I completed all of my ATPLs prior to this debacle so have not had any experience with the current flight planning exam but I don't think it would be fair to blame AFT in this instance. A few of you seem to be gauging the exam on the pass & failure rates of the AFT classes but there are a few things that you need to consider.
Firstly, everyone's different, for some people 2 weeks in the class room is pretty intense and they feel like they need to sit the exam straight after the 2 weeks because they have put the pressure on themselves to do so because they are booked in for the next subject. When in actual fact, if they went away for a week and just practised and focused on building speed and accuracy they would come out with a much better result.
Secondly, a lot pf people attending the AFT course think it is a quick fix and guaranteed pass, unfortunately these people do the bare minimum of work in and out of class and expect it to be enough. It's not!
Thirdly, many pilots have been working full time and haven't had the time to self study, let alone go on a holiday, they have chosen to do the AFT course during their leave. This makes it hard for them to focus on spending their free time out of class studying, there are a few distractions nearby, the beach, pubs, family members or friends in Brisbane or the surrounds and this diverts their attention from what they should really be doing to get through the exam. Don't get me wrong, it's not easy or healthy locking yourself away and doing nothing but studying, you will need breaks! It's a fine line though.
This is all quite broad and not everyone falls into these categories but I've been up and done the AFT course and seen all of the above happen. Yes Flight Planning is not the easiest exam and I saw quite a few of my classmates who had studied their guts out, just miss out on a pass. But generally, the outcome depends on the work put in and most of the guys that only just failed would probably have benefitted from an extra week of practice.
If there is any advice I could give, try not to put too much pressure on yourselves, the AFT course is full on and can get tiring, if you're one of those people that need a bit of time to reconcile for yourself what was learnt in class, take that time! You don't need to sit all 4 subjects one after the other, AFT will let you break it up over a few courses.
Good luck
