Go Back  PPRuNe Forums > Aircrew Forums > Flying Instructors & Examiners
Reload this Page >

EASA PPL EXAMINATIONS ISSUE

Wikiposts
Search
Flying Instructors & Examiners A place for instructors to communicate with one another because some of them get a bit tired of the attitude that instructing is the lowest form of aviation, as seems to prevail on some of the other forums!

EASA PPL EXAMINATIONS ISSUE

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old 26th Mar 2013, 13:43
  #1 (permalink)  
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: 55N
Posts: 171
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
EASA PPL EXAMINATIONS ISSUE

Has anyone received these yet from the Belgrano?
justmaybe is offline  
Old 26th Mar 2013, 14:30
  #2 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: EGYD
Posts: 1,073
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
No and I sent the form back 22nd February.

I emailed M.D yesterday as well asking what is going on....

Did keep aside a few copies of Edition 39 of the map though.

Also does anyone know about the PPL exam sittings :

In Section 1 Part D Page 1 of CAP804 states :
Applicants for the Part-FCL LAPL or PPL licences shall make application and undertake the theoretical knowledge examinations at an Approved Training organisation (ATO). Examinations for nonprofessional licences conducted at ATOs are scheduled at the discretion of the ATO.
Part-FCL states :

FCL.025 : If an applicant has failed to pass one of the examination papers within 4 attempts, or has failed to pass all papers within either 6 sittings or the period mentioned in paragraph (2), he/she shall re-take the complete set of examination papers.
EASA FCL AMC states :
AMC1 FCL.025 Theoretical knowledge examinations for the issue of licences
TERMINOLOGY
The meaning of the following terms used in FCL.025 should be as follows:
(a) ‘Entire set of examinations’: an examination in all subjects required by the licence level.
(b) ‘Examination’: the demonstration of knowledge in one or more examination papers.
(c) ‘Examination paper’: a set of questions to be answered by a candidate for
examination.
(d) ‘Attempt’: a try to pass a specific paper.
(e) ‘Sitting’: a period of time established by the competent authority within which a candidate can take an examination. This period should not exceed 10 consecutive days. Only one attempt at each examination paper is allowed in one sitting.


A sitting is determined by the authority - and they can only have 6 sittings to take a total of 9 exams.

Does anyone know how long a sitting is given the fact that a day would be too short and 10 days would be too long, a week seems reasonable like the ATPL exams - as I can't find any information on what the CAA define as a sitting for the PPL exams....

Last edited by BigGrecian; 26th Mar 2013 at 14:30.
BigGrecian is offline  
Old 26th Mar 2013, 15:02
  #3 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: May 1999
Location: Quite near 'An aerodrome somewhere in England'
Posts: 26,817
Received 270 Likes on 109 Posts
IAOPA Europe will be raising this topic at the next Part-FCL Implementation Forum in Dublin immediately after Easter.

The current (not the new ones still to be released) CAA PPL exams include 205 questions, which is 71% more than the EASA requirement. Other Member States have suggested as few as 2 exams, with a total of 120 questions.

Some people prefer the idea of FAA-style 'learn the answer' computer-based single exams - although others are vehemently opposed to the idea.

It would be interesting to hear your opinions.
BEagle is offline  
Old 26th Mar 2013, 16:07
  #4 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: UK,Twighlight Zone
Posts: 0
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Single FAA style learn the answers. It's all they do now and a lot of the content is irrelevant. Would make my life easier administering them as well.
S-Works is offline  
Old 26th Mar 2013, 16:28
  #5 (permalink)  
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: 55N
Posts: 171
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Unfortunately, the content and value of both the Professional and Private examinations is largely irrelevant. The professional exams have for some time been based on 'learn the answers' and to that extent are no better or worse than the US FAA model - except far more expensive. The PPL syllabus needs a massive realistic overhaul, as does the examinations and how they are administered. It's very hard to know where to start, but a fresh and innovative approach is surely needed. The EASA contribution is impractical, unfit for purpose and pretty much meaningless (probably a good description of EASA generally) I wish Bose X and Beagle well in their endeavours.

Last edited by justmaybe; 26th Mar 2013 at 16:30. Reason: spelling
justmaybe is offline  
Old 26th Mar 2013, 16:44
  #6 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 2,523
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
Does anyone know how long a sitting is given the fact that a day would be too short and 10 days would be too long, a week seems reasonable like the ATPL exams
At present, according to Standards Document 11, the CAA definition of a sitting is "The attendance at an examination centre for the purpose of taking or writing a single or set of examinations in one day. Only one attempt at each paper may be made in any one sitting."
BillieBob is offline  
Old 26th Mar 2013, 17:30
  #7 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: UK
Posts: 6,581
Likes: 0
Received 3 Likes on 3 Posts
Maybe if EASA collected all the questions from all the EU States they could find 120 relevant questions however; I doubt they employ anyone who could identify a relevant question if they saw one!
Whopity is offline  
Old 26th Mar 2013, 19:10
  #8 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: York
Age: 53
Posts: 797
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
“Single FAA style learn the answers. It's all they do now and a lot of the content is irrelevant. Would make my life easier administering them as well”

I could not agree more
Mickey Kaye is online now  
Old 27th Mar 2013, 07:31
  #9 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: West Sussex
Posts: 319
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Letter from Ray Elgy (head of licensing & training standards at the CAA) in Pilot magazine last month.

A sitting will be defined as "a maximum of three consecutive days" and the number of questions will be 16 or 20 per paper x nine papers. Yet to see anything "official".
dobbin1 is offline  
Old 27th Mar 2013, 08:19
  #10 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 2,523
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
Once again the CAA has to do a u-turn on published policy. This has potential.

Last edited by BillieBob; 27th Mar 2013 at 08:19.
BillieBob is offline  
Old 27th Mar 2013, 09:28
  #11 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: UK
Posts: 6,581
Likes: 0
Received 3 Likes on 3 Posts
Letter from Ray Elgy (head of licensing & training standards at the CAA) in Pilot magazine last month.
Perhaps he should learn how to communicate with, and supervise his own staff, rather than adding to the mess by issuing his own communication to a rather limited press!
Whopity is offline  
Old 8th Apr 2013, 19:08
  #12 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: EGYD
Posts: 1,073
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
So does anyone actually receive the new exams?.....
BigGrecian is offline  
Old 9th Apr 2013, 11:17
  #13 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: oxon
Posts: 45
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Just spoken with the CAA.

EASA say and exam sitting is a period of 10 consecutive days. The CAA had originally said that it was one day.

They have now adjusted this - they now define a sitting as 3 consecutive days.

Not sure how this overcomes the fact that they are not allowed to change EASA's acceptable means of compliance (AMC) without getting a new AMC agreed but at least they're moving in the right direction...
high wing harry is offline  
Old 9th Apr 2013, 13:24
  #14 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 2,523
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
EASA does not say that a sitting is a period of 10 days. AMC1 FCL.025 states that a sitting is a period of time established by the competent authority that should not exceed 10 consecutive days. Neither one day nor three days exceeds 10 days and both periods are, therefore, compliant with the AMC.
BillieBob is offline  
Old 9th Apr 2013, 14:22
  #15 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: West Sussex
Posts: 319
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Can anyone explain what the reasoning is behind this "6 sittings" nonsense?

Is it just to make it harder to pass the exams as part of a campaign to kill off private flying in Europe, or is there some logic to it?

Will PPLs that pass under this system be safer pilots than those that did them one at a time under the old system, or even those that just did one exam under the FAA system?
dobbin1 is offline  
Old 9th Apr 2013, 14:28
  #16 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: UK,Twighlight Zone
Posts: 0
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
No, its a complete crock. Its another one of the drafting errors that the people who made then are to proud to stick their hands up and say sorry they got it wrong.

There is no safety case whatsoever for applying this rule.
S-Works is offline  
Old 9th Apr 2013, 17:41
  #17 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: York
Age: 53
Posts: 797
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Isn't this an interpretation error rather than a drafting error.

"AMC1 FCL.215; FCL.235
THEORETICAL KNOWLEDGE EXAMINATION AND SKILL TEST FOR THE PPL
(a) Theoretical knowledge examination
(1) The examinations should comprise a total of 120 multiple-choice questions covering all the subjects"


So if we had one paper of 120 questions covering all the subjects. Then would not six sittings would seem perfectly appropriate?

Whereas we have 9 exams covering all the subjects but they still have to be passed in six sittings. Which obviously doesn't work so rather than admitting we have made a mistake we have defined a sittings as 10 days.

A crock it is
Mickey Kaye is online now  
Old 10th Apr 2013, 00:30
  #18 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: UK
Posts: 681
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Can anyone explain what the reasoning is behind this "6 sittings" nonsense?
EASA (I believe) discussed, planned and then set the "rules" for Commercial
Aviation - and, to ensure a certain depth of knowledge, I think it a good idea
to prevent ATPL candidates studying for, and then taking, their 14 exams
one at a time.

The problem for PPL students is that EASA (as in many other areas) then
applied the same rules to all aviation - not considering the requirements,
needs, or practicalities, for the Leisure/Private Pilot.
Level Attitude is offline  

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off



Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.