OATS Exam Results

[Tosh McCaber]

Following up another Wannabes thread, I have come across the OATS website, and logged in to their web pages giving their (impressive) JAA exam results. The results for 21 March 2001 give (high) average pass marks for a total of 3950 exams having been sat by 354 students, i.e. 11 exams per student. The results for 21 March 2001 give average pass marks for a total of 4063 exams having been sat by 315 students, i.e. 13 exams per student.

The JAA Exams have only 7 exams in Part 1, and a further 7 exams in Part11, sat with a few months gap minimum between – how are the above results arrived at? The results are confusing- they seem to indicate an inordinately high number of exams per student. (Presumably, the results are for the JAA External Pts 1 and 11?)

Also, the results given do not state whether the results are for the exams passed at one sitting, or a running updated average since JAA came into the frame last year. Also, I would have thought that the number of students passing and failing the exams would have been an interesting and important statistic to include, rather than a simplified overall total, which can be dragged up (or down) by a few high or low marks.

I’m not knocking Oxford- their students seem to have done very well, but if results are posted, I feel that it is important that they should be clear, and reflect the overall scope of marks.

[Harves]

I will second that. I was hoping to get some decisive info.

[HomerSimpson]

You can make statistics look good with the greatest of ease. I guess that the OATS marketing department are just exploiting their techniques to lure another wannabee into parting with his/her cash. I'm not saying there is anything wrong with OATS by any means, but any company can make statistics look good. Especially if they use a certain British Airways set of stastics which shows an above average pass rate, 90%+ I'm told... http://www.pprune.org/ubb/NonCGI/tongue.gif

Homer ;)

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Duff, Duff, that Wonderful stuff. Ummmmm Doughnuts

[Barney Stubble]

I believe the way the 90% first time pass rate bandied about is achieved by an ATPL subject pass within 3 attempts being considered a first time pass- ie first time only means not having to resit all 14 subjects again!!!

The true first time pass rate ie. first sitting pass rate (not 3 attempts), is something else altogether, and not advertised because it would be too depressing for prospective mugs (sorry customers).

Hope this clarifies some muddy marketing waters.

[Tosh McCaber]

Two things, firstly, my main point of query was- why are there so many exams per student?

The second, I would like to hope that the results show that we might be dragging out of the fiasco of the way JAA exams were set up when the system first changed?