PPRuNe Forums - View Single Post - When should I start hitting the question banks
Old 2nd Aug 2018, 10:06
  #5 (permalink)  
rudestuff
 
Join Date: Dec 2005
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I agree. QBs are a great tool and dare I say it - a necessity. But you HAVE to use them properly. I did all my ATPLs from the QB, Google and YouTube - I didn't open a single book.

QBs are great for rote learning of arbitrary facts: frequency ranges, light signals, how many satellites etc. They aren't so good for questions which require understanding or technique - so of you just learn the answers you'll probably fail.

For example, speed limit below FL100 is 250kts - it's arbitrary and you can't ask that question any other way. In GNav the answer to a question might be 357° true - just learning that is a waste of time. At this point you need to understand WHY it's 357° - so get into Google and YouTube and find out for yourself. (Tell me and I'll forget, show me and I'll remember, let me do it/find it for myself and I'll understand.)
​​​​​​I had trouble with polar stereographic charts. No amount of reading answers or explainations was helping - until i watched a 5 minute clip on YouTube.

The trick with question banks is to recognise what requires knowledge, what requires understanding and what requires technique: Smash the bank, but make sure you do all the working out, even when you know the answer.
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