ATPL exam sittings & employers

[Beethoven]

Hi all,
Quick question if I may, I'm at the point in my ATPL theory (distance learning) where I'm considering sitting some exams.
I was wondering if anyone had any evidence (actual or anecdotal) of whether the number of sittings taken to pass all 14 exams has any bearing on selection criteria assuming no failures. I don't intend to intentionally do it in more than 3 sittings but I could do it in 2 with some effort. Assuming reasonable scores and no failures will it impact either way?

kind regards,

Beet.

[Hawker400]

Hi all,
Quick question if I may, I'm at the point in my ATPL theory (distance learning) where I'm considering sitting some exams.
I was wondering if anyone had any evidence (actual or anecdotal) of whether the number of sittings taken to pass all 14 exams has any bearing on selection criteria assuming no failures. I don't intend to intentionally do it in more than 3 sittings but I could do it in 2 with some effort. Assuming reasonable scores and no failures will it impact either way?

kind regards,

Beet.

Average score is looked at first. Number of sittings next (if at all)

[rudestuff]

I've heard of airlines asking for average scores, I've heard of them asking for first time passes, but I've never heard of them being interested in the number of sittings!

[Beethoven]

Many thanks for the replies. Decided on 2 sittings to save bus fare to the exam centre.

Beet

[rudestuff]

I never understood why people use 2 sittings - It means having to study 7 subjects at the same time! I did 4,4,3,3 which still gave me two spare sittings, and it was much easier to juggle 3 or 4 subjects in my head. Doing it that way the ATPLs (cumulatively) took 4 months by distance learning.

[KT1988]

I did the ATPL(A) theory exams in 4 sittings also doing it 4 - 4 - 3 - 3 with first time pass and about 92 % average, never heard anyone say or write about some higher requirements than 4 sittings, first time pass and above 90 % average. Studying for real I did between March and July (last session in the beginning of July and did not sit in May session). I believe its more important to learn the important stuff from the pure theoretical exams so you can explain it on the assessment than to pass as quickly as possible. While exams with calculations like General Navigation, Mass&Balance, Performance and part of Planning have to be learned then it can be easy to rely on question banks for a lot of the other exams.

Questionbanks are very good but only when not forgetting to learn for real the important stuff (assessor will probably not ask about when mosquitoes are active or that nickel-cadmium battery got Potassium Hydroxide electrolyte) in for example Operational Procedures, Meteorology or Radio Navigation. Since I believe the technical questions on the assessment if answered wrong when having high scores from the exams would make the assessor think the person just memorized everything and do not understand it. After all its about passing the assessment and not only getting an invitation.

[unluckyjr]

Many thanks for the replies. Decided on 2 sittings to save bus fare to the exam centre.

Beet

Well... it's not impossible, but would be hard. Very very hard.
I've met many people over CAA exam center in Poland during my six months marathon and only one of them made it in two sittings.

[derekf]

I did 3 sittings as a compromise and worked well for me to reduce the length of total study time (as working full time)

[flocci_non_faccio]

​​​​​​​Well... it's not impossible, but would be hard. Very very hard.

Is that really the case? I don’t know anyone who did more than two sittings.

To the original poster: I’m not aware of an airline asking how many sittings you completed your exams in.

[md-100]

I did the ATPL(A) theory exams in 4 sittings also doing it 4 - 4 - 3 - 3 with first time pass and about 92 % average, never heard anyone say or write about some higher requirements than 4 sittings, first time pass and above 90 % average. Studying for real I did between March and July (last session in the beginning of July and did not sit in May session). I believe its more important to learn the important stuff from the pure theoretical exams so you can explain it on the assessment than to pass as quickly as possible. While exams with calculations like General Navigation, Mass&Balance, Performance and part of Planning have to be learned then it can be easy to rely on question banks for a lot of the other exams.

Questionbanks are very good but only when not forgetting to learn for real the important stuff (assessor will probably not ask about when mosquitoes are active or that nickel-cadmium battery got Potassium Hydroxide electrolyte) in for example Operational Procedures, Meteorology or Radio Navigation. Since I believe the technical questions on the assessment if answered wrong when having high scores from the exams would make the assessor think the person just memorized everything and do not understand it. After all its about passing the assessment and not only getting an invitation.


How did you spread the topics in 4_4_3_3 sittings?

[JUST-local]

Tree sittings here, no choice in the matter, it was the way the course was approved by the CAA.....

[md-100]

1) How much time do you have in each sitting?
2) does anybody know how many questions in each subject?

thanks

[Hawker400]

1) How much time do you have in each sitting?
2) does anybody know how many questions in each subject?

thanks

For your (1) that's not how it works. Subjects have time limits and certain question amount.

​​​​How each CAA applies that to each sitting is up to them but this is in general the answer you might be looking for:

Human P and L - 48qts 01:00Hrs
Principles of Flight - 44qts 01:00Hrs
Instrumentation - 60qts 1:30Hrs
Meteorology - 84qts 2:00Hrs
VFR Comms - 24qts 00:30Hrs
IFR Comms - 24qts 00:30Hrs
AGK. - 80qts 02:00Hrs
Performance - 35qts 01:00Hrs
Mass and Bal. - 25qts 01:00Hrs
Radio Navigation - 66qts - 01:30Hrs
Air Law - 44qts 01:00HrsGeneral Navig - 60qts - 02:00Hrs
Flight Plan and Mon - 43qts 02:00Hrs
Ops Procedures - 45qts 01:15Hrs

[rudestuff]

1) How much time do you have in each sitting?
2) does anybody know how many questions in each subject?

thanks
A sitting when I did it was a 4 day period. Usually Monday to Thursday. I would take two exams early on the Monday, and the last one or two late on the Thursday buying valuable study time.

[md-100]

A sitting when I did it was a 4 day period. Usually Monday to Thursday. I would take two exams early on the Monday, and the last one or two late on the Thursday buying valuable study time.

where was it?

[KT1988]

@md-100: In Poland 1 sitting is a period of 2 weeks with like 4 days in first week (Tuesday-Friday) and 5 days in next week (Monday-Friday).

As for my spread shortly it was: 1: General Navigation, VFR&IFR Comm, Human Performance (started late in the session). 2: Radio Navigation, Instrumentation, Operational Procedures & Air Law. 3: Principles of Flight, Mass&Balance, Performance. 4: Flight Planning and Monitoring, Meteorology, Airframes and Systems.

Wrote a longer description of the process but the post was probably too long so it did not get posted.

[md-100]

Thanks.
if you want you can send it via DM.
THANKS AGAIN