EASA ATPL Exams - Performance

[Transsonic2000]

I recently sat the ATP Performance exam and was a bit surprised about the high number of chart related questions. Mainly about T/O Distance Required (TODR) to clear a 50 ft obstacle (SEP & MEP). Out of the 35 questions I'd say about half of them were chart related, particularly TODR.

Those of you who recently sat the ATP performance exam, did you also have a lot of chart related questions, or is this a single case and I simple had bad luck on that day?

Feedback greatly appreciated!

[Dodidi]

I sat Performance last month and had roughly 7 Chart Questions in the Exam. I do know of others that had many more chart questions in their exam and one even with a LRJT chart which is not in the CAP. I suppose it is down to what the questions the computerized system will generate for you at that particular moment.

[paco]

There are usually a lot of them - in fact so many sometimes that people have not been able to finish at all.

Phil

[Transsonic2000]

Thanks for the feedback so far! So I guess one will be good advised to put the focus a bit more on the charts during preparation for the final exam. Not only on MRJT but SEP and MEP as well!

[paco]

Yes, probably about 30% mix of SEP and MEP, but don't forget the LRJT just in case, although the UK have tended not to use that.

Phil

[cavok_flyer]

Did mine last month in Germany and had about 7 charts as well. Had to work quickly and accurately and finished with just enough time to check that I didn't mark 2 boxes in any of the multiple choice questions. Thank-you, LBA for using such an ass-s*cking software.

[paco]

I believe their software allows some answers to be given as single answers, i.e. not multi-choice.

Phil

[Bubinga]

I did my performance exam last month as well. There was a fair amount of chart related questions, I think I had about 5 or 6, one of them was also a 3 marker. Then a couple 2 markers, and the rest ones.

I am pretty sure all the chart questions that came up for me were also in the QB!

[cavok_flyer]

@Paco Answers that need a number is most of the time a fill-in-the-blank. Not all, but most.

[paco]

OK, thanks. In any case the answer requires you to know more than just guessing.

cheers

phil

[Bulgdoom]

I have a question for all of you in Western Europe. On your performance or even other chart related exams, were the charts printed out separately or on the computer, and what was their quality?

I just took my performance exam and it while I normally take 1/3 of the time to finish, it took me almost the whole time for this exam. The charts were such poor quality that you could hardly tell where the lines were (some were doubled as if the ink cartridges were misaligned), and many were drawn all over from previous people. On my particular exam I had to ask for 5 to 7 charts to be printed up while taking the exam because they were missing in the folder. Together with the ~2001 PC that was taking 5 sec to go to the next question and the ~17in Monitor, it was the biggest pain I've ever experienced taking a test. Some of the answer choice were piss poor close to each other.

In the US when I did my FAA exams most charts were on the screen, and what was on paper was very clear, plus they gave us each a transparent plastic sheet to draw on, so the charts were free of scratches. Few charts on my exam had their own plastic sleeve which was too soft to even draw on.

Taking my ATPL exams in Bulgaria.

[Transsonic2000]

Well, I believe it depends in which EASA country you take the exams. I've never heard that used charts are handed out for the ATP exams, kinda strange. I took my ATP exams in Switzerland and I received only one set of printed charts for the subject performance, quality was not the best but it was suffice to come up with the correct answer. I was also running out of time while taking the performance exam, was unable to answer the last 4 questions, but fortunately I still passed! Had a lot of SEP and MEP chart questions (like RWY distance required) which I didn't expect, I focused more on MRJT charts. For M&B one had to use the "on screen" charts, but as far as I can remember it worked out well and there were only a few chart related questions. For Flight Planing I used the Jeppesen Student Manual, but charts were provided "on screen" as well.

[cavok_flyer]

@Bulgdoom

At the LBA (Germany), the charts where you need to draw lines (ie. TODR) are printed on paper when you open the exam, so you have new material to work with for each question.