How to pass PPL exams

[Nav420]

Hi guys, ive started my PPL and have bagged 1 hour 10 minutes! lol,
I am reading through the 1st book of the Air Pilots manual- Flying Training, up to where my instructor has told me to read till.
My aim is to complete me PPL by October so 6months, with 3 lessons a week.

My instructor has told me that in order to meet this aim i need to be knocking off each subject exam every 2 weeks. I am currently reading Aviation Law and want to complete this with a pass in 2 weeks time.

The advice i require from you guys is how do i go about this? Do i read through it and make notes? because there is so much information i have no clue as to what i should be noting down for the exam.

I have the PPL Confuser, so should i be reading aviation law, taking it in, then revising the PPL Confuser questions and answers?

Thank you

Nav

[roll_over]

Watch the oxford CDs and then do the questions on the confuser. I'd say, doing it that way, it took me less than 4 hrs per exam.

[AlphaMale]

I'm currently doing the above.

OAT CBT pack + PPL Confuser.

I did some light reading of Phill Crouchers ATPL book to see what I was in for in the long run and dare I say it 'quite enjoyed it' and no doubt I'll enjoy it a little more with 50+hrs logged and a PPL.

I've not sat any exams yet as I'm not fully committed to going through with a JAA PPL and thinking of taking the FAA route. :ooh:

Good luck

[Rugbyears]

For me you can not go wrong using the Trevor Thom books - Spend 3 days reading (Skim) each book, then repeatedly use the PPL Confuser upto the exam, then move on to next topic - I found that way so much easier!

Don't stress too much and you will be ok - Many questions can be answered with a bit of common sense - Best of luck:ok:

[Rugbyears]

Nav420 and Amanda1974 - Take a look at the following thread...:ok:

http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthread.php?t=320224

[acuba 290]

go through confuser and pass;) Unfortinately same way does't work with ATPL theory :=

[Rugbyears]

acuba 290 very true, all though hard work work will see you through!

[chris-squire]

The Air Pilots Manual's are really good. Skim through them, do the questions at the back and then turn to the Confuser. I've got Nav left to do but thats worth leaving until Im actually doing Nav flights. A fellow student have attempted it after nailing the material in the books and yet failed the exam. He resat it last week without any further revision but after completing 2 Nav flights and he passed (92%). Its about the only PPL subject that is best learnt by actually doing. Although having done my first Solo flight yesterday after 18 hours, Comms is now second nature. Not a very testing subject I grant you, but actually doing it makes it even easier! Infact, the more I fly the more all the subjects fit together.

I start off by completing the pre flight paper work, which involves checking the weather and completing the Mass & Balance calculations (Performance & Planning, Met). Then go out to do the walkaround (Aircraft Tech). Following start up the first thing I do is contact the college dispatch and tower for taxi clearance (Comms). Then taxi off to another apron for Run-Up's and finally take off into controlled airspace (Air Law and Op's). Haven't planned a Nav flight yet...thats soon though!

My point being, the more I fly the more I see how all those subjects fit together to make up the stuff you need to know. The confuser is fantastic and its really helped me. But don't use it as a replacement to the text books!!! My instructor seems to ask more questions each flight. If your instructor does the same and you've passed the exams but can't answer any of them it will show that you've studied the questions not the material and generally they wont be a happy bunny! Just a friendly word of advice.

Good luck with it guys! :)

[lazy george]

Reading all the time helps. Dinner hour get some in, On the toilet, during eastenders cos its crap, traffic jams...... etc etc

[Nashers]

dont just go through the confuser.

read the books and understand them but dont study them as u will end up falling asleep. as long as u understand what your reading you will start to understand the thought process used in all of the subjects. once you finish the reading do the practice questions on the confuser. if u get less than 90 percent see what ur doing wrong and re-read that chapter. do the same set of questions again and you will pass realy easly.

if your planning to do your atpls then this will be the best way as basic knowledge is already in so you will grasp everything else faster. when i did my ppl, i did it the way i did above and had all my exams done in abt 6 weeks. ATPLs though needed some real studying. good luck!

[Greg2041]

Don't touch the OAT CD Roms or related packages. The OAT level of detail is way way over & beyond what you actually or usefully need. All the other advice is sound. Enjoy!

[Obs cop]

Nav420,

There are 2 ways of passing the PPL exams. The route you choose depends really on your ability to learn and your ultimate aims.

If you simply want a PPL and have no commercial aspirations then I would suggest study through either Trevor Thoms or Jeremy Pratt's longstanding series of books. Then use revision aids of the PPL confuser and OAT media (if you have the cash spare!) before the relevant exams. In going down this route you should then be able to identify weak areas to swot up on. Get into the Airlaw early as it is a dry subject and some organisations prefer you to have done it prior to first solo although I believe it may not be a legal requirement (I stand to be corrected).

If you intend to go commercial then I would ignore the confuser all together and work hard at Thom or Pratt. A good understanding of the PPl subjects will give you a better grounding for ATPL studies. Merely using the confuser has habitually tempted people to learn the answers to the questions, which in my opinion makes the next step all that bit harder.

The ATPL study is 650 hours of work if completed distance learning so if that is your passion then look to use your studies for PPL as a base level of knowledge from which to develop.

Oh and the best way to learn IMHO is little and often as even the interesting stuff becomes dry and difficult to lodge in the brain in long stints.

Regards,
Obs cop

[BellyAir]

because of a lack of time I went to see a fellow in Bournemouth for 4 of the exams.

In a day you cover what you need to know from each subject and discuss the questions that will be asked.

At the end of the day you take the exam.

If you want his number I'd be happy to give it to you.

It just took the pressure off.

[jonburf]

The best thing to do, trust me I passed 5 exams in 2 months. use the confuser. an keep doing all the questions until you can get about 95% every time. start with trying to learn the answers and the try to do it more and more without it. good luck and dont give up eith it.

jonburf

[Laichtown]

Used Derek Davidson, near Bournemouth. Very good instructor, if a tad disorganised. Very enjoyable though

[russellmounce]

My advice would have to be don't turn to the confuser until you've studied the books.

If you just keep doing the same questions over and over, you end up knowing the answer because it's answer B in the book, not because you actually know what you're being asked.

I used the confuser too much on Met, and failed 1st time. So, I just read through the textbooks again and again, a little and often. Then I re-took the exam without even looking at the confuser and got somewhere aroung 90%.

If you know someone who's also doing their PPL it's a great help to study together. I did Air Law on a flying scholarship scheme with about 10 people, so we all studied together. It made it a lot easier to take in.

Good luck with you exams, I found air law and met hardest, Nav and Comms easiest due to practical experience.

[choppsy27]

Hi guys, i am studying air law, i have used books and OAT media and find the CD a very good intro to the subject! I found by breaking down the confuser into 4 or 5 papers for air law, so doing about 45 ish question a time. I can now do all 191 questions in 40 mins and score 94-95%. I understand most of the subjects, but have been advised the more you fly the more things slot into place. I have only completed 7 hours of flight time. Will more become apparent as flight time is gained?? Questions on night flight seem to be waste of time, as you cant fly at night on just PPL???

[Shunter]

Of course you can, if you do the night qualification. 5 hours flying, and there's no test. It also has no exam. If you're steaming through your PPL it can be done as part of the 45hrs, or you can leave it until afterwards. Some schools try to dissuade students from doing the NQ during their PPL course as potentially it's worth another £500+ to them, but if you're making good progress there's absolutely no reason you can't kill 2 birds with 1 stone.

Air Law contains questions on plenty of things you can't do with a basic PPL, and it's always boring - it's not hours related.

[Nashers]

use the confuser no problem. LEARN the confuser big problem. u will have zero understanding on anything and will be totaly f**ked when you get into trouble. more importantly you will realy struggle if you do your ATPLs. dont do it the way jonburf said.

[shocks85]

Would it not be better to study the stuff as much as possible and therefore be more prepared for the ATPL if you were going down that road???