RAAF Pilot
 

Hi all, hope this is the area where I ask this as I'm new here. My son is 17 doing year 12 and want's to be pilot in RAAF. He had completed his You session, then today went for the further testing and came undone on the mental arithmetic with questions like, 13,852 x 1/8 = . He was informed that he could reapply in 12 months. My question is, does the RAAF look at people applying for the second time seriously or are they really just interested in people making it through the first time? TIA.

No problems reapplying. Plenty of people get in the second time, shows persistence.

A large but worthwhile thread on the Mil Forum https://www.pprune.org/military-avia...am-merged.html

Why isn't your son on here asking such questions for himself? Initiative etc...

I'm not trying to wind you up, but I have trouble believing your son's assertion that he was asked to work out 13,852 x 1/8 off the top of his head?

When I first read that part of the original post my first reaction was along the lines of..."and just how many People could actually work that out in their heads??"

I used to top the Class in Primary School in Mental Arithmetic (mid to late 60's) when it was a fundamental part of Schooling in South Australian Primary Schools.

I'd struggle to even begin to calculate that sort of problem now!:ugh:

OK fellow Ppruners; Be honest now! Whom amongst us could do that calculation?:=

I could, I was taught mental arithmetic at primary school with the risk of a slippering if i got it wrong.

It's easy, divide by 2, and again and again. Half, quarter and eighth

No, I failed my first you session and destroyed it through the second time and got through the additional testing as well. I had no issues even though I was a second time applicant. I'd suggest for him to do some daily practice a few months prior to his resit to ensure he gets through it. I did the hard yards and passed, however, I've been waiting over 9 months for flight screening so I don't think my application is going any further. Although I have heard that people do get calls a year after but that is rare.

I don't know what questions they ask these days but I do know that when I did testing around twenty years ago it was very difficult and I couldn't get through the psychometric evaluation either. I missed out twice and replied again nevertheless. The third time I applied I was already working in the Territory flying light aircraft and they sent me tickets to fly from Victoria River Downs (Miles away from anywhere) via the mail plane then Airnorth to Darwin and then via Ansett down to Adelaide because the Darwin testing office was closed. They included accommodation and seemed very keen to have me reapply. I cannot begin to imagine how much that cost them.

I still don't really understand why they elected to do that but it's certainly evidence that they like persistence.

My then boss didn't allow me to take leave and I don't think I would have cut it anyway but I persevered with flying and never looked back.

The smart people with the high IQ level that they are looking for would be able to work that out in a flash (seriously).

It's how you look at it... like how the hell am I going to work it out versus, "oh yeah, 1/8th is simply a half then a half, then a half."

This is pretty standard stuff for armed forces, police, justice and government departments nowadays so once you've practiced a bit, they are a piece of cake. Most of these types of jobs now include an initial exam, on-line application where you sell yourself, a one-way video interview with half a dozen questions, if no initial exam then an online test including abstract reasoning, numerical comparisons and verbal reasoning, followed by a selection day consisting of group activities and typing speed and computer activities, psychometric, then followed by a panel interview. Not to mention pre-employment medical, police check and in-depth reference checks.

Gaining employment these days is not what it use to be!

Unless you are pretty cosy with a certain Deputy PM.

Thank goodness that I'm no longer looking for a job..

I'd have tried:

8 into one doesn't go.
8 into 13 does go once, carry 5.
8 into 58 does go 7 times, carry 2.
8 into 25 does go 3 times, carry 1.
8 into 12 goes once, carry 4
8 into 40 goes 5 times with no remainder.

So the solution is 1731.5

Thank goodness, SWTT that my mother patiently helped me with Roman numerals..:ok:

Close Gerry.
As Maxwell Smart would say to you. Missed by this much.
Amazing the magnitude of error with the incorrect positioning of a decimal point.

Thank goodness the RAF didn't require that sort of nonsense when recruiting for aircrew in 1939. The Poms would have lost the Battle of Britain due lack of pilots..

Find a cop on the street and give him that problem ;)

Do you know which band you were put in? You might not have faired as well as you thought in the tests.

I guess this is what those questions do, find out how people think. I didn’t think about half half and half or the long division, I know 1/8 is .125 so just times that. Interesting to see how different people approach a problem that initially looks a bit difficult.

I should have added... once you get through all those tests, they often have a pool of candidates, or merit pool or similar. For some departments like prisons, police and other gov bulk employer, you could end up in the pool for 12 months. If you don't have a high score, the newer smarter guys come along and get called up before you.

Competitive indeed!

I know some cops that could work out that equation and many that couldn't.

I'm assuming that you can't use a calculator so the .125 is out the window unless you're super smart!

When calculators aren't allowed and it looks really complex, you have to think outside the square and realise that there is a simple way to solve it, you just haven't realised yet.

I did it in my head and I ain’t super smart. Different people just work differently I guess

If you were asked to divide 1,385.2 by 4 and add the result to the original number, then most people could do it in their heads.
Exactly the question asked. 1/8th is 12.5%
Simply 10% of 13,852 + 1/4 of that added on.
It's not a maths problem but to see if you have the ability to simplify thought processes as your brain bucket fills up.