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Old 22nd Jan 2008, 19:30
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Thumbs up Oxford Aviation Training.......

This may seem like a strange question but here goes.
Has anyone who sat the QAT assessment and failed(for whatever reason), gone on to complete the waypoint modular route and prehaps is in a RHS or better still LHS at present?

Basically, im trying to find out if the OAT assessment exam is the 'be all and end all' of entrances exams. If you fail it, should you just forget about proceeding with your flight training.

Thks

T.M.

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Old 22nd Jan 2008, 19:35
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Hello,
it is not the be all and end all.
there are other training facilities out there that you can try!

Also,
You can re-take the OAT assesment.
So if you fail one section - you go back in 3 months etc.

But don't plan to fail otherwise should you really be aiming to become a pilot if you think you will fail?
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Old 22nd Jan 2008, 22:17
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Absolutely not the be all and end all. One might even say a waste of time.

Out of CTC, Oxford and GAPAN aptitude tests, one told me that I had "absolutely no chance", one told me I scored a "good average", another said I had "excellent chances of sucess in flight training". Which maybe says a lot about the relative validity of aptitude testing.

In the end, I passed everything first time, was fortunate enough to get a 737 job after training and have had good results in the 6 monthly sim checks and annual flight checks with the company.

Don't want to sound bitter but I do beleive that the aptitude testing system failed to give me a conclusive or accurate answer.
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Old 23rd Jan 2008, 06:41
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I don't think any one test can be perfect or should claim to be so. Don't purely rely on test to dictate your future and certainly visit more than one FTO as they are all different and you should go for the one that suits you.
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Old 23rd Jan 2008, 06:50
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Oat has a money back guarantee. I suspect their failure rate is artificially high in order to limit the number of refund checks they write. That may sound like they are turning away good prospects, but all selective FTOs will do that in one way or another when demand exceeds capacity, which certainly seems to be the case right now. The reverse can be true when demand drops. If you do the tests at 3-4 FTOs and do poorly on all of them, maybe it's not the career for you though.
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Old 23rd Jan 2008, 19:20
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The real truth about assessment

Over the past three years i have looked at assessments for a career in aviation principally flight deck training.
Its very subjective depending on the training establishment, ranging from can you afford the course, your in ! syndrome, to jump through 20 hoops then 20 more, its our reputation at stake attitude.
The top and bottom end speak for themselves, yet in the middle there is a wide variance on how the selection takes place.
The ATPL course is not rocket science but does require total application for ground school, and dedication for the flying side.
Now the tests try to find out if the individual has the commitment and the ability to succeed within the time frame of an integrated course, usually between 14 to 16 months.
The schools try to obtain a snapshot of the candidate to see if that individual can achieve a minimum of 80% in ground exams and to pass the flight tests at the first attempt.
This covers schools like Oxford who offer a money back scheme, and protect the student from excessive resit costs and examination / examiner fees.
All this has to be done at an early stage, and like all tests is subjective on how the candidate performs on the day.
There is not a perfect set of tests, so there are those who fail who might have got through and those who pass and who fail the course although these are rare.
Testing is a guide to aptitude and academic ability, its the final results that are considered by long time professionals in the field that matter most, so the major schools have the most experience and their assessment is usually correct.
Testing can give the individual areas for improvement, and those who return after a knock back usually improve their scores and show the motivation for the future.
Most airlines today require 85% average at ground school, plus first time passes at progress flight checks and CPL skills test, plus a first series Instrument Rating pass.
If you dont achieve these the chances of a good job after training diminishes significantly.
Would you be prepared to take this great financial risk, if there was a significant indication that you might fail ?
The financial investment is too great to take risks, so the testing prior to being offered a course, should be as accurate a picture of you as possible, for your sake and that of the school.
Adios i agree with your statement on getting more than one assessment, but not the piece about putting the beam unrealistically high for the sake of supply and demand, or refund checks.
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Old 23rd Jan 2008, 20:50
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Night Fr8,

Your post is a very good synopsis of the situation. I think you may have misunderstood one of my points though. From what I can tell, Oxford implemented assessment after 9/11. That might seem the worse time to do it from a commercial point of view, but it ensured a good quality of graduate when the recovery came and the result is a pretty impressive employment record since 2004.

My point was that now that demand for their course is quite high, they might be tempted to raise the bar. This would serve a dual purpose, aligning demand with capacity during a boom time, as well as reducing the likelihood of a refund cheque. Later they may have to lower it back down to where it is now if their enrollment drops to the point that commercial viability is threatened. This does not mean a return to the days of cheque book selection; I think Oat has seen the value of a decent standard of assessment for all the reasons you so ably pointed out and I don't think they will lower the bar to a ridiculous level.

FTE is already nearing a 12 month wait for their courses. Oat seems to be about 4-5 months wait. If they get to a year, then the assessment will expire by the time the student starts. I think we would see a raising of the bar before that would happen. The alternative would be losing business of those who don't want to wait that long. If I was faced with losing business in such a scenario, I'd raise the bar so that I got to make the decision which customers went elsewhere instead of leaving it to chance and their impatience. If a recession were then to follow, the bar could be lowered a bit without negating the usefulness of the assessment.

Perhaps I am wrong. There is an alternative way of reducing enrollment in boom times; raising the price ahead of the pace of inflation and one's competitors. Oat does have the highest price, but it only seems to rise about 2.5-3% annually, so I don't think they use this method to align demand with supply, at least not yet.

Last edited by Adios; 23rd Jan 2008 at 22:35.
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Old 24th Jan 2008, 05:13
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OAT has new owners yes, but as far as I am aware they are already at maximum capacity.
And as the current job market is very poor they may well see a downturn in the self funded students, but their contracts with such as EPST and Netjets etc are filling the places nicely for them.
Why should schools reduce standards to attract students who may fail or struggle through their course. its not good for the student or the school concerned.
If you are self funding its surely better to know early that you can pass the course, or that a certain area needs improvement before committing all that money.
Thats the reason behind the assessment process.
I am a believer the assessment system works well and that if your offered a place at a school that does not have a selection process that you are taking a very high commercial / personal risk.
Its your money but we all seek to get the best training for our pound, dollar, euro etc.
in these days of commercialism everybody should give themselves the best possible start.
As to the person who had three differing assessments, maybe he / she just got better at them as he / she progressed which is a very positive sign for him / her.
The system has many variables but the experience of the schools offering assessment has shown what levels are best for the potential student at that school, which may account for the difference in entrance criteria.
The airline schemes require much higher standards so the entrance bar is set to a level where they only get the best of the best (probably), where as the level of the self funded student is set at a realistic level to satisfy the demands of the course.
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Old 24th Jan 2008, 07:47
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the best of the best
Now I am really starting to cringe.... You must be mad thinking about starting an integrated course in todays climate. Dont believe the hype and go modular.
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Old 24th Jan 2008, 08:13
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Modular is soon to be phased out or heavily modified with the use of only 2 training establishment being allowed.
There is also the question of the new Multi Crew pilots licence which includes a type rating and the course is tailored to the future type.

If you want the best chance of getting a job quickly after training try getting on a scheme with an airline or go integrated if you can spare the time and have the cash.

The cheap way may close soon, and if those in their respective CAA's have their way the industry will only accept an integrated form of training.

I still defend my "Best of The Best" statement but I dont agree that the results justify the method or type of selection.

A good hands on pilot may not be the most academic or vice versa,
and its usually a combination of DFO, Chief Pilot, or Training manager who based on their experience have the final say when selecting for their schemes.

Thanks to Adios again, his words are enlightening and correct.
From feedback that I have personally received during my research OAT may have raised the bar slightly over the last year but it will be several months until those students are finished with their course, and the results broken down and compared with previous courses.

If you do not get in first time then the final debrief will contain an indication when or if you should try again.
If at first you dont succeed..... etc.

Good luck to all of you out there, starting out on Integrated or modular route.

Last edited by Night_fr8; 24th Jan 2008 at 08:28. Reason: reply to a previous post omitted earlier
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Old 24th Jan 2008, 10:03
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GAH! Why do ALL these threads end up in "Modular Vs Integrated". Clearly the environment is getting tougher. Clearly integrated is more expensive.

However, I've said it before and I'll say it again, spending LESS money [when you're talking five figures regardless of how you tackle it] is ONLY of any benefit at all IF you can get a job at the end.

Whilst there are many, many success stories of those that have gone through the modular route, there are huge, huge numbers of mod students who are still awaiting that ellusive first job. You could go so far as to say that most of those still looking are mod (it certainly seems that way on this board). Therefore, one could consider that a viable alternative to "you must be mad to consider an integrated course in the current environment" is "you must be mad to do anything which will potentially reduce your chances of getting a job in a more competitive environment".

If you have the money, willpower and go into it with your eyes open, an integrated course may well help your chances. Modular may cost less, but it's still not exactly cheap and if the the "cost" includes reducing your saleability to a hirers market, then is it really a good deal?

Let's cut the rubbish....both routes are great options, but both have significant drawbacks. I just wish the constant "my route is right for EVERYONE" brigade would *** off and try and provide nothing more than impartial advice. I'm not trying to do down the Mod route, I think it's a great option and if it DOES die, then that's a real shame. Just people should assess all options open to them and decide based on facts, not "Modular is better than integrated...." or vice versa
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Old 24th Jan 2008, 10:24
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My advice clanger is dont drop one. At the end of the day you will all end up with the same licence.
How is this for a ridiculously biased view, albeit second hand. Hostie asks how much do you owe for your training at say oxford for example? Captain and First officer look at each other and say nothing, never went. Hostie then says did you go modular? They say yes. Hostie then says "my boyfriend is a pilot and he went to oxford". And? She then says he reportedly told her that you are thick if you dont complete an integrated course! Oh dear? Then she tells crew how he has 115 grand of debt, nice one. Scratching their heads, they all came to the conclusion, including hostie that said boyfriend was missing the point. The two guys flying the jet had no debt and the same licences as integrated oxford skygod. Quick fix fast track into job via integrated maybe, if the times are good. However, what about when times are bad? Large debt, same licence no job is about right.
The above story is true by the way.

Good luck! Just some food for thought.
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Old 24th Jan 2008, 10:51
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90% of all new pilots are in debt to various lenders from the bank of Mum and Dad to the Major Banks.
Many parents have seen their offspring off to a good start in their career by re-mortgage of their home, some even committing pension funds as security which will give them a lower income in retirement.
I know as I have gone down that route for my offspring.

The current job climate is poor, and modular students are finding it difficult to get work, as are their integrated colleagues, but the help given to integrated students from their alma mater are allowing some jobs to be obtained.
The results obtained reflect in most cases the final assessment of the student before they entered the course and their suitability for future employment.
That is why accurate assessment is so important.

An employer today looks at the students final report as a matter of course and continuity of training is looked upon as major factor to employment suitability, this may be difficult to reconcile with a modular route.

However this is not the thread to continue this debate.
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Old 24th Jan 2008, 10:59
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Clanger and Shaun - Good points! Every thread does seem to end up in an Int v Mod debate and it's one of those question like "what's the meaning of life", everyone's answer will be different and you can never say whether it's right or wrong because you answer according to what is right for YOU and YOU alone.

After passing the CCAT Assessment and started doing my business plan I was going over and over it in my head and came on the prune for some advice but after all my hours and hours or research and questions I think there really is no right of wrong answer.

Do what's right for you and no-one else. If you **** up well that's life and we all make mistakes but make the most of what you've got to get to where you want to be and never look back!!!

CS
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Old 24th Jan 2008, 10:59
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Edited to say that I posted this before reading Night fr8 and Chris's responses. Both are, IMHO, spot on. I also realise that I have gone somewhat off topic here and for that I apologise, however, I do feel the point needed to be made (AGAIN!)

Clearly, absolutely clear-as-day clearly, going the integrated route and then failing to get a job is just about THE nightmare situation. But the point is, that if you HAVE THE MONEY (so you're not taking any debt) then, in an environment where obtaining that first job is tough, you need to do EVERYTHING you can, to give yourself the best opportunity.

My original point, is that flying training, of whatever route, could never be considered "a bargain". Therefore if "one" was to undertake flying training, in what will be a highly competitive market, you should consider that you owe it to yourself to give yourself the best chance possible of gaining a job.

The argument is, therefore, whether one is better off spending less money but having to (perhaps/possibly/probably) fight harder and wait longer for that first job but limiting the financial risk, or take a bigger financial risk, but (perhaps/possibly/probably) reduce the risk/time to get that first job.

The choice is the individuals and there's only. However, PPRuNe suffers terribly badly from people who are so blinkered that their route is THE ONLY route.

Shaun, the reason I reacted to your post, is that yours comes across in exactly that way....let's twist your story slightly....what if the stewardess asks the Captain and first officer how much debt they carry and they say £50k (because above all else, unless you have to pay your T/R that's the most you can borrow for an integrated course generally) but they got a job pretty much on graduation...stewardess then says, oh, my boyfriend finished a year and a half ago and is back in his old job, trying to stay current...but he only owes £40k. Who looks the fool then?

This, whilst not verbatim true, is also pretty true to a guy I know who went mod...just cannot get that first job, has had to revalidate his IR twice and has just been told by his wife that if he can't get a job this year, he'll have to quit the dream. He's sold his house and uprooted his family to pay for it....This seems a stupidly high price to pay to me and he hasn't even got a professional flying job yet...

As I say, EVERY route has pros and cons, drawbacks and benefits. But let's drop the [expletive deleted] that mod is better than integrated, or vice versa. They're different, thats' all.
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Old 24th Jan 2008, 11:22
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In response to poor old Trevors thread. Does anyone else detect the irony? For some reason he is led to believe that if maybe he fails the entrance exam for the elite course, then this could scupper his future ambitions to be a professional pilot. But.. The good old training establishment can offer him a 'waypoint' modular scheme instead with probably no pre-course assessment. Bizzare. I wonder if this is where the "you must be thick to" assumption arose from mentioned in previous post?
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Old 24th Jan 2008, 16:33
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Clanger, good post. You resumed the integrated vs. modular dispute that is always being brought up on here. The story of your friend really says everything. Prefer being 50k in debt w/job or 40k w/o job?
(I'm not defending either sides)
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Old 24th Jan 2008, 16:43
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God the Mod v Int debate is like a black hole.... you try your heart out to stay away having gone over it before but somehow it sucks you in anyway!!!

PT Flyer - If the difference was only 10k we would all be doing it, including me. It isn't and I'm not. I sat down and worked out the full costs of training Int and the full costs of training on a full time modular course with one training provider without any breaks (sounds alot like int that doesn't it!)

The financial difference alone (in my case) was about 30k. However this would admittably be slightly bigger for me given that I wil be living at home rent free as opposed to away on Int paying for board. But even without that in the equation the difference is about 20k!

I'm sure that airlines like students that say they've trained integrated but from pilots I've spoken to who have got jobs in the last few years I don't think that going Int will earn me many more, if ANY more, brownie points than going down the route described above, i.e full time, without breaks with one respected FTO. (and manage to save myself a fair whack in the process)

CS
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Old 24th Jan 2008, 16:59
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Post question for night fr8??

what do you mean modular is soon to be phased out or modified heavely? where do you get this info from?
im ivery interested in this as im hoping to start on the modular route later this year. i would really appreciate it if you could direct me to the correct literature on this as i can see what the 'new' proposed options are going to be instead.

many thanks
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Old 24th Jan 2008, 17:02
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Back to the original question ... I had the dubious pleasure of sitting OAT's aptitude test a few months ago; not for the airlines but for a commercial helicopter role. I passed all the maths and physics questions, personality test was fine, spatial awareness was fine but I failed the hand-eye-blue-ball-red-line-pedals-joystick test.

I already hold a PPL(H) but I have never played computer games. Somehow, I don't think the aptitude bit is really reflective of someone's ability!

Cheers

Whirls
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