Study techniques for ATPL studies
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Study techniques for ATPL studies
Good afternoon all,
I've just embarked on studying for the ATPL exams with Bristol Ground School. Trying to squeeze it in around a full-time job has proved more difficult that first thought, but hundreds of students do it, so I should be no different!
Taking a look around this forum, I've already picked up on a few helpful tips that will come in handy, but it'll be great to hear any more advice or tips from pilots who have or are currently in the same boat as me.
Thanks in advance!
I've just embarked on studying for the ATPL exams with Bristol Ground School. Trying to squeeze it in around a full-time job has proved more difficult that first thought, but hundreds of students do it, so I should be no different!
Taking a look around this forum, I've already picked up on a few helpful tips that will come in handy, but it'll be great to hear any more advice or tips from pilots who have or are currently in the same boat as me.
Thanks in advance!
I work full time and long hours. For me the 3 hours a day commute is my study time. I can sit on the train and get loads done. I can also do a bit at work as I sit in front of a computer most of the time.
You just have to fit it in where you can but a lot depends on what you do for work and travel etc.
You just have to fit it in where you can but a lot depends on what you do for work and travel etc.
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This is how I studied: just a suggest, because it also depend on each one's capability and method.
Firstly, you need to understand the theory. Basically there are a dozen of topics in a subject. Then in each topic there are a few problems. Try to have an overview first of what are you studying before you go each of those one by one. Don't just open something and try to study directly from A to Z. You'll get annoying because of the quantity of knowledge very soon.
But that isn't enough, what you studied and what they are asking in exams is a little bit differences. So MOST of the time I study in question banks (btw, I heard that in Australia there is no question bank at all?). Anyway, try to explain all the wrong choice in 1 question. Most of the questions have "key word", if you can remember the "key word", do it, but don't rely on it (because they change "key word" and you're f**ked).
Another tips is taking note of the knowledge inside questions themselves. We may study 1001 topic, but they are just asking in 100 topic.
Create your own Mnemonic, we may studied UNOS, ANDS... But there are tons of other things.
Finally, for some of the math prob, there is a way to answer not by doing the whole bunch of calculation -> the trick is doing it reversely from choice to the question. They say "work smart not work hard" thou
FYI, the period before exams, one of my friend did 300 questions each day. That guy is just so smart that not only he understand the wrong choices in each question, but also he remember "key word" for most of them. His scores're damn high.
Firstly, you need to understand the theory. Basically there are a dozen of topics in a subject. Then in each topic there are a few problems. Try to have an overview first of what are you studying before you go each of those one by one. Don't just open something and try to study directly from A to Z. You'll get annoying because of the quantity of knowledge very soon.
But that isn't enough, what you studied and what they are asking in exams is a little bit differences. So MOST of the time I study in question banks (btw, I heard that in Australia there is no question bank at all?). Anyway, try to explain all the wrong choice in 1 question. Most of the questions have "key word", if you can remember the "key word", do it, but don't rely on it (because they change "key word" and you're f**ked).
Another tips is taking note of the knowledge inside questions themselves. We may study 1001 topic, but they are just asking in 100 topic.
Create your own Mnemonic, we may studied UNOS, ANDS... But there are tons of other things.
Finally, for some of the math prob, there is a way to answer not by doing the whole bunch of calculation -> the trick is doing it reversely from choice to the question. They say "work smart not work hard" thou
FYI, the period before exams, one of my friend did 300 questions each day. That guy is just so smart that not only he understand the wrong choices in each question, but also he remember "key word" for most of them. His scores're damn high.
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What worked for me was...
reading the material, making notes, then doing the QBs, and reviewing the material where there was deficits. I also made an Excel file with all the formulas for quick review. All-in-all, this is probably the most time consuming method, but it worked for me at the university many, many years ago 
Unfortunately, you live and die by the QBs. I think it is all about time management and setting goals how many hours you can do each week and sticking to it.
Unfortunately, you live and die by the QBs. I think it is all about time management and setting goals how many hours you can do each week and sticking to it.
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I just read the theory reading material at least once, then I go and storm the QB.
I do 600/800 per day at least, and once all QB is done, I start to do mock exams continuosly (at least 10/15 times per day)...doing so gives me enough peace of mind to have read all questions (at least once) and having met all strange ones during mock exams. Sometime i take notes where i see i get always confused.
Bottom line:
Hit the QB (BGS, AE or whathever suits your CAA exam) and go through it over and over till your brain is bleeding and you see you start to score more than 90% each time you run a mock exam, this will give enough "buffer" for unknown/new question you will for sure meet during real exams.
All the best to all.
I do 600/800 per day at least, and once all QB is done, I start to do mock exams continuosly (at least 10/15 times per day)...doing so gives me enough peace of mind to have read all questions (at least once) and having met all strange ones during mock exams. Sometime i take notes where i see i get always confused.
Bottom line:
Hit the QB (BGS, AE or whathever suits your CAA exam) and go through it over and over till your brain is bleeding and you see you start to score more than 90% each time you run a mock exam, this will give enough "buffer" for unknown/new question you will for sure meet during real exams.
All the best to all.
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How the would you do 600/800 questions per day ??
My method is to read the theory once, then do half the questions of the QB (paragaph by paragraph, for instance I read about hydraulics in AGK, then do half of the hydraulics questions in the QB)
This gives me a score of about 75-85% on the first takes.
Then, once I've done that for the entire subject I will do the other questions. My scores will improve over the second half of the questions because they tend to repeat themselves, and I reach about 90% on the last unseen questions.
Then I will revise, about 200Q per day, and my scores will vary between 85-100% depending on subject, luck, etc.. For instance there are a few questions in AGK that I need to revise very regularly to remember.
I'd say that in total I will have seen all 14 000 questions in the bank (except for flight planning, I really have better things to do than FP questions), and maybe revised a third of them, so 20 000 clicks total.
My method is to read the theory once, then do half the questions of the QB (paragaph by paragraph, for instance I read about hydraulics in AGK, then do half of the hydraulics questions in the QB)
This gives me a score of about 75-85% on the first takes.
Then, once I've done that for the entire subject I will do the other questions. My scores will improve over the second half of the questions because they tend to repeat themselves, and I reach about 90% on the last unseen questions.
Then I will revise, about 200Q per day, and my scores will vary between 85-100% depending on subject, luck, etc.. For instance there are a few questions in AGK that I need to revise very regularly to remember.
I'd say that in total I will have seen all 14 000 questions in the bank (except for flight planning, I really have better things to do than FP questions), and maybe revised a third of them, so 20 000 clicks total.
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Ko
I don't know when you sat your exams but when I did mine, less than 12 months ago, I would have failed following your method.
Lots and lots of new questions with no similarity to the question banks. Tricky questions coming from all over the place, no substitute for knowing the material/books.
I just read the theory reading material at least once, then I go and storm the QB.
I do 600/800 per day at least, and once all QB is done, I start to do mock exams continuosly (at least 10/15 times per day)...doing so gives me enough peace of mind to have read all questions (at least once) and having met all strange ones during mock exams. Sometime i take notes where i see i get always confused.
Bottom line:
Hit the QB (BGS, AE or whathever suits your CAA exam) and go through it over and over till your brain is bleeding and you see you start to score more than 90% each time you run a mock exam, this will give enough "buffer" for unknown/new question you will for sure meet during real exams.
All the best to all.
I do 600/800 per day at least, and once all QB is done, I start to do mock exams continuosly (at least 10/15 times per day)...doing so gives me enough peace of mind to have read all questions (at least once) and having met all strange ones during mock exams. Sometime i take notes where i see i get always confused.
Bottom line:
Hit the QB (BGS, AE or whathever suits your CAA exam) and go through it over and over till your brain is bleeding and you see you start to score more than 90% each time you run a mock exam, this will give enough "buffer" for unknown/new question you will for sure meet during real exams.
All the best to all.
Lots and lots of new questions with no similarity to the question banks. Tricky questions coming from all over the place, no substitute for knowing the material/books.
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Just do it ? 
After 200 questions I can take it anymore, reading so many questions and answering the same questions over and over again is so tiring...
In PoF, there are maybe 400 questions that are variations of the same concept :
"1-In the throat of a venturi/free airflow, static pressure/dynamic pressure/total pressure is higher/lower than in the free airflow/throat of the venturi
2-same"
A correct/correct
B correct/incorrect
C incorrect/correct
D incorrect/incorrect
My memory of old maths tells me there are 96 questions that you can write based on this.
Then there are other similar concepts that can be declined in hundreds of questions :
shock waves/pressure behind/in front/temperature/speed of sound/density
expansion waves/same
entering/leaving ground effect /effective/induced angle of attack total/induced drag/lift/downwash
etc...
My feeling facing the 85th question of the sort
After 200 questions I can take it anymore, reading so many questions and answering the same questions over and over again is so tiring...
In PoF, there are maybe 400 questions that are variations of the same concept :
"1-In the throat of a venturi/free airflow, static pressure/dynamic pressure/total pressure is higher/lower than in the free airflow/throat of the venturi
2-same"
A correct/correct
B correct/incorrect
C incorrect/correct
D incorrect/incorrect
My memory of old maths tells me there are 96 questions that you can write based on this.
Then there are other similar concepts that can be declined in hundreds of questions :
shock waves/pressure behind/in front/temperature/speed of sound/density
expansion waves/same
entering/leaving ground effect /effective/induced angle of attack total/induced drag/lift/downwash
etc...
My feeling facing the 85th question of the sort
