PPL Written exams

[SamB]

Hi everyone

Have started my training but am finding it difficult to find time to study for the ground exams. Have sat my air law but now need to complete the others. How long did it take for you to study for the various exams?

SamB

[Saab Dastard]

SamB,

It depends on the individual, and how you learn.

I don't remember actually studying for Human performance and flight planning - I think most of these is common sense / pick up as you go through your training.

I did Met, Nav and Aricraft general from scratch in 2-3 weeks, bearing in mind that I do have a day job (that just gets in the way of flying!). But in all of those I had a greater or lesser prior knowledge / experience.

What worked for me was to read the Thom book fairly thoroughly, revise using the confuser and then re-read sections of Thom followed by re-taking the confuser tests. By comparing the first and second confuser results I could see which areas to focus final brushing up on. Nav is more more practical, and if you have started real flight planning it will come very easily.

A word of warning - try to get the exams out of the way a) before you have to repeat Air Law and b) before you do the GFT!

Good luck

SD

[Evo7]

Hi Sam (edit: sorry to repeat a lot of what SD said. He must have posted after I started typing. Great minds... :) :rolleyes: )

The length of study required for each exam varies a lot. Human Factors is very simple and Flight Performance & Planning is also straightforward, so neither of those should take you long. Spend a couple of evenings on them and you should pass, no problems.

Navigation and Meteorology are different - both exams are quite hard, and require a fair bit of work. Nav in particular requires you to master the flight computer, and that took me (and others on here) a lot of time and frustration. Both exams took me quite a long time, but I did more work than is strictly necessary to pass the exam.

Finally, there's the Aircraft - Technical exam. Not done it yet - I'm taking it next week - but I'm finding it easy so far (however, I've only covered principles of flight). There's a lot to remember, but it's less work than Nav or Met.

Sorry I can't give you a more precise answer. They're much more work than I expected when I started learning.....

[28thJuly2001]

I studied for a hour or 2 each night and it took me 4 months from first exam to last.

8 exams in total (including RT Practical)
So an average of 2 weeks for each exam.

I agree that Nav and Met are the most time consuming and Human Performance just consisted of reading the book through once and using the confuser. (top tip - ALL the questions for Human Factors are in the confuser)
Walt,,

[hasell]

Hi,
for what its worth. After you take and pass the first exam (Air Law) you then have 12 months and counting to pass the remaining exams. Note that this includes Radio "Theory" test.


I recall passing Air Law April 2001 and then for one reason or another not doing another exam until mid Jan 2002! I managed to do them all before the April deadline. So it can be done -but it did require extra effort.

My advice is plan the exams to be evenly spaced out over the 12 month period.
Good Luck.

H.

[Stubbs]

I made a big mistake by not doing any studying over the winter. I am now faced with 3 exams to sit in 10 weeks or I have to retake Air Law. I passed Air Tech on Monday so this has boosted my confidence and helped build momentum.

Good luck

[Simon W]

I didn't do ANY (air law was not a requirement before first solo at my club) exams until I got onto the cross-country exercises. I really regret this because now it's a bit of a rush to get all exams passed before my gft. Don't make the same mistake, spread them out over the course and then you can relax a bit more.

Regards,

Simon

[FlyingForFun]

So did you get anywhere with the barmaid, kissmysquirrel??? :D

Everyone's different. Personally, I found Aeroplane Technical quite easy, and Air Law quite hard - I've always been good at learning how things work, but bad at learning facts by rote. Other people find the opposite. Spreading the exams out, and making sure you don't miss the 12-month deadline, are both good pieces of advice, though!

Happy learning!

FFF
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[Jinkster]

I am on a the JAR modular zero to frozen atpl route at a well known flying school. For the first two modules (which was done in Florida, USA) I had to complete the PPL, multi rating , night rating and 150hrs Total time) in about 8 weeks.

This time included all the studying for the exams and flying. I found Air Law and met pretty hsard but a/c general, human perf., and the rest pretty easy.

Navigation was pretty tricky because it is all chart work - which would be fine if I had been flying in the UK before but having first flown in the USA using FAA charts it was a little tricky.

The confuser is a definate must - but read the books first and use it as an aid rather than learn the answers.

Good luck :)