atpl exams going online

[guyleedsutd]

Does anyone have any information regarding when the atpl exams go online and where the test centres will be located

[Alex Whittingham]

Yes, the online exams will be trialled with one or two groups in April and May and full roll out is expected in June. The main exam centre will be at Gatwick but the CAA expect you to be able to make use of other centres around the country. Not much detail has been given out about this so far. The CAA say they will put out an information leaflet v shortly, I would hang on for that

[B61]

There will be more test centres, I think at least 8, with a better geographic spread across the country especially in the midlands and north.

The current schedule for 2104 will still be exams in the first week of the month, but after this expires in December times will be more flexible.

Good news is that results will be available much more quickly, at the end of the day or the end of a sitting. No more waiting around for weeks.

There will also be feedback on where you slipped up, so long as the result is better than 50%.

Overall seems a very good move forward.

[RichardH]

Yes but waiting to

2104

is probably about right for the dear CAA to get it right!

A positive move assuming it's done correctly, be interesting to know whether you can skip questions then come back to them as you can with a written exam or are you forced to answer questions in order they appear?

[2close]

Yes, you can navigate through questions by choosing the NEXT or BACK buttons.

The ASPEQ system also has a question number 'progress indicator' at the bottom of the screen which is colour coded to show whether the question has been answered or pending, etc. and you can go back to specific questions via this 'indicator'.

There is also provision for leaving typed comments against questions, which can be done at any time during the exam but for which an extra 5 minute period is added at the end of the exam.

2104 is a tad ambitious, is it not?

[Live your dream]

Will there be in the following months, April and May, people doing the exams in paper as usual i.e. at Shuttleworth and other people doing the new e-exams at Gatwick?

[reegreen]

Should we be worried about significant changes in the current QB?

[Alex Whittingham]

The currently planned exam centres are

• Aviation House, Gatwick
• Oxford (CAE)
• Southampton (CTC)
• Leicester
• Luton (CATS?)
• Perth Scotland

We don't yet know exactly how much space will be available at centres like Oxford and on what terms (ie who gets priority and on what basis). The CQB is changing gradually, so you will get new questions anyway. Paper exams will continue up to the May exams, I don't know where the trials would be. Best to hang on until the CAA publish their information leaflet. Some of this is still in a state of flux.

[paco]

Hi Alex - Bristol/Exeter was on the list I saw as well.

The first fully computerised exam (i.e. non trial) should be June

[Alex Whittingham]

Oh yes, but it was in the 'We hope to..' section, which I didn't include. For the FTOs the problem is the economics. The spec for the exam centre is quite high, the potential income from the CAA very small, they take 90% of the fees.

[Live your dream]

Any news about that information leaflet? I need to book the exams and I don't know what to do, should I go to May or wait?

[paco]

they take 90% of the fees.

Now why didn't I think of that?

[mad_jock]

What spec are they looking for

[Alex Whittingham]

PM me with your email address and I will forward it

[mad_jock]

your OK just wondered what exactly they required that was so special.

Is it IT provision or just the facility requirements.

I presume they won't apply to Gatwick centre though.

[paco]

They're using Driving Test centres in some places (i.e. Leicester), so something like that

[Odai]

Does anyone know if Manchester is likely to be on the list of new exam centres too?

[Alex Whittingham]

I have heard nothing about an exam centre in Manchester. This is what we are advising our students:

"For exams from June 2014 onwards the CAA are introducing electronic exam sittings using a system which has been in service for some time in Malaysia and other States. The exam centres will be at Gatwick, Oxford (CAE), Luton, Southampton (CTC), Leicester and Perth, although the main centre will be at Gatwick. The exam dates for June remain as published although we are expecting that the CAA will make extra dates available, we have yet to hear when these will be.

If you intend to book an exam for June or later please do not send us an ‘old style’ application. The new system requires you to register your personal details at a CAA portal available through caa.co.uk and provide proof of identity. Once the CAA have accepted this you will be able to use the portal to book exams. The CAA advise us that the portal will become active on 1 May 2014.

The CAA information notice that describes the new arrangements is at this address"

[777flyboy]

ATPL April Dates

Hi can anybody with past experience in writting ATPL exams tell me when are the April ATPL exams normally Scheduled ?

Is it the 3rd week of April or does it get delayed ? I am plan to give the 2015 April attempt and need to know an approx time to plan things better.