Is CATS Aviation material enough to pass the exams?

[indyaachen]

Well .... the answer obviously is it depends
Still I thought it might be interesting to know how others are doing it.

So, I have started with the Web-based study material from CATS aviation for the ground school. I also have the Pooley's books. CATS material is compact and sometimes do not make sense. Not sure how they have prepared it, but I find it nevertheless hard to answer all the questions in their own question bank based on their study material alone. Reading the books in addition obviously requires more time.

Anyone feels like sharing their strategy?
I should mention that I have access to AirQuiz in addition. I am not doing so well there either (almost 50% each time).

[Baikonour]

[Cue wartime stories]

An airlaw question I got wrong in my exam was related to lighting of en-route obstacles.
The question was related to the colour of high intensity lights on tall buildings (I forget the actual wording).

The Trevor Thom / Pooley’s book just mentions “Obstructions which are over 500ft are lit.”

Air Navigation Order (ANO) – Article 219 is more specific and says:
Lighting of en-route obstacles
219 (1) The person in charge of an en-route obstacle must ensure that it is fitted with medium intensity steady red lights positioned as close as possible to the top of the obstacle and at intermediate levels spaced so far as practicable equally between the top lights and ground level with an interval of not more than 52 metres.

There is also the very nice ‘Visual Aids handbook’ from the CAA (CAP 437) which states:
“En-route obstacles are normally lit by steady red lights at night and, in exceptional circumstances, by high intensity flashing lights.” [no colour given]

I believe that the options were Steady white, flashing white, steady red, flashing red.
I answered steady red which was wrong, although having read all the above, you would be hard pressed to know it.

The answer sheet given by the CAA referred me to ICAO Annex 14, volume 1, chapter 6, para 6.3.33, which specifically talks about high intensity lights being flashing white. The steady red ones which we normally see are not high intensity. D'oh!

So... to know that, you would not only have to have read the books, nor just the ANO, nor the relevant guidelines issued by the CAA... but actually the underlying ICAO standard.

So, the moral of the story is that in practice, you may well get questions which are not in any of your books, and which may even not be in your national ANO.

Good luck!

B.

[Genghis the Engineer]

I did CATS distance learning plus the mandatory couple of weeks in the classroom. I did CPL rather than ATPL writtens, but got first time passes in everything, as did everybody I knew doing ATPLs alongside me from CATS.

I did buy Phil Croucher's book, which I found a useful simplified reference alongside the CATS material and still sits on my desk at work, and I did spend a bit of money on a short subscription to the Bristol Groundschool question bank for last minute practice for the exams.

But, basically, yes, it was good enough. The school themselves were often a bit shambolic, but I've absolutely no complaints about the written material.

My study strategy was broadly similar to any other knowledge based exams I've ever done. Read - precis, re-write my own notes a few times with reference to the books, re-write my notes without reference to the books to make sure I could do it from memory, practice questions, back to the books to correct mistakes, more practice questions, take the exam.

This was 6-7 years ago, but presumably the material is no less good now. I'm sure that good learning practices haven't changed.

G

[ChickenHouse]

I did all my theory with CATS (and EXAM11 software for training) only, always took all exams on one date each and always passed all on all exams first try. My conclusion, CATS material is enough for passing all exams.

[Johnm]

My PPL IR was achieved with CATS alone, my only beef was that the syllabus was fatuous in the extreme with lots of useless stuff included and much useful stuff not covered at all. That's the regulator not CATS though.

[indyaachen]

@Baikonour ..... I can smile now but it scares me if these kinds appear on my exam and become the matter of or

@others ... overall you all seem to be satisfied with CATS material. That is really good to know. I'd still read Pooley's. They are well-written books IMO.

Much appreciated.

[ChickenHouse]

CATS is by no means perfect, but the best material I saw over the last years for the "good enough and digestible" approach and always keep in mind - it is for passing the exam ... fit for purpose ... not for becoming an aviation theory guru.

[indyaachen]

That's what I was trying to figure out ..... if it is 'good enough'

Of course, to know more one has to invest more time into books and perhaps other materials.

Thanks.

[OpenCirrus619]

Like GtE I did CPL distance learning with CATS (around 10 years ago) and the material was certainly good enough to pass the exams - I seem to recall they were getting almost 100% pass rate on both CPL and ATPLs.

In my case (because my brain works well with cramming) I did buy a couple of the Key Notes/Facts books which they offered - certainly worked for me

The reason that I chose CATS was that (Dr) Stuart Smith seemed genuinely intent on teaching the subject (as opposed to just cramming for the exams). During my time there I witnessed a number of students, who had struggled elsewhere, getting whatever extra tuition/attention was required.

Unless things have changed, over the last decade, I would suggest you have a chat with Stuart - her was certainly:
- Very approachable
- Interested in feedback, if it was going to improve the transfer of knowledge

Just my recollections - from a decade ago.

OC619

[Cusco]

Like several posters above I studied with CATS in 2008 , not for the PPL but for the IR TK.

Along with a dozen or so pilots from another forum we negotiated a discount for the course material with distance learning and CATS arranged weekend refreshers at Cranfield where they were based, as most of us were working full-time.

I was one who needed one-to-one from Stuart Smith on one knotty topic and his time was freely given. Nothing was too much bother.

I think the CATS material was perfectly sufficient for the IR, though I did buy a set question bank- German origin, 'Peters' I think as well. However this was studded with unnecessary ATPL questions so I binned it early on.

For the 7 IR exams I passed all first time, my average score was just under 94%.in a total of five months part-time study.

If the PPL is half as good as this I'd strongly recommend CATS.

Cusco

[indyaachen]

Well .... many here seem to have positive experience with CATS in relation to err... advanced ratings. Maybe CATS have more extensive material for those, but it still points towards a positive experience.

I will keep CATS as a primary study material, Pooley's as the more extensive material, and AIRQUIZ for the question bank. I would know in a few weeks if this strategy works for me. I plan to take Air Law, Meteorology, and Operations first.

[Genghis the Engineer]

I think that CATS developed the PPL material essentially as a loss-leading shop window to persuade people to stick with them later for professional qualifications. On that basis, one assumes that they've put quite a lot of effort into making them good.

G

[ChickenHouse]

I plan to take Air Law, Meteorology, and Operations first.

Why hobble yourself? Read all and take all, cutting theory in pieces only prolongs the theory pain suffering (you will have no problem to prepare and pass all in one go, trust!).