April Performance exam !!!
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: MANCHESTER
Posts: 6
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
wessexairways, how is it best to go about complaining directly to the CAA? I'd be more than happy to do so seein as i sat the exam, and purely based on those 2 ridiculous graph questions think i could have easily failed.
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Craggy Island
Posts: 18
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Wessex
You don't know how pleased I am to see your post. For far too long now, the CAA have been delivering a shoddy if not misleading product in the form of JAR exams.
The JAR FCL clearly states that questions should be in English with correct grammar and spelling, christ, how many questions, especially from the French database have actually had French words in them!!
It also states that questions should be unambiguous with only 1 right answer. What a joke.
If you do a JAA PPL you get a reading list, so you know what to read and hopefully will be able to answer the questions, if you know your subject.
When you do ATPL what do you get? The relevant schools notes which generally will be a mix of various books such as Pallet and the AP3456 Air Force Bible, and they're all different, trust me they are. The CAA won't give you references to read, why not? Don't they want professional pilots? Do they just want robots who learn feedback questions until luckily on the 4th attempt (several thousands of pounds later) they pass?
We've all come across the questions which say one thing, then when you read the answers obviously meant another.
Okay rant mode off, CAA get your fingersd out, this is 2005 and people WILL take you to court and WIN!!
Have a nice day
You don't know how pleased I am to see your post. For far too long now, the CAA have been delivering a shoddy if not misleading product in the form of JAR exams.
The JAR FCL clearly states that questions should be in English with correct grammar and spelling, christ, how many questions, especially from the French database have actually had French words in them!!
It also states that questions should be unambiguous with only 1 right answer. What a joke.
If you do a JAA PPL you get a reading list, so you know what to read and hopefully will be able to answer the questions, if you know your subject.
When you do ATPL what do you get? The relevant schools notes which generally will be a mix of various books such as Pallet and the AP3456 Air Force Bible, and they're all different, trust me they are. The CAA won't give you references to read, why not? Don't they want professional pilots? Do they just want robots who learn feedback questions until luckily on the 4th attempt (several thousands of pounds later) they pass?
We've all come across the questions which say one thing, then when you read the answers obviously meant another.
Okay rant mode off, CAA get your fingersd out, this is 2005 and people WILL take you to court and WIN!!
Have a nice day
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: bournemouth
Posts: 23
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Complaints procedure
I made my complaint via my CGI. Having looked at the facts I compiled an email and sent it directly to the school, whom confirmed the information as correct and passed it to the CAA.
As a precaution I also took legal advice protecting any further developments of which I may make depending on the results of the inquiry.
This is a very serious situation and I can say from contact with the CAA post email, they are treating it with the up most of importance and professionality.
My advice is be very careful in what you write, I made a point of compiling statistics from recent Perf exams and keeping facts exact and concise.
However, advice is act fast and carefully but remember to stay on the right side of politics, we all have a common goal and the CAA are actually here to help of which I can confirm they are.
The more people that act the more effective the out come will be.
WA
As a precaution I also took legal advice protecting any further developments of which I may make depending on the results of the inquiry.
This is a very serious situation and I can say from contact with the CAA post email, they are treating it with the up most of importance and professionality.
My advice is be very careful in what you write, I made a point of compiling statistics from recent Perf exams and keeping facts exact and concise.
However, advice is act fast and carefully but remember to stay on the right side of politics, we all have a common goal and the CAA are actually here to help of which I can confirm they are.
The more people that act the more effective the out come will be.
WA
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: UK
Posts: 12
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
April Performance Exam
I also scored 74% in February’s Performance exam and since I knew that April’s sitting would be my fifth and penultimate sitting, I slogged away relentlessly for a further two month’s study on this one subject (13 passed to date) and thought my average 87% on feedback papers and 95% on on-line tests was going to be good enough.
At 15:14 on Monday I was feeling well prepared. At 15:15 my heart stopped because it was in my mouth. The combined sharp intake of candidates’ breaths caused a pressure drop in the room and thumping heartbeats was the only sound breaking the stunned silence. Had I/we been studying a different subject?
Surely the purpose of exams is to establish the degree of students’ understanding of the subject and their application of that understanding to solving realistic problems. When do CAP 698 style graphs ever occur in the real world? Why does any student need to know the arcane workings of such trivia in improving their piloting skills?
In my opinion the CAA should be brought to answer some very serious questions properly and in a manner that results in palpable satisfaction from us, its customers.
Such as:
1. What is the CAA’s training delivery and examination objective, i.e. what are they trying to achieve?
2. Apart from exam results, how does the CAA measure the effectiveness of pilot theory training?
3. How are exam questions tested and process-audited for suitability, difficulty and relevance?
4. What is the purpose of imposing maximums of 4 attempts and 6 sittings and what demonstrable evidence is there that these constraints have improved learning in the past?
5. Why can’t candidates walk away from each exam with instantaneous (computer-marked) results?
6. Why can’t applications be made for the same exam immediately afterwards when candidates suspect they screwed up?
7. Why isn’t there an informal face-to-face forum with the CAA available so that the interests of individual candidates can be represented on a proper basis?
8. What other best-practice examining bodies does the CAA benchmark itself against?
9. Why is the CAA guarded by an impenetrable and frustrating telephone system when their customers actually want to talk to live human beings?
Having left a well-paid senior management position in an unrelated industry to take up professional flying, I don’t take kindly to being messed about by such profound indifference that underpins the ATPL theory examination process. Perhaps the exam setters would like to pay my mortgage for me while I comply with their time-wasting strategies?
If anybody’s forming a delegation to the big grey building then count me in.
(wessexairways - what's a CGI?)
At 15:14 on Monday I was feeling well prepared. At 15:15 my heart stopped because it was in my mouth. The combined sharp intake of candidates’ breaths caused a pressure drop in the room and thumping heartbeats was the only sound breaking the stunned silence. Had I/we been studying a different subject?
Surely the purpose of exams is to establish the degree of students’ understanding of the subject and their application of that understanding to solving realistic problems. When do CAP 698 style graphs ever occur in the real world? Why does any student need to know the arcane workings of such trivia in improving their piloting skills?
In my opinion the CAA should be brought to answer some very serious questions properly and in a manner that results in palpable satisfaction from us, its customers.
Such as:
1. What is the CAA’s training delivery and examination objective, i.e. what are they trying to achieve?
2. Apart from exam results, how does the CAA measure the effectiveness of pilot theory training?
3. How are exam questions tested and process-audited for suitability, difficulty and relevance?
4. What is the purpose of imposing maximums of 4 attempts and 6 sittings and what demonstrable evidence is there that these constraints have improved learning in the past?
5. Why can’t candidates walk away from each exam with instantaneous (computer-marked) results?
6. Why can’t applications be made for the same exam immediately afterwards when candidates suspect they screwed up?
7. Why isn’t there an informal face-to-face forum with the CAA available so that the interests of individual candidates can be represented on a proper basis?
8. What other best-practice examining bodies does the CAA benchmark itself against?
9. Why is the CAA guarded by an impenetrable and frustrating telephone system when their customers actually want to talk to live human beings?
Having left a well-paid senior management position in an unrelated industry to take up professional flying, I don’t take kindly to being messed about by such profound indifference that underpins the ATPL theory examination process. Perhaps the exam setters would like to pay my mortgage for me while I comply with their time-wasting strategies?
If anybody’s forming a delegation to the big grey building then count me in.
(wessexairways - what's a CGI?)
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: bournemouth
Posts: 23
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Perf exam
Tango 49
Your comments over the situation are very interested and surely are compounded by many students in the industry.
To me at present, the main concern is not with the organisation in general, but the April and Feb Performance Exams.
A possibility of three decisions could be made by the CAA in my view.
Option 1 - Cancel and credit the sitting (s)
Option 2 - Credit certain questions on one or both exams
Option 3 - No Action.
I am sure option 1 or 2 will be made however option 2 is of great concern.
Should a candidate have concerntrated on the general knowledge questions first could fail because they did not have enough time for the graphical questions which weighted higher marks. The oppsite could be said for a candidate who started with the graphical questions and ran out of time for the general knowledge questions.
In my opinion it is impossible to fairly remove any one question, or add a percentage to every paper.
Someone is going to have to make a very difficult deceision with regard to the problem, and until that happens we will all have to sit tight.
I imagine they are express marking the papers at Gatwick today before any decisions are made.
Personally this is a very serious situation and candidates affected should be prepared to take further action depending on the outcome.
WA
Your comments over the situation are very interested and surely are compounded by many students in the industry.
To me at present, the main concern is not with the organisation in general, but the April and Feb Performance Exams.
A possibility of three decisions could be made by the CAA in my view.
Option 1 - Cancel and credit the sitting (s)
Option 2 - Credit certain questions on one or both exams
Option 3 - No Action.
I am sure option 1 or 2 will be made however option 2 is of great concern.
Should a candidate have concerntrated on the general knowledge questions first could fail because they did not have enough time for the graphical questions which weighted higher marks. The oppsite could be said for a candidate who started with the graphical questions and ran out of time for the general knowledge questions.
In my opinion it is impossible to fairly remove any one question, or add a percentage to every paper.
Someone is going to have to make a very difficult deceision with regard to the problem, and until that happens we will all have to sit tight.
I imagine they are express marking the papers at Gatwick today before any decisions are made.
Personally this is a very serious situation and candidates affected should be prepared to take further action depending on the outcome.
WA
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: UK
Posts: 12
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
April Performance Exam
Hi Wessex,
Sorry for the late reply - my ISP's server has been down...again.
I agree with you wholeheartedly in that the February and April Performance exams were the actual problem here since these were also what I was so deflated by. However, the reason they went awry in the first place must be due to pockets of organisational incompetence and a total indifference towards customer (students’ and training organisations’) satisfaction. My approach was get to the underlying reasons for the CAA’s failure to produce a fair exam in the first place so that the current situation could be rectified and then any future reoccurrence prevented.
Looking at the actual exams, in my experience, dispute resolution always lies in some kind of compromise for each side, i.e. satisfying the overall “price of peace”. So, considering your options, I think:
Option 1 – If the CAA convinced itself that the Performance exam was sub-standard, however they may judge that, the only honourable thing for them to do would be, as you say, cancel the exam and credit the sitting/s for those who would otherwise have failed (no point in wasting the time of those who had already passed). If the February exam were credited, I would look forward to a refund for April’s.
Option 2 – The CAA could not credit only some of the questions; it would be an impossible task to do fairly.
Option 3 – Having considered all the facts, the CAA might choose to do nothing and suffer the consequences, perhaps believing that there wouldn’t be any!
If candidates’ failures this time were down to the irregular type of questions needing more time than the allotted 1-hour limit, then another option would be to extend the Performance exam time period for the following re-sit. Anyway, all of the exam time limits should be reconsidered since they are woefully imbalanced with their content and difficulty.
I shall certainly be pursuing this matter further if the outcome is unsatisfactory. I wait with baited letterbox.
Sorry for the late reply - my ISP's server has been down...again.
I agree with you wholeheartedly in that the February and April Performance exams were the actual problem here since these were also what I was so deflated by. However, the reason they went awry in the first place must be due to pockets of organisational incompetence and a total indifference towards customer (students’ and training organisations’) satisfaction. My approach was get to the underlying reasons for the CAA’s failure to produce a fair exam in the first place so that the current situation could be rectified and then any future reoccurrence prevented.
Looking at the actual exams, in my experience, dispute resolution always lies in some kind of compromise for each side, i.e. satisfying the overall “price of peace”. So, considering your options, I think:
Option 1 – If the CAA convinced itself that the Performance exam was sub-standard, however they may judge that, the only honourable thing for them to do would be, as you say, cancel the exam and credit the sitting/s for those who would otherwise have failed (no point in wasting the time of those who had already passed). If the February exam were credited, I would look forward to a refund for April’s.
Option 2 – The CAA could not credit only some of the questions; it would be an impossible task to do fairly.
Option 3 – Having considered all the facts, the CAA might choose to do nothing and suffer the consequences, perhaps believing that there wouldn’t be any!
If candidates’ failures this time were down to the irregular type of questions needing more time than the allotted 1-hour limit, then another option would be to extend the Performance exam time period for the following re-sit. Anyway, all of the exam time limits should be reconsidered since they are woefully imbalanced with their content and difficulty.
I shall certainly be pursuing this matter further if the outcome is unsatisfactory. I wait with baited letterbox.
Join Date: May 2004
Location: .
Posts: 29
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Devils advocate!
What is a satisfactory outcome?
WRT Februarys exam, very nearly half of those sitting it passed it. I have to be honest & say that the questions & the traps therein, had all been pointed out to us by our groundschool, even the graph questions.
An examiners prerogative is to ask whatever they like whenever they like, restricted to the confines of the syllabus & learning objectives. We can only ever prepare as best as we can & hope for a bit of luck. Of course that luck may never come our way.
I do accept the ambiguities of the 698 & reading answers from it, particularly when they comprise a substantial part of the available marks.
But was anything that was asked outside of the syllabus or learning objectives?
A great many people have already passed through these exams The CAA have the benefit of analysing those results over time, & if the pass rate is increasing why shouldn't they make it tougher.
With increasing feedback from the efforts of our predecessors & peers, if the exams are apparently becoming easier what is a satisfactory outcome on the part of the CAA?
remember..............devils advocate!
What is a satisfactory outcome?
WRT Februarys exam, very nearly half of those sitting it passed it. I have to be honest & say that the questions & the traps therein, had all been pointed out to us by our groundschool, even the graph questions.
An examiners prerogative is to ask whatever they like whenever they like, restricted to the confines of the syllabus & learning objectives. We can only ever prepare as best as we can & hope for a bit of luck. Of course that luck may never come our way.
I do accept the ambiguities of the 698 & reading answers from it, particularly when they comprise a substantial part of the available marks.
But was anything that was asked outside of the syllabus or learning objectives?
A great many people have already passed through these exams The CAA have the benefit of analysing those results over time, & if the pass rate is increasing why shouldn't they make it tougher.
With increasing feedback from the efforts of our predecessors & peers, if the exams are apparently becoming easier what is a satisfactory outcome on the part of the CAA?
remember..............devils advocate!
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: UK
Posts: 12
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
April Performance Exam
A satisfactory outcome for me would be a first-time pass in exchange for my applied study time and effort, plus £55, achieved through answering a fair, reasonable and well-balanced range of questions within the scope of the syllabus. I can’t help wondering who actually sets the exams and what motivates them to develop particularly difficult, obscure or biased questions to trip up the candidate rather than test their understanding and application of it. Admittedly, if one’s not up to the mark then fair enough – a fail it is. I certainly wouldn’t want any charity.
I would suggest that a satisfactory outcome for the CAA would be one of positive, measurable and genuine feedback showing that candidates were achieving a consistently good standard in each subject. So, if more people were passing the exams due to a genuine increase in competence then the training effort would have achieved its objective. In that case then, why should the questions be made even more devious and obscure to change the standard?
If every candidate had, say, a 100% understanding and recall of every single facet and detail of a subject, and all of them were passing every exam with a 100% score, what would happen then? The CAA could palpably demonstrate the learning object was well and truly delivered. Or they could choose to introduce ridiculously arcane and out-of-control exam processes that ensured fewer and fewer people could ever pass them, thereby guaranteeing worsening success rates!
In turn, this would just encourage development and learning of a wider range of exam-taking techniques to combat devious questions, which at best would be a distraction and at worst an academic candidate-filter, deviating from the original learning objective and creating resentment amongst those who would have to jump through ever tightening and irrelevant hoops.
Did “very nearly half” of February’s candidates only have “very nearly half” the understanding of the Performance subject? I certainly felt I had sufficient knowledge then, and even better preparation for April’s exam. But perhaps I’m just deluding myself.
I would suggest that a satisfactory outcome for the CAA would be one of positive, measurable and genuine feedback showing that candidates were achieving a consistently good standard in each subject. So, if more people were passing the exams due to a genuine increase in competence then the training effort would have achieved its objective. In that case then, why should the questions be made even more devious and obscure to change the standard?
If every candidate had, say, a 100% understanding and recall of every single facet and detail of a subject, and all of them were passing every exam with a 100% score, what would happen then? The CAA could palpably demonstrate the learning object was well and truly delivered. Or they could choose to introduce ridiculously arcane and out-of-control exam processes that ensured fewer and fewer people could ever pass them, thereby guaranteeing worsening success rates!
In turn, this would just encourage development and learning of a wider range of exam-taking techniques to combat devious questions, which at best would be a distraction and at worst an academic candidate-filter, deviating from the original learning objective and creating resentment amongst those who would have to jump through ever tightening and irrelevant hoops.
Did “very nearly half” of February’s candidates only have “very nearly half” the understanding of the Performance subject? I certainly felt I had sufficient knowledge then, and even better preparation for April’s exam. But perhaps I’m just deluding myself.
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: bournemouth
Posts: 23
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Hi Gator,
Interesting comments and stats about your schools performance and it seems the mentioned establishment is doing quite well.
The main point in highlighting Febs paper is to use trends and facts in helping to argue the matter and diagnose the problem. Personally I ran out of time on that paper as well, and from opinions observed so did many other people.
Its difficult to speculate on this matter until results are published for April, however there appears to be a growing trend in problematic sittings in perf, and knowing there has been a great deal of pressure put upon the CAA in the last few days I am assured the problem is to be resolved very soon.
I would rather highlight the problem to the CAA and assist where possible in getting this situation resolved, rather than just saying Perf has always been eratic.
Remember, there are generations of fellow students below us of whom don't want to be wasting £55 a shot just because of a simple bug in the question selection software, of which the Authority could have fixed easily had they known.
To me what is emerging from this is the fact that the CAA question bank database has only the ability to pick 34 questions, and not 1 hours worth of questions, which is possibly how the erratic pass rates have become evident for this subject.
WA
Interesting comments and stats about your schools performance and it seems the mentioned establishment is doing quite well.
The main point in highlighting Febs paper is to use trends and facts in helping to argue the matter and diagnose the problem. Personally I ran out of time on that paper as well, and from opinions observed so did many other people.
Its difficult to speculate on this matter until results are published for April, however there appears to be a growing trend in problematic sittings in perf, and knowing there has been a great deal of pressure put upon the CAA in the last few days I am assured the problem is to be resolved very soon.
I would rather highlight the problem to the CAA and assist where possible in getting this situation resolved, rather than just saying Perf has always been eratic.
Remember, there are generations of fellow students below us of whom don't want to be wasting £55 a shot just because of a simple bug in the question selection software, of which the Authority could have fixed easily had they known.
To me what is emerging from this is the fact that the CAA question bank database has only the ability to pick 34 questions, and not 1 hours worth of questions, which is possibly how the erratic pass rates have become evident for this subject.
WA
Join Date: May 2002
Location: uk
Posts: 2
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
A candidate should be able to expect, at the very least, an exam system which tests and reflects their ability against a benchmark. The passmark needs to be set with reference to the required level of ability and a control system needs to be put in place to ensure that the exams test for a similar standard.
Someone who achieves 75% one month should be confident that their level of understanding would earn them a similar mark in any other month. If this is not the case, if a common level of required knowledge is not maintained then the exam system is clearly unfair.
It appears the vast majority of those i have spoken to, and those whos comments I have read believe both febs and Aprils exams were unfair in the use of graph questions due to the time pressures, as well as narrowing the margin for error due to the value of the graph questions .
Shortterm lets hope the CAA apply some kind of allowance in the marking of the April exam and longterm ensure this kind of thing does not happen!
Someone who achieves 75% one month should be confident that their level of understanding would earn them a similar mark in any other month. If this is not the case, if a common level of required knowledge is not maintained then the exam system is clearly unfair.
It appears the vast majority of those i have spoken to, and those whos comments I have read believe both febs and Aprils exams were unfair in the use of graph questions due to the time pressures, as well as narrowing the margin for error due to the value of the graph questions .
Shortterm lets hope the CAA apply some kind of allowance in the marking of the April exam and longterm ensure this kind of thing does not happen!
Guest
Posts: n/a
Kalibarr,
I suspect the real reason for the poor performance (pardon the pun) is that the schools were not expecting so many graph questions and so didn't spend much time on them during the crammer courses. If there is a problem, then it is that the CAA needs to find ways of combating the feedback system that, I imagine, has made the process of completeing the exams so much easier. The CAA probably feels the need to find new ways to test if candidates really do know how to answer the questions.
I think the solution lies in not trying to fail candidates, but in trying to ensure that they really do know the material. This probably means fairer questions from the CAA in combination with some way of reducing the reliance on feedback that the multiple choice format so encourages.
I suspect the real reason for the poor performance (pardon the pun) is that the schools were not expecting so many graph questions and so didn't spend much time on them during the crammer courses. If there is a problem, then it is that the CAA needs to find ways of combating the feedback system that, I imagine, has made the process of completeing the exams so much easier. The CAA probably feels the need to find new ways to test if candidates really do know how to answer the questions.
I think the solution lies in not trying to fail candidates, but in trying to ensure that they really do know the material. This probably means fairer questions from the CAA in combination with some way of reducing the reliance on feedback that the multiple choice format so encourages.
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: bournemouth
Posts: 23
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
perf
High Wing,
Again some interesting comments about this situation.
Not sure if you were at these exams, but what we seem to be dealing with here is a time scale problem, and not the fact that this was a difficult exam.
My ground school instructor had prepared us for well for each question, the only thing he did not advise us of was that we would require Twin Turbo's fitted to our CRP 5's. This brings us back to the fact the CAA computer is picking 34 questions and not 60 minutes worth of questions.
You are quite right in the fact they are getting tough on feedback and rightly so, and I have it on good auth that there is several hundred new questions, and reformatted questions that have very recently been added to the databases various subject areas.
A strict standard does need to be maintained however, a 120 minute exam performed in 60 minutes is not really a just way to measure the intellect levels of student pilots, which is the common complaint echoed by several different voices from the training side of the industry to the CAA last week with regard to Performance.
WA
Again some interesting comments about this situation.
Not sure if you were at these exams, but what we seem to be dealing with here is a time scale problem, and not the fact that this was a difficult exam.
My ground school instructor had prepared us for well for each question, the only thing he did not advise us of was that we would require Twin Turbo's fitted to our CRP 5's. This brings us back to the fact the CAA computer is picking 34 questions and not 60 minutes worth of questions.
You are quite right in the fact they are getting tough on feedback and rightly so, and I have it on good auth that there is several hundred new questions, and reformatted questions that have very recently been added to the databases various subject areas.
A strict standard does need to be maintained however, a 120 minute exam performed in 60 minutes is not really a just way to measure the intellect levels of student pilots, which is the common complaint echoed by several different voices from the training side of the industry to the CAA last week with regard to Performance.
WA
Last edited by wessexairways; 11th Apr 2005 at 14:32.
Guest
Posts: n/a
No I didn't sit those exams, I managed to get mine out of the way a few months ago. The Gen Nav exam was the only exam I recall where I was worried that I might not finish, never mind check the answers. I think my CRP even lost a fusable plug an hour or so after the exam, such was speed of twizzling 
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: UK
Posts: 28
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Calling all Groundschools
Have read with great interest lots of schools are contesting this exam. Have also read the CAA are taking it seriously.
So......
Any news??
Have the CAA ever before credited people?
Actually come to mention it, apart from the time aspect, were any of the questions outside of the syllabus.
Mr impatient!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
So......
Any news??
Have the CAA ever before credited people?
Actually come to mention it, apart from the time aspect, were any of the questions outside of the syllabus.
Mr impatient!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: UK
Posts: 73
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Hi all,
I can't comment on the February exam, as I wasn't there sitting it. I can however, assure anyone who wasn't in the April exam that the sitting was very unfair. To re-iterate an earlier point - There was nothing in this exam which was not in the syllabus or learning objectives. The problem is a simple one. Lack of time. There is simply no way, in the time alloted I could have completed the exam to a satisfactory standard.
The CAP manual is easy enough to navigate, but when answers are close together, one needs enough time to check the data extrapolated 3 times (twice gives a 50/50 chance!). With 7 questions from the CAP, making allowances for winds, TAS and TGS and with transposition of the climb gradient formula to get results all included it simply gets ridiculous. It was possible to fail this exam on graph questions alone, as they were all 2/3 markers. This obviously means more time is going to be spent on them anyway. How can one then go on to answer lots of theoretical questions (the remaining 25 questions) designed to trip you up at every step, unless you read EVERYTHING in the questions and answers and then pause for thought. And all this in an Hour!? Please....
There was nothing in that exam that I couldn't have done, but in the time alloted I simply couldn't do it. If I pass great? Then my average that I have absolutely worked my butt off to acheive, gets dragged down because of this. It's simply not right.
Off the top of my head, I can see only one outcome which is acceptable, which is to allot a percentage to eveyone's marks. What that needs to be I don't know. The whole thing is a mess. I think it's all very sad to be honest, it can't be undone now
. I just hope the outcome is reasonable.
Cheers,
TB.
I can't comment on the February exam, as I wasn't there sitting it. I can however, assure anyone who wasn't in the April exam that the sitting was very unfair. To re-iterate an earlier point - There was nothing in this exam which was not in the syllabus or learning objectives. The problem is a simple one. Lack of time. There is simply no way, in the time alloted I could have completed the exam to a satisfactory standard.
The CAP manual is easy enough to navigate, but when answers are close together, one needs enough time to check the data extrapolated 3 times (twice gives a 50/50 chance!). With 7 questions from the CAP, making allowances for winds, TAS and TGS and with transposition of the climb gradient formula to get results all included it simply gets ridiculous. It was possible to fail this exam on graph questions alone, as they were all 2/3 markers. This obviously means more time is going to be spent on them anyway. How can one then go on to answer lots of theoretical questions (the remaining 25 questions) designed to trip you up at every step, unless you read EVERYTHING in the questions and answers and then pause for thought. And all this in an Hour!? Please....
There was nothing in that exam that I couldn't have done, but in the time alloted I simply couldn't do it. If I pass great? Then my average that I have absolutely worked my butt off to acheive, gets dragged down because of this. It's simply not right.
Off the top of my head, I can see only one outcome which is acceptable, which is to allot a percentage to eveyone's marks. What that needs to be I don't know. The whole thing is a mess. I think it's all very sad to be honest, it can't be undone now
. I just hope the outcome is reasonable.Cheers,
TB.
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: bournemouth
Posts: 23
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Perf
TB,
Have you considdered ringing your tubularbell in the direction of the Belgrano?
Remember there have been many complaints about this situation, but everyone concerened by it should make their thoughts known. As said before - Safety in Numbers, never know they may offer you a free resit if you are that concerened about your average. Remember you are the customer.
No goss yet on the outcome, I have however been made aware that there are Met, Perf and Planning queries from different Schools. Several people are unhappy with the TAF and Metar Questions, and don't mention the new runway at Esbjerg reserved for CAA use only!
All this aside I am sure the results will be out on time!!!!!!!!!!
WA
Have you considdered ringing your tubularbell in the direction of the Belgrano?
Remember there have been many complaints about this situation, but everyone concerened by it should make their thoughts known. As said before - Safety in Numbers, never know they may offer you a free resit if you are that concerened about your average. Remember you are the customer.
No goss yet on the outcome, I have however been made aware that there are Met, Perf and Planning queries from different Schools. Several people are unhappy with the TAF and Metar Questions, and don't mention the new runway at Esbjerg reserved for CAA use only!
All this aside I am sure the results will be out on time!!!!!!!!!!
WA
Join Date: May 2004
Location: .
Posts: 29
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
comments on the February exam?
nothing in it had not been seen before, questions were of a type and nature similar to those used in groundschool (including 698 interpretations). There was more use of the 698 than "expected", & more marks attributed to questions concerning it. It was possible to fail Febs exam if you got the all c698 questions wrong.
nothing in it had not been seen before, questions were of a type and nature similar to those used in groundschool (including 698 interpretations). There was more use of the 698 than "expected", & more marks attributed to questions concerning it. It was possible to fail Febs exam if you got the all c698 questions wrong.
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Timbucktwo
Posts: 30
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Atlantic Flight Training students nervous as well!! Best gound school results in the country here in performance 100% pass rate in the last year!! Most results have been in the 90s surely the instructors here need credit. Maybe the results here may give a guide line.
Anyway I heard the CAA may be considering binning the paper!!
Anyway I heard the CAA may be considering binning the paper!!