Are PPL ground examinations too easy?
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: UK
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(An ill-expressed, misspelt, ungrammatical CV would not receive a second look.)
Is this a case of judging a book by its cover? Unless you recruit editors for the New Oxford dictionary!
The most fundamental problem in aviation theoretical training is that nobody has ever done a Training Analysis, without that we will continue to roam arround in the dark. There are many possble solutions however, as there are virtually no resources available to put them into practice, not much is likely to change.
Even the founders of the new NPPL have failed to produce appropriate examinations to test their candidates, who sit the same, much maligned, Air Law exam.
Is this a case of judging a book by its cover? Unless you recruit editors for the New Oxford dictionary!
The most fundamental problem in aviation theoretical training is that nobody has ever done a Training Analysis, without that we will continue to roam arround in the dark. There are many possble solutions however, as there are virtually no resources available to put them into practice, not much is likely to change.
Even the founders of the new NPPL have failed to produce appropriate examinations to test their candidates, who sit the same, much maligned, Air Law exam.
Another story I heard recently was that some cheating little $ods had been caught texting answer strings to eachother after some PPL exam papers had been compromised. Not mine, I hasten to add!
I now ban mobile communications devices of any form from the exam room....
I cannot believe quite how low such people will stoop.
I now ban mobile communications devices of any form from the exam room....
I cannot believe quite how low such people will stoop.
Join Date: Jul 2003
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I always believed the Air Law exam questions are too hard and irrelavent for students at such an early stage in training.
Pre solo the student only requires the basics of rules of the air, aerodromes signals and collision avoidance.
Personally i would like to see simpler more safety related questions even if the pass rate req. was 100% for Air Law. Even if we had stock questions with known answers, what matters is that we all know the knowledge to fly safely.
Students don't have time to devote hours to studying and remembering information to pass a test. Knowing where to find the information 12 months from now is what is important.
The questions need only be put simply, with no tricks or twists.
Other air law questions could be included as appropriate to the Nav. Met. etc. exams.
But hey, we are only instructors and examiners..what do we know?
And for those that have had a life time of passing exams there are many who haven't sat an exam for 30 or more years.
Pre solo the student only requires the basics of rules of the air, aerodromes signals and collision avoidance.
Personally i would like to see simpler more safety related questions even if the pass rate req. was 100% for Air Law. Even if we had stock questions with known answers, what matters is that we all know the knowledge to fly safely.
Students don't have time to devote hours to studying and remembering information to pass a test. Knowing where to find the information 12 months from now is what is important.
The questions need only be put simply, with no tricks or twists.
Other air law questions could be included as appropriate to the Nav. Met. etc. exams.
But hey, we are only instructors and examiners..what do we know?
And for those that have had a life time of passing exams there are many who haven't sat an exam for 30 or more years.
Join Date: Aug 1999
Location: uk
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A word on the US system. The question bank is published along with several crammers which will virtually guarantee a written pass.
BUT...the ppl Candidate is orally quizzed by his Examiner for up to 4 hours before his checkride. If he fails the oral he doesnt even get to fly, its a fail and "come back next week", along with a word in the shell like appendage of the CFI responsible.
The Ground Instruction in the US by CFI's is charged at the same rate as flight instruction i.e. 1 hour flight plus 1 hour's brief=2 hours pay for the Instructor.
So USA = cheap aeroplanes and expensive instruction...UK= expensive aeroplanes and instructors on the breadline.
BUT...the ppl Candidate is orally quizzed by his Examiner for up to 4 hours before his checkride. If he fails the oral he doesnt even get to fly, its a fail and "come back next week", along with a word in the shell like appendage of the CFI responsible.
The Ground Instruction in the US by CFI's is charged at the same rate as flight instruction i.e. 1 hour flight plus 1 hour's brief=2 hours pay for the Instructor.
So USA = cheap aeroplanes and expensive instruction...UK= expensive aeroplanes and instructors on the breadline.
