I seriously think something is seriously not right with this exam. I'm not the smartest tool in the shed but when I started ATPL, I managed to sit 3 exams in 3 weeks and all of them passed well with plenty of time to spare. Comes to flight planning studied with AFT, I used to get over 90% in practice exams with an average question done in the usual 15 minutes. I get to sit the exam and I get a miserable 44%, second time, same... Exam with some 18 questions, 4-5 multi-choice and the rest type in. When I did it, it seemed pretty easy and similar to AFT, pretty much straightforward. Why do I think this exam could be either rigged or not processed properly or made up not to be processed properly?
- With all the exams (CPL/IREX) I did like all of us, after you submit, always took the system some 10-15 seconds to spit out the verdict. This one literally took half a second or even less.
- AFT and the aviation theory centre give different ways to approximate or get EMZW and some other data. I pick on really small things and errors and I picked that. Told Gavin because they suggest aviation theory centre, and he agreed saying to tell them. I did a test exam following aviation theory centre and the same following AFT and the answer was a mile off.
- How do we know what the "error window" is for the typed-in answers? eg: the answer is 500, you say 505 but the system gives you between 494 and 504. Now you are wrong. But maybe another day, that window can open up a bit making the answer right... there is no transparency at all and I think is fair to at least pick the error and show it....not the full working but just that wrong step (if any).
I know a lot of people is having this problem with this subject and strangely this spike of no pass started to happen after the question have been changed after that genius decided to cheat and make other cheat this exam.
And by the way, if they changed the exam because of the cheat to make safety priority, I don't understand any safety in leaving the "bloke from the day/month before" who did flight planning with credits as they don't know if he cheated (and most of others) or not. If that is really a worry for them, they should cancel that exam and let all others redo (just that) to be sure. Now some ATPL out there might fly planes after (maybe for some) cheating on exams and CASA knows it.
So, how come this drop in the pass rate after the questions have been changed? AFT is the same, aviation theory centre book is the same, people are different but the "same" with the same intellectual properties...so in this big equation only 1 thing has changed and that is the exam itself where either is rigged or can't be processed properly because there is no right answer. I don't care what CASA says about the pass rate, they can say whatever they want. I know that other people I know, couldn't pass it too.
The big problem I have is after all this work in converting my PPL, do CPL and MECIR, all time-consuming and expensive, all self study, I get stuck on this flight planning which gave me some kind of insecure feeling making me question my abilities to do things. I know I'm good and can get things done right but in this case, I got this feeling, especially in aviation where I think need to be not 100% perfect because no one is, but almost.
I have no issues with the 727 used as I understand is getting the process done right, then starting fresh with the working aircraft without getting confused but this really hurt me and I also have no problem in pushing until I make it but at this point, I simply don't trust this exam. I'm confident this exam is very easy but something is not right at all. I get a lot that "I think too much" and then after a while, I get the "you were right" too after they look into it.
Now I'm left with a CPL/MECIR and doubts about myself because I think maybe if I didn't pass that because I'm really not ready, It may be possible that I can't take the right decisions and better off stopping flying for a bit which increases some form of insecurity too because start not to remember everything.
I might try to give it another go just to get to pass it just to pass the time at this point. I'm not trying to be right but I smell something not right at all.
Deeply inside. I hope I'm wrong and I probably needed to study more but 95% on simulated exams in less than 3 hrs straight locked in a room with no distractions, makes me question ....a lot.
If someone is in some form of similar situation, come forward or inbox me privately because either is only me, or a lot of us and if is a lot of us then something needs to be done.
Cheers