PPL Exams - which is hardest?
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PPL Exams - which is hardest?
B*gg*r. Just found out that my second attempt at the Aircraft General exam was a failure.
74%. JUST ONE QUESTION SHORT!!!!!!!
AAAAARRGH!!!!
Is that one the hardest, or is it just me. I'm quite worried about that now, as I gather you only get so many goes.
74%. JUST ONE QUESTION SHORT!!!!!!!
AAAAARRGH!!!!
Is that one the hardest, or is it just me. I'm quite worried about that now, as I gather you only get so many goes.
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Depends what you're best at!
I found them all fine, but Human Factors the easiest, as I had a biology degree. Other people, with no more than an ancient O level in biology, have struggled.
At least now you've got a good idea what's involved in the exam so you know where your weak points are. Good luck with round three.
I found them all fine, but Human Factors the easiest, as I had a biology degree. Other people, with no more than an ancient O level in biology, have struggled.
At least now you've got a good idea what's involved in the exam so you know where your weak points are. Good luck with round three.
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Dop,
It is you, in the sense that everybody is better at/more interested in some of the subjects than others which normally influences how hard they find the exams.
I found the aircraft technical and performance subjects amongst the easiest because I've always been mechanically-minded and my job involves a good deal of time spent calculating things, so all that comes naturally.
I think many people have a subject they found harder than the rest; it's just a matter of individual taste as to which one it is.
It is you, in the sense that everybody is better at/more interested in some of the subjects than others which normally influences how hard they find the exams.
I found the aircraft technical and performance subjects amongst the easiest because I've always been mechanically-minded and my job involves a good deal of time spent calculating things, so all that comes naturally.
I think many people have a subject they found harder than the rest; it's just a matter of individual taste as to which one it is.
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HI!
Which is hardest? I think it depends on what you are most into - for me Met was the easiest as it is what intrests me...... and the technical one was hardest as I was really not that into the "why it flys" bit.....
Dont get too fased by it all - can you take a break and do one of one the other ones first? At the end of the day they are not that difficult - but that is easy to say once you have sat in the romo and done them!
Relax, take your time - and have another go.
Is there any scope to ask for feedback so you know which questions you got wrong?
All the best,
FW
Which is hardest? I think it depends on what you are most into - for me Met was the easiest as it is what intrests me...... and the technical one was hardest as I was really not that into the "why it flys" bit.....
Dont get too fased by it all - can you take a break and do one of one the other ones first? At the end of the day they are not that difficult - but that is easy to say once you have sat in the romo and done them!
Relax, take your time - and have another go.
Is there any scope to ask for feedback so you know which questions you got wrong?
All the best,
FW
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I had no problem at all with the Aircraft General but I did struggle with Met, I suppose my background helped on the General?
Keep plugging away and you should be fine, 1%!! Unlucky really.
It would be interesting to know how many people have to go down to London to sit the exams after failing three times? (If that’s how they still do it?) & how much the CAA would charge for it?
Keep plugging away and you should be fine, 1%!! Unlucky really.
It would be interesting to know how many people have to go down to London to sit the exams after failing three times? (If that’s how they still do it?) & how much the CAA would charge for it?
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I think it depends on your background. Being an engineer, Aircraft Technical (as i think it used to be called) was not a problem. Air Law was more troublesome because I am not good at remembering numbers etc.
Are you using the confuser? I wouldn't have thought there was any reason to fail if you are - just don't sit the test until you get 100% at home first. I believe the exams are all being rewritten about now, so maybe the confuser is no longer the aid that it used to be?
TG
Are you using the confuser? I wouldn't have thought there was any reason to fail if you are - just don't sit the test until you get 100% at home first. I believe the exams are all being rewritten about now, so maybe the confuser is no longer the aid that it used to be?
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Ah, bad luck! That must be blimmin annoying.
Think that one probably was the most effort for me, yeah. I attributed it to knowing nothing whatsoever about engines beforehand, which I'm intending to correct now (post the event, very sensible, as usual...
) by deconstructing an internal combustion engine with someone who is extremely geeky and likes fiddling around with cars. 
Maybe if you could find a way to have a look at a real engine and get a bit of context?
Hey, at least it's a more interesting one to keep re-sitting than Air Law....
Think that one probably was the most effort for me, yeah. I attributed it to knowing nothing whatsoever about engines beforehand, which I'm intending to correct now (post the event, very sensible, as usual...
) by deconstructing an internal combustion engine with someone who is extremely geeky and likes fiddling around with cars. Maybe if you could find a way to have a look at a real engine and get a bit of context?
Hey, at least it's a more interesting one to keep re-sitting than Air Law....
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Coming back to doing exams and learning blocks
of rather stodgy material was all a bit of a shock to
the system after twenty years away.
I thought that the Navigation & Meterology exams were
the best, in that they were related to the actual process
and practice of flying.
Technical & Air Law had the feeling of being padded
out with dated or useless facts to increase the content.
If you've failed the exams twice, get hold of the PPL Confuser
and don't try the third time until you can Ace that.
I only came across the Confuser for my IMC and it really
gives you a handle on how well you have studied the material
relative to the difficulty of the exam,
-- Andrew
of rather stodgy material was all a bit of a shock to
the system after twenty years away.
I thought that the Navigation & Meterology exams were
the best, in that they were related to the actual process
and practice of flying.
Technical & Air Law had the feeling of being padded
out with dated or useless facts to increase the content.
If you've failed the exams twice, get hold of the PPL Confuser
and don't try the third time until you can Ace that.
I only came across the Confuser for my IMC and it really
gives you a handle on how well you have studied the material
relative to the difficulty of the exam,
-- Andrew
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PINKSTER SAYS POOR DOP .
HI DOP,
I feel for you as I have myself faile to exams first time around and then panic about not EVER passing it .
I am struggling with AIR CRAFT AND GENEREAL ,and am supposed to take it this weekend ,but its not looking good for me yet .
I was told to perhaps have a rest and do some thing else first but I know you will feel that you want to go for it while every thing is still fresh .
I seem to be strugling with the test papers now ,on the questions that I got right before on the MET PAPER ,or airlaw paper, there seem to be a mixture in there as they all must tie in .
Good luck ,I say (for what it is worth )
(and I do not pass exams usually )
that you should revise again ,maybe get a bit of one to one and take it when you feel confident .
I was told once when I said maybe it would be better to take it at the CAA ( as I eally thought I would fail again )
that
"NO ," YOU REALLY DO NOT WANT TO GO THERE .
GOOD LUCK
THE PINKSTER
I feel for you as I have myself faile to exams first time around and then panic about not EVER passing it .
I am struggling with AIR CRAFT AND GENEREAL ,and am supposed to take it this weekend ,but its not looking good for me yet .
I was told to perhaps have a rest and do some thing else first but I know you will feel that you want to go for it while every thing is still fresh .
I seem to be strugling with the test papers now ,on the questions that I got right before on the MET PAPER ,or airlaw paper, there seem to be a mixture in there as they all must tie in .
Good luck ,I say (for what it is worth )
(and I do not pass exams usually )
that you should revise again ,maybe get a bit of one to one and take it when you feel confident .
I was told once when I said maybe it would be better to take it at the CAA ( as I eally thought I would fail again )
that
"NO ," YOU REALLY DO NOT WANT TO GO THERE .
GOOD LUCK
THE PINKSTER
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None are difficult: you should have no difficulty with achieving a pass upon a resit of the examination, particularly as you are starting from a 'knowledge level', as it were, of 74 per cent.
It would have been reassuring had there been a challenge in any of them. Perhaps the new examination papers will present more of a task to pass.
{By the way, I'm not at all sure that revision is useful: better by far, I'd have thought, to read the text books, and rely on your innate interest in the subject to remember the relevant parts for the examinations.}
It would have been reassuring had there been a challenge in any of them. Perhaps the new examination papers will present more of a task to pass.
{By the way, I'm not at all sure that revision is useful: better by far, I'd have thought, to read the text books, and rely on your innate interest in the subject to remember the relevant parts for the examinations.}
Last edited by DRJAD; 2nd Feb 2004 at 20:42.
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I attributed it to knowing nothing whatsoever about engines beforehand, which I'm intending to correct now... by deconstructing an internal combustion engine with someone who is extremely geeky and likes fiddling around with cars
, this was the only "Confuser" exam which I failed. I put this down to the fact that I thought I knew the subject well to start with, so I only skim-read the Trevor Thom book. Luckilly, the "Confuser" soon brought me back down to earth - I went away, studied it properly, repeated the Confuser exam, then did the real exam, and passed with no problem... but do be careful to study the subjects properly, even if you know a bit about them beforehand.FFF
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I had a student recently ask for a groundschool lesson on Air Law as he was about to do his third sitting. Previously failing by 1 mark each time.
Unfortunately Air Law is the hardest subject to provide value for money as regards to one-one groundschool. It is not really a subject you can understand, you just have to know.
The only thing I could do as an instructor was teach better exam technique and methods for remembering difficult areas such as VMC Minima.
The only other thing to recommend was to not sit the exam until you could get 100% in the confuser.
He did pass though (76%)
FIS.
Unfortunately Air Law is the hardest subject to provide value for money as regards to one-one groundschool. It is not really a subject you can understand, you just have to know.
The only thing I could do as an instructor was teach better exam technique and methods for remembering difficult areas such as VMC Minima.
The only other thing to recommend was to not sit the exam until you could get 100% in the confuser.
He did pass though (76%)
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I would just liek to say that I think that is a fab idea......
"Dont go for the exam untill you can get 100% on the confuser"
There is oftern debate over how useful/ sensible it is to use the confuser. But, I think this would appear to be the best way.
i.e. read the books, ask the questions, learn the stuff, & when you can answer the confuser go for the exam. This should minimise stress and maximise confidence. Good tip FIS!
FW
"Dont go for the exam untill you can get 100% on the confuser"
There is oftern debate over how useful/ sensible it is to use the confuser. But, I think this would appear to be the best way.
i.e. read the books, ask the questions, learn the stuff, & when you can answer the confuser go for the exam. This should minimise stress and maximise confidence. Good tip FIS!
FW
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I do have two other exams to be doing, the R/T exam and the Flight Planning & Performance exam, so I'll probably get down to doing those and come back to this one, as I think if I did any more revising my head would explode!
Thanks for the advice.
Thanks for the advice.
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Ive only studied for 2 exams so far.
Air Law being one of them, and Met being the other....now i think the thom book im using is quite old, so on question papers ive done ive experianced questions i couldn't find in the book.
Air Law for some odd reason i found intreasting! And i found it really easy to take in, i occasionally do mock exams provided by air quiz and find that im always around the > 90% region.
Met, alot of Met is in the Higher (a-level) geography syallabus at school, so some of the terms in this subject ive already encountered before, only part im failing to take in is the vast information that met offers, also struggling a bit on the effects of low/high pressure and the resultant cause, but that will come in due time, especially when i start flying (note ive logged 0 hrs out of 6 booked lessons due to wx
)
The human performance one, if this involves alot of medical information well im a qualified first aider, so im hoping again like met that most of this topic will be in the back of my head somewhere.
The principles of flight exam, well being from an air cadet background, all the way upto my staff cadet exams, i encountered a few books that i had to read and sit exams on regarding the principles of flight so again, im hoping that once i read the thoms book it will all be there in my head
Air Law being one of them, and Met being the other....now i think the thom book im using is quite old, so on question papers ive done ive experianced questions i couldn't find in the book.
Air Law for some odd reason i found intreasting! And i found it really easy to take in, i occasionally do mock exams provided by air quiz and find that im always around the > 90% region.
Met, alot of Met is in the Higher (a-level) geography syallabus at school, so some of the terms in this subject ive already encountered before, only part im failing to take in is the vast information that met offers, also struggling a bit on the effects of low/high pressure and the resultant cause, but that will come in due time, especially when i start flying (note ive logged 0 hrs out of 6 booked lessons due to wx
)The human performance one, if this involves alot of medical information well im a qualified first aider, so im hoping again like met that most of this topic will be in the back of my head somewhere.
The principles of flight exam, well being from an air cadet background, all the way upto my staff cadet exams, i encountered a few books that i had to read and sit exams on regarding the principles of flight so again, im hoping that once i read the thoms book it will all be there in my head
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wbryce - the best thing you can do with the Met exam is to apply the theory to the weather outside the window. Go to http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/aviation/ or http://www.avbrief.com/ and look what's on offer, especially the METARs, TAFs, synoptic charts and Forms 214 and 215 (low level wind and wx) and compare them to what's the wx is doing. Look at how the frontal activity and isobars on the charts relate to the METARs and TAFs. It's a subject you can practice every day. Get to grips with the information that you'll actually use as a pilot, and the exam is a walk in the park.
As for the 0 of 6, we can all sympathise - anyone who has done a PPL in the UK has been there (I managed 0 of 11 this time two years ago, and another Goodwood based PPRuNer once known as Speedbird252 took something like 18 attempts to get his QXC recently). It's a hard time of year to learn, but it gets better...
As for the 0 of 6, we can all sympathise - anyone who has done a PPL in the UK has been there (I managed 0 of 11 this time two years ago, and another Goodwood based PPRuNer once known as Speedbird252 took something like 18 attempts to get his QXC recently). It's a hard time of year to learn, but it gets better...
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Hi there
I`m studying for the Aircraft Technical knowledge exam at the moment. So far I have only sat (and passed) the FRTO exam, which was a "piece of the proverbial" and I am quite technically minded (Aeronautics at University helps!) so I`m not too worried about the next one.
The one`s I am dreading are Nav + Met, particularly nav. This true north / mag north "East is least" malarky looks very confusing!
Either way, best of luck for the retake.
Cheers
Lungs
I`m studying for the Aircraft Technical knowledge exam at the moment. So far I have only sat (and passed) the FRTO exam, which was a "piece of the proverbial" and I am quite technically minded (Aeronautics at University helps!) so I`m not too worried about the next one.
The one`s I am dreading are Nav + Met, particularly nav. This true north / mag north "East is least" malarky looks very confusing!
Either way, best of luck for the retake.
Cheers
Lungs
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{This post should have happened a few months ago! Now I feel deprived..}
wybrce I was in your shoes a year ago. Had Geography A Level and a whole term was dedicated to MET. Being a saddo I enjoyed it, but one thing my teacher always said was - Look up! I found myself trying to identify all the clouds which helped in understanding the whole anti/cyclonic systems...what helped also was the totally unpredictable weather we had at this time last year. As regard your air cadet stuff, my lecturer made a good short version of the Principles of flight bit. If you look in Pink Headsets page 93 CB's post (at bottom) theres a link.
Dop Don't worry too much with the RT and FlightPlan exams. They've got a lot of AirLaw mixed in (you've done that one yes?) so its kinda like building on a foundation. They're real practical as well. Sounds like you study a lot, pace it out and make it (as) fun (as possible)! Tisn't nice having so much pressure on the brain..
Following on from Evo, I totally recommend getting the GetMet book that The Met Office offer FOR FREE. It has some new handy bits inside
FFW
wybrce I was in your shoes a year ago. Had Geography A Level and a whole term was dedicated to MET. Being a saddo I enjoyed it, but one thing my teacher always said was - Look up! I found myself trying to identify all the clouds which helped in understanding the whole anti/cyclonic systems...what helped also was the totally unpredictable weather we had at this time last year. As regard your air cadet stuff, my lecturer made a good short version of the Principles of flight bit. If you look in Pink Headsets page 93 CB's post (at bottom) theres a link.
Dop Don't worry too much with the RT and FlightPlan exams. They've got a lot of AirLaw mixed in (you've done that one yes?) so its kinda like building on a foundation. They're real practical as well. Sounds like you study a lot, pace it out and make it (as) fun (as possible)! Tisn't nice having so much pressure on the brain..
Following on from Evo, I totally recommend getting the GetMet book that The Met Office offer FOR FREE. It has some new handy bits inside
FFW
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Are you using the PPL CONFUSER? that is the most useful piece of reading material in the whole wide world for PPL exam preparation. Whilst it is essential to know your subject matter in order to stay alive, once you have read the books and think that you have got it, , go over the PPL CONFUSER and you will be reminded of the important points and have confidence that if you can answer the questions in the confuser then you will certainly sail through the exam. Err my worst one was Nav. failed it the first time, don't know how I passed it the second time!
Good luck
Good luck
