

Cannot comment on apps, my mobile phone is almost as old as some planes in the club hangar :}

[paco]

Constant refreshing past the point of absolute boredom!

Phil

[localflighteast]

@martin

by being brutally honest with yourself and asking if you are just guessing or know the underlying principle/law etc.

the aim isn't to memorise the questions, it is to identify what areas you are knowledge deficient is. I'll admit it takes a certain amount of emotional maturity, to be honest with yourself about your knowledge, but then again so does flying a plane.

Once you get a question wrong , the app I had pointed you to the relevant regulation or principal , you had to get the correct answer from there , it didn't just tell you.

[londonblue]

the aim isn't to memorise the questions, it is to identify what areas you are knowledge deficient is. I'll admit it takes a certain amount of emotional maturity, to be honest with yourself about your knowledge, but then again so does flying a plane.

Studying for PPL exams is no different to studying for any set of exams. After reading the books (you have to start somewhere) and making your own notes it is IMO imperative to practice answering questions.

But I echo the above. The trick isn't to memorise the answers, it is to make sure you know how you arrived at the answers, and if you can't work it out go back to your notes. If that doesn't help go back to your books. And if that doesn't help, ask someone.

[ChickenHouse]

If you hit the barrier of knowledge taking, just do two things - start rereading everything in a mechanical way, even though you may not have the feeling to understand, it diffuses slowly into your brain, if you are through all matrial start all over again - usually the last one gets it after 5 passes or so - second, do the documented questions over and over again the same way. There are some things you can not mentally burn into your knowledge, but they have to be based on experience, meaning in aviation there are things you have to do the old boring way of repeating many many times (as was a usual way to "learn" in the old days know by our ancestors - in contrast to nowadays "you only have to explain it in a lengthy way, because everybody can do everything if she/he is only allowed to do so ... no, this is proved to be wrong for aviation skills).