Just passed this today.
Consists of:
•Reading gauges - you'll have about 6/7 gauges and be asked 4/5 questions relating to that cluster then there is a new cluster for the next bunch of questions. This isn't too hard, but you won't answer all the questions. One of the guys in my group failed and he was told that
this first section is the most important (even though it is pencil and paper and the rest is all on PCs).
•I can't remember this step, but I didn't finish it. This step and all following question and answer tests are multiple choice.
•Reading gauges again - this time you will have a gauge showing the angle at which an aircraft is rolling and it's inclination and a compass. You must choose the correct aircraft based on the gauge and compass. Examples of this test are at
this link.
•Fast maths - you need to do these questions in your head to get as many done as you can. A pencil and paper are provided, but the aim of this test is to measure the speed and accuracy of your mathematical skills. Lots of multiplication and division with both fractions and decimals. Some are quite tricky and try to catch you out. One example is 1/8 x 7832 / 0.125
•Speed, distance, time and fuel - this section has more complex questions that can and should be studied.
The Student Room has some great examples. One example is "A pilot is 600km away and flying towards an airfield at 200km/h. An aircraft takes off at 300km/h in the direction of the oncoming aircraft. How far away from the airfield will they meet?".
A break and then Joystick and Touchscreen stuff:
•Memory - this can be rather tough. You have to follow a sequence of numbers. This is fine at first except for each 'lag' it gets harder. As the lag goes up you have to delay your input by one number. So you start on lag 0 and press each number as they light up, on the lag 1 you delay your input by 1 number, so when the second number lights up you press the first number and so on. The highest lag that my group got up to was lag 5.
•Multiplication and addition/subtraction - you have to quickly solve mathematical problems and press the correct number (from 1 to 9). You are given two digits and must multiply them then if the result is an even number you multiply the individual digits of that answer. If you multiply the provided digits and get an odd number you must find the difference between them. For example if supplied with "5 7" you multiply the digits and get 35, then because the result is odd you find the difference between the two digits in the answer, so 5-3= 1. If you are given the digits "8 4" you multiply and get 32, then because this is an even number you add the two digits in the answer to get 3+2= 5.
•Joystick stuff - you must keep a small circle inside a larger circle, a cross over a larger cross, etc. There are two joysticks and one controls up/down and the other controls left/right. Sometimes one joystick with control both axes and you must simultaneously solve the above maths problems. Sometimes one will control both axes of a cross which must be kept on a larger cross in the middle of the screen while the other joystick controls the horizontal movement of a circle that must be kept over a line. There are quite a number of different configurations with the joysticks and I honestly can't think of any way to practice for it. As far as people saying that experience with computer games helps, well I don't think it makes much difference. I think you'd get more benefit out of practicing patting your head with or hand while rubbing your stomach with the other hand, because it's about multitasking.
•Dials/Gauges - you use the touchscreen and one joystick to keep gauges and dials centred. Again, there isn't much you can do to practice this. The only thing I could suggest is perhaps not getting too close to the screen so you can keep them all within your field of vision simultaneously.
I have forgotten something here, so read through the rest of this thread. This is all I can remember right now anyway.
It's a fairly full-on batch of tests and for the complex maths (speed/dist/time/fuel) you definitely want to have studied for it or be used to solving those sorts of questions. Also, make sure you read the question carefully because it may ask for how much
extra will a trip take or how many gallons of fuel did an aircraft have at a
specific point along the journey