Exam Nightmares

[danielplainview]

Hi everybody,

I failed my Air Law for the second time today, and I'm not too keen to have to go to Gatwick, I feel like a total numptie.
I've been studying really hard but the multiple choice questions just surpise me everytime (I've been through the confuser back to front many times, I get around 85% I've done past papers, etc.)

Anyway, I'd just like to know if this happens a lot? (having to go to Gatwick) and does it really matter? Is it a sign I'm not cut out for this? I missed out on a pass today by 1% - which makes me think it's just down to luck.

And that rips my knitting...

[AndyCirl]

ah man 1%! I feel for ya.

You have 2 more attempts right?

[danielplainview]

em... I think I have one, then I have to do the Gatwick thing, and I don't know what that involves, are we allowed scissors, sharp objects, do we write with crayons?

[EIDW RJ85]

Are you talking PPL or ATPL air law?? I presume its the ATPL?? Get Bristol question bank and do it time and time again. I sat it 2 months ago and passed 1st time! You have 4 attempts per subject and 6 total sittings allowed!

Best Of luck. :ok:

[danielplainview]

it's actually just PPL! Am I over reacting?

[Whirlygig]

I suspect superally means PPL as he/she refers to the Confuser.

If it's PPL, please be aware that there are a few "wrong" answers in the Confuser. It's not that they're actually wrong but that they don't give the answer the CAA wants.

On the Private Flying forum there are some threads about study material and online practice questions. In addition, try Question & Answers for The Private Pilot's Licence instead.

Air Law is pure rote learning and question practice is one of the better ways to learn it.

Cheers

Whirls

[EIDW RJ85]

No not at all, just get the trevor thom book, make notes and really study that confuser!! The PPL air law knowledge is the foundation for most of what you need to know for the ATPL's. But if you find the PPL exams tough, wait till u get to the ATPL's - Nightmare, im doing them now!!

But as they say, hard work pays off so keep at it. Im guessing its the last 1 u need to pass??

[wbryce]

I was about to say...the ATPL air law exam is this thursday!!

re-read the book, if its any consolation, I read TT's book, didn't make much sense of it and got an Jeremy Pratt book and that made the difference. Don't put all your hopes on the PPL confuser!! I didn't really use it so don't know how accurate it is.

[robdesbois]

I'm nearly at the end of PPL course having used Pratt throughout - never used the Thom books so can't compare them for you, but Pratt has never failed me.

There are a couple of inaccuracies in the PPL Confuser, particularly in the Nav paper, but don't remember any problems with the Air Law one.

So anyway, I'd recommend the Pratt book. Good luck and don't give up the dream of flying!

[SinBin]

Superally,

PPL exam results don't count for anything if indeed you're intention is going professional. Come to think of it nor do ATPL results! Don't worry about it. I made a right hash of Air Law PPL many moons ago, I put in zero effort for it the first time worked my socks of the second and REALLY worked for third, passed it on that attempt. ATPL is harder, but is alot more structured, I passed first time with 87%. Has anyone asked me about them since? No.

I'm now on the Airbus so no sweat!

SB

[multi_engined]

G'day mate,

I failed air law a few times, admittedly another country but same subject.

All I can offer is study hard, I chose to use a different set of notes and textbooks for that attempt.

All I could think about was smashing the stupid exam, failing twice was enough motivation because obviously I wasn't studying enough.

When I did pass I got 98% in the end... which is better than scraping through with the minimum pass mark in my opinion.

Good luck.

[captain_rossco]

From my experience with Air Law its a real M***** F******, I passed mine on the first attempt at OBA (pheeeew), but not before systematically going through the paper and RULING out the obvious incorrect answers. Now the issue with the Air Law paper over some of the others, is that the remaining two answers will often both seem quite plausable.
It just wants reading over and over again, and for the sake of the exam, just PARROT LEARN it. ie be able to recite things when you have little or no idea what they mean, (you'll want to know it once airbourne though!).

Kind Regards and the Best of Luck

CR

PS Maybe a little song might help (to the tune of 'the knee bone's connected to the thigh bone)

You dont fly in military aaaaaair-space,
If you do you might get shot iiin the-face,

When i'm flying in the sky in my rock-et
I must must stay Xfeet above fixed ob-jects,

etc etc

[helimutt]

Am I understanding this correctly? You are doing the PPL Air Law exam, I assume at a flying school somewhere, not the ATPL air law exam?

The place you're learning should go through the answers where you failed to see if you aren't grasping it somehow. Pretty bad to fail the ppl level exams as you should be getting more assistance with it than it sounds like you are.

It's not just a question of learning it parrot fashion, no matter what some of the above posters may say. You do need an understanding of it. I also failed Air Law a few years ago, pass mark 75%, I got 73%!!! Only one I failed tho so keep at it and you'll do fine.

[Whirlygig]

At PPL (as superally has mentioned that he is sitting), if you fail an exam, then the examiner is not allowed to go through the questions that you got wrong; they only do that when you pass!

Air Law does not really have "concepts" so understanding is really not so much part of the game. Light signals? You don't "understand" them, you learn them! Same for quadrantal rule, same for visibility minima und so weiter!

Cheers

Whirls

[captain_rossco]

Spot on as ever Whirls.:ok:

PS Helimutt, no one (as i said in brackets) is suggesting not to learn the stuff

[danielplainview]

Thanks Everybody!

[Mikehotel152]

May I have a rant about PPL exams?

Well, where do I start?

I have identified a number of questions in the exams where the answer given was simply wrong. I proved this afterwards to the examiner and he just shrugged. Seeing as I passed there was no point complaining.

Other times, I have answered correctly, but only after spending ages re-reading the question and possible answers until I still couldn't understand what on earth they were asking, but had to put something down! I only got the answers right by guesstimating what they 'might' be asking.

It shouldn't be necessary for people to have to spend so much time trying to decypher the questions. In any other profession the incompetence of the examining would be headline news.

[robdesbois]

MH: Couldn't agree more. So many times my instructor has gone through something and said 'but the CAA answer is different'.

I just did my first practice of the Met paper in the confuser...lowest mark for any paper yet. It's just all so vague and the questions are b0ll0cks :mad:

[wbryce]

MH, you better get used to it! Unfortunately it only gets worse at ATPL level!! They have answers to questions which just doesn't make sense and they like to make up words too. Adds to the fun! :}

[bobster1]

They have answers to questions which just doesn't make sense and they like to make up words too. Adds to the fun!

You found it fun!! nutter..ha ha.. It annoyed me beyond believe...
an example:Q blah blah blah waste gate of supercharger is....
a:fully open
b:fully closed
c:PARTIALLY CLOSED
d:ALMOST FULLY OPEN

what is the difference between c & d...
only the CAA know..dont argue with the systems answers!!
Sometimes its easier not to question anything and just learn the JAA answer!!

[boogie-nicey]

How about the Oxford PPL CBT, at least you can watch it time and time again to grasp the more difficult aspects of this rather dry subject. Sometimes an animation or graphic can do wonders for your learning.

I recall struggling at the PPL stage but once at the ATPL level I didn't experience too many problems, so don't think you're not cut out for it. I'm sure you're just as good as everybody else.
;)