Tell me about the ATPL exams...please

[Mikehotel152]

Just wondering about the format of each of the 14 ATPL exams. I realise they are multiple choice, but I would like to know how many questions they throw at you in each paper and the amount of time they allow per paper. The reason being that I'd like to formulate my own mock exam for practice and to see how much time I get per question.

Many thanks for any replies. :)

[mcgoo]

Airframe/systems/powerplant 76 Questions / 2 hours (exam length)
Instruments 56 / 1 hour 30 mins
M & B 22 / 1 hour
Performance 34 / 1 hour
Flight Planning 56 / 3 hours
Human Perf. 47 / 1 hour
Met. 90 / 2 hours 30 mins
Gen Nav 54 / 2 hours
Radio Nav 59 / 1 hour 30 mins
Ops Procedures 50 / 1 hour 20 mins
Principles of flight 44 / 1 hour
VFR Comms 23 / 30 mins
IFR Comms 23 / 30 mins
Air Law 75 / 1 hour 40 mins

[nmcpilot]

Principles of flight - 56questions 1hr
Instruments - 48ish questions 1hr 30
Meteorology - 90 questions 2hrs 30
VFR Comms - 23 questions 30mins
IFR Comms - 23 questions 30mins
AGK Systems - 76ish questions 2hrs

Not sure on the question amount for the others.. but Air law is 1hr, flight planning is 3hrs 20mins, Gen nav 2hrs, Mass and balance 1hr (21 questions) and radio nav is also 1hr I think...

[nmcpilot]

Oh I was beaten! I wouldn't worry about running out of time... the only paper you might run out of time on is Gen Nav I hear... not done that one yet. However the 7 I have done so far I have always had way too much time... The systems paper which is 2hrs I finished in 20minutes and got 95%

[Flying Rasta]

NMC.

You at OAT?

[Whirlygig]

You want to be careful about finishing too early; I walked out of the VFR Comms exam after 8 minutes (and that was only because I thought 5 minutes would have seemed too cocky!) but I got one wrong!! :}

Cheers

Whirls

[dartagnan]

nav was the hardest for me in term of time!
failed 2 on the 14. Not too bad considering english is not my first language.

[pilotmike]

As you have been given some conflicting information, you will find the facts in LASORS, Section J (J1.2 I think).

This will also inform you the days / times each subject is sat.

[nmcpilot]

I am indeed at OAT rasta. Yeah I have heard of people doing that with comms from being too cocky. There are worse things in the world than having to resit the communications exam though, not exactly the hardest subject!

[Whirlygig]

Yeah I have heard of people doing that with comms from being too cocky.

What? Getting a question wrong and only getting 96%???? :}

Cheers

Whirls



Needs a tongue-in-cheek smilie

[Mikehotel152]

Thanks everyone. It certainly gives me something to work on. Also, Mike, cheers for the Lasors info - I was about to send of my booking form for February's exams but couldn't find any info on the CAA website giving details of subject days and times!

[davey147]

It really makes me mad when people walk out of exams early, in my opinion the CAA should stop it and ban people from leaving the room until the full time allowance is up.

I personally finished the the comms exam in 5 minutes, but I stayed there for the full 30 minutes, checking through the exam and making sure that I was 100% sure about the answer for each question. It really makes me feel bad sitting there when everybody is walking out, alse makes it harder to concentrate and I wish people would think of others and stay till the end. I sat for each exam until the exam man said that the time is up.


It worked for me I got 100% (thats in comms, not all the subjects :))

[Mohit_C]

Now I know that it really depends on how clever an individual is but what are the chances of scoring 100% in all 14 ATPL exams. Any one achieved this or knows who has?

[davey147]

Ive never known anyone to do it, its very common to score 100% on VFR and IFR Comms, also many people score 100% on Mass & Balance and Human Performance.

Ive seen people come close and get an average of 98% through all the exams, but never much higher.

[bajadj]

yeah...lets keep people locked up!!! thats what we do in a civilised society!!

those extra minutes would be much better spent staring at an already completed exam paper rather than studying for your next one!!

[nmcpilot]

Agreed, I had human performance directly before comms and had done no comms revision. But finished the HP within 20mins (checked through twice) and I mean come on how much checking through can you do with a multiple choice paper? you either know it or you don't! Which left me like 1hr 40mins to study for comms and I got the standard dual 100's for them.

[Mohit_C]

Perhaps this question has been asked before but do airlines actually see your average score of all the ATPL subjects or do they just see your licence and flying hours?

[BitMoreRightRudder]

If you are on a sponsored, sorry, "mentored" scheme such as CTC then great emphasis is placed on passing all 14 first time and getting a reasonably high average. If you are training under your own steam then no-one will ever give a cr:mad:p if you averaged 99.9% or failed all 14 first time round. If you do fail all 14 first time round however I would seriously consider doing something else!:eek:

The ATPL exams are just part of the weeding out process employed by the CAA. The volume of work acts as a barrier to numptys - if you can't be arsed disciplining yourself to study and absorb a large amount of material (and learn the answers - thank you BGS;)) then you probably aren't suitable to hold a professional licence. The vast majority of the material you will learn will be dumped shortly after you have passed the exams. The bits you will remeber you will use on a practical basis during the IR and CPL. Hardly any of the ATPL syllabus will feature any further than that in your commercial flying career.

Good Luck!

[inner]

I thinks it is a shame that some people just learn the answers by heart.

The only advice i can give you is to study very hard and make sure you understand what you are studying. Passing the exam is not hard. It is after you've finished your training that it will begin. And yes, you have to do theoretical tests as well during the selections and here there are no answers you can remember by heart. So please, study!!

Good luck!!

[Tiger_ Moth]

Davey,

Your comments are ridiculous and ill conceived. I've just completed my last set of ATPLs and on one of the days for example I had POF, AGK and PERF.

Do you really think I should have sat there in the exam hall for over an hour on each subject once I'd already finished and checked the paper, when what I really needed to do was go and cram half the question bank on the next subject?

Just so somebody doesn't get distracted by my quiet departure!?!?!!

Ridiculous

[captain_rossco]

Davey if you struggle to answer a few questions in an otherwise completetly silent room just because someone has decided to get up then you may well be in the wrong game!

:ok:

[davey147]

Slight missunderstanding.

All I was saying is that I find it very strange how people leave the exam early. Every examination that ive taken that includes GCSE, A Levels and the exams throughout medical school, I have never walked out early, mainly because the majority of the exam boards did not allow it.

Whether they allow it or not isnt a factor, I just wouldnt walk out early as I don't think its polite to the others in the exam hall, thats my opinion. An hour in between the exams here or there shouldnt really make any difference if the subject is learned in the first place.

The noise doesnt disturb me, its just the principle. The exams are that easy anyway (a joke in my opinion), people could pass them on a building site :)

[Tiger_ Moth]

Davey, I think you'll find that 99% of people are not offended by others leaving early. Thank God.

How on earth can you be offended by that?!?!

I take offence at you taking offence from this!