Sat this bugger of an exam today and got through ok. ATPLs now finished
I thought I'd add a few ideas to the thread for those still to sit the exam. I know I found many of the previous posts helpful in my preparation.
While you can't write in the 727 handbook, you can highlight creatively. For example, in the yaw damper inoperative tables on p 5-25 you could highlight the ".73" on the FL 290 line as a reminder that you'll be doing Mach .73 at 290 for all the yaw damper inoperative questions flying east. Highlight ".74" on the 280 line as the Mach number going west. You can also higlight figures to remember the SARs at different speeds (if you are using different figures rather than AFT's generic 10kg/nm). For example, on p 3-89 if you want to recall that the SAR for Mach .8 is 9.5 kg/nm, highlight the "95" in the "1895" fuel flow on the page - you can do this for every Mach number with a little bit of creativity. By the time you sit the exam, you should know all the figures but having a reminder can't hurt.
Buying the calculator used in the exams is $25 well spent. You'll probably be pushed for time and knowing how the logic of the calculator works will save you time. AFT sell them on Ebay.
As you'll probably be pushed for time, doing the 5 and 4 mark questions first is a good idea. You don't want to get these wrong. If you run out of time on a 1 or 2 mark question (or start panicing because you think you're going to run out of time and so do a bad job on the question), it's not going to be a big deal.
Do as many practice exams as you can get your hands on. Rob Avery sells a book of 5 exams for about $50. Again, it's money well spent (as for that matter, is his text book on flight planning - also about $50). Rob Avery words his questions differently to AFT and it's good to see the different styles and types of questions.
I know it's been said before, but reading the question carefully before you start working on it is absolutely crucial. Some of the 4 and 5 mark questions have a lot of information in them and you only need to miss one bit to get it all wrong. On a related topic, examine the map carefully to see if there are any unmeasured distances you need to take into account. Also, get to know the ERCs well. There are a few tricky sectors - eg you might be forgiven for thinking Danks to Keppa (near Melbourne) is 79nm but it's actually Danks to Apple that is 79nm. Egore to Janus (near Darwin) is another example.
Finally, thanks to Beat Ups for answering my earlier question.
Cheers