http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/
Whatever people say; it can definitely help to prepare for the tests in advance. In particular getting your mental arithmetic up to speed by practise (eg when you go shopping add up your bill as you go - in your head, also learn/revise your times-tables, get used to noticing which numbers are multiples of 60 for speed/distance/time calcs etc) as this'll save you time & improve your scores in the tests.
Likewise if you have done some flying it can help you in the hand-eye co-ordination tests, the spatial awareness tests and the ones where you have to read instruments. With no practice a perfect candidate will undoubtedly still do well, however I was not perfect and the work I put in beforehand helped me no end...
Best of luck
. BM
PS - Leigh, I could be very wrong as things have changed markedly in the last 2 years but the schemes I went for in 2007 had nearer 200-300 applicants, though you are 100% correct that either way it is highly competitive
