exams

[Pilot16]

Hi

Are the PPL exams set by the CAA on particuar dates or can the student choose when s/he wants to sit them?

any help is appreciated :)

[HelenD]

you can sit the exams whenever you are ready though some schools may have dates when you can sit them.

[Evo7]

Helen is quite right.

The only restrictions that I can think of are on resits should you fail one - you have to wait two weeks (I think) before a retake, and if you fail the same paper three times then there are all sorts of problems (the CAA only produce three different papers for each exam). However, if you cannot pass one of the PPL exams after three attempts you probably shouldn't be flying anyway.... :)

[Who has control?]

Don't forget that exam passes are only valid for 13 months, so that if you do all your exams in a rush at the begining of your training and then your training slows down, then you run the risk of have to re-sit them.

It might be worth getting past your first solo, before starting to think about exams. That way, your exams become more relevant to what your are learning in the air and the experience you have gained.

[Kirstey]

Tha passes are valid for 24months from the day you pass your last exam. You have 12 months from completing your 1st exam until completing your last.

The exception being Air Law that is only valid for 12 months full stop. (apparantly becasue the laws/proceedures change so frequently - problem being the papers never get updated!)

[Evo7]

Where does it say that Air Law is only valid for 12 months?? It's not in GID21...

[Kirstey]

To be honest that's what my instructor said - I have not checked with the CAA. So there is every chance he was wrong!!

Besides passed my skills test the other day so I don't give a toss anymore woohooo!!!

[knobbygb]

Kirstey, I think your first post was right. This is somthing I have specifically checked with the CAA bacause I talked to several instructors and each told me a slightly different story.

12 months to pass all 7 exams (RT theory included but not oral). 24 months from date of last pass to license application. No specific exception for air law.

It does worry me that the instructors/CFI don't know the rules, especially at a club with several hundred student members! This is a big issue for me at the moment becuase I still have 3 exams to sit before the end of next week. I thought it was two but didn't find out about RT written until I called the CAA.

[knobbygb]

Oh yes, and there are three papers for each exam. All I have to do is turn up, and as long as one of the CAA authorised people are there, just do the exam. They usually just ask which paper I want 1,2 or 3, and let me get on with it - no checks as to if I've sat and failed that paper before (not that I've failed any). Having said that, the failed papers are also kept on file, so someone probably would notice eventually if I sat the same one twice.

No idea what happens if you fail all three. Probably have to wait until they make new ones - after all, they must change them at least every few years surely. I think many schools make you do some kind of remedial training before allowing you a second or third stab at the exam anyway.

[Evo7]

The first paragraph of Kirstey's post is correct - I think the second is wrong. Neither GID21 or paragraph 5 of Appendix 1 to JAR-FCL1.130 mention it (and I did look - didn't like the thought of having to do Air Law again :) :rolleyes: )

If you fail all three you have to get the CAA to set you another one - rather expensive, I expect :)