EASA ATPL Changing Question style
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EASA ATPL Changing Question style
Good evening all
Is anyone here aware of EASA changing the style of questions? I read the thread from January about there being editions made to their current question bank, but there is nothing about new question styles as such. To be more specific, I was shown a document listing 4 changes:
1. Current Questions are being revised (already known as mentioned)
2. Multi select ... you don't just pick A, B, C, D ... rather a list of possible answers are shown and you must pick the correct ones i.e. more than one.
3. Fill in the blanks using drop down menus
4. Typing in answers (mainly numbers)
Can anyone shed some light? This is quite stressful. I am revising the material but there are tiny bits of info in every subject that is very easy to forget ... especially when you have 5 exams in the one session.
Thank you all
Is anyone here aware of EASA changing the style of questions? I read the thread from January about there being editions made to their current question bank, but there is nothing about new question styles as such. To be more specific, I was shown a document listing 4 changes:
1. Current Questions are being revised (already known as mentioned)
2. Multi select ... you don't just pick A, B, C, D ... rather a list of possible answers are shown and you must pick the correct ones i.e. more than one.
3. Fill in the blanks using drop down menus
4. Typing in answers (mainly numbers)
Can anyone shed some light? This is quite stressful. I am revising the material but there are tiny bits of info in every subject that is very easy to forget ... especially when you have 5 exams in the one session.
Thank you all
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Yes, that's true. The letter is a UK CAA 'notice in advance of an information notice' which says that, although they planned just to introduce 'write in' answers for calculation questions they have changed their mind and will introduce the full suite as of August in some exams. They say there will be a video on their website shortly and the title infers there is an Information Notice in draft somewhere about to be formally issued.
Having read the letter several times the inference is that they will start by putting existing questions into the new format, so, for instance, questions like "Which of the following statements is true?" will change from (a) I, II, IV, VI and VII (b) etc.. to actually selecting the correct statements.
We have the programmers working on the new formats for bgsonline and will be doing likewise so that you get some practice. I imagine aviationexam will be doing the same.
Having read the letter several times the inference is that they will start by putting existing questions into the new format, so, for instance, questions like "Which of the following statements is true?" will change from (a) I, II, IV, VI and VII (b) etc.. to actually selecting the correct statements.
We have the programmers working on the new formats for bgsonline and will be doing likewise so that you get some practice. I imagine aviationexam will be doing the same.
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Hi Alex,
I appreciate your input, thank you. I am a subscriber to BGSonline and due to sit my first CAA exams in September. Are you aware of whether they are bringing this in across the board at the same time, or are the CAAs of each country being allowed to make their own decision as to when they begin to implement the new approach? I've gone abroad for my training and won't be sitting my exams in the UK so would be interested to know.
I am studying the material in great depth. But even the biggest brains must admit the sheer quantity of all the tiny snippets of info is huge ... in previous years this was made up for by (reasonably) predictable exams, with this luxury being taken away it adds another degree of stress to the situation.
Main concepts are OK, such as how a hydraulic system works or pressurisation, it's the small terms/definitions peppered about the place that can very easily be forgotten and look like they can catch you out.
Thank you all
I appreciate your input, thank you. I am a subscriber to BGSonline and due to sit my first CAA exams in September. Are you aware of whether they are bringing this in across the board at the same time, or are the CAAs of each country being allowed to make their own decision as to when they begin to implement the new approach? I've gone abroad for my training and won't be sitting my exams in the UK so would be interested to know.
I am studying the material in great depth. But even the biggest brains must admit the sheer quantity of all the tiny snippets of info is huge ... in previous years this was made up for by (reasonably) predictable exams, with this luxury being taken away it adds another degree of stress to the situation.
Main concepts are OK, such as how a hydraulic system works or pressurisation, it's the small terms/definitions peppered about the place that can very easily be forgotten and look like they can catch you out.
Thank you all
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The UK CAA say that this has already started to be implemented in other EASA states. I don't know which states they are referring to but I imagine the take-up depends on which exam software provider each state uses. The German LBA have had extra questions which require written answers for some years.
At first sight this will have no effect on the content of questions and, provided the range of acceptable values for 'write in' answers is properly calculated it should have minimal/zero impact on anyone studying.
At first sight this will have no effect on the content of questions and, provided the range of acceptable values for 'write in' answers is properly calculated it should have minimal/zero impact on anyone studying.
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Beats me, I wouldn't think it would happen earlier, maybe later. I don't see this as being anything to worry about, the content will be the same, its just some answer formats changing.
I can't say I've seen that kind of change in style, but I can say that here in Spain, new questions are appearing in AGK and POF (ATPL) exams.
In my AGK exam I got 5 new autobrake questions + 3 electrical diagrams I had never seen before. I've been using E-ATPL, not AvExam (which I know is far more complete).
POF exam, I can't say yet as I haven't sat for it.
In my AGK exam I got 5 new autobrake questions + 3 electrical diagrams I had never seen before. I've been using E-ATPL, not AvExam (which I know is far more complete).
POF exam, I can't say yet as I haven't sat for it.
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Thank you all again for your input.
What on earth could they possibly ask about autobrakes that hasn't already been asked 
Auto braking and its principles are quite a short part of the braking section though ... 5 new ones alone on this topic seems excessive :/
As for the electric diagrams you say we've never seen, well they are known for being
i guess
In my AGK exam I got 5 new autobrake questions + 3 electrical diagrams I had never seen before.
Auto braking and its principles are quite a short part of the braking section though ... 5 new ones alone on this topic seems excessive :/As for the electric diagrams you say we've never seen, well they are known for being
i guess
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I am studying the material in great depth. But even the biggest brains must admit the sheer quantity of all the tiny snippets of info is huge ... in previous years this was made up for by (reasonably) predictable exams, with this luxury being taken away it adds another degree of stress to the situation.
Main concepts are OK, such as how a hydraulic system works or pressurisation, it's the small terms/definitions peppered about the place that can very easily be forgotten and look like they can catch you out.
Thank you all
Main concepts are OK, such as how a hydraulic system works or pressurisation, it's the small terms/definitions peppered about the place that can very easily be forgotten and look like they can catch you out.
Thank you all
It would require very serious preparation without any question bank.
Much more than what current students usually do.
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Recent students are being spoon fed their ATPLs. Didn't have a question bank when I did mine, didn't have a problem assuming you're being taught properly.
Now I admit, if you're using BGS for example you're going to be distance learning, so you won't have a department full of instructors available 24/7, hence the question bank is very usuful. But the amount abuse and reliance the question banks now gets is a joke. I'm glad the ATPLs are being shaken up, it's about time students were made to think.
Now I admit, if you're using BGS for example you're going to be distance learning, so you won't have a department full of instructors available 24/7, hence the question bank is very usuful. But the amount abuse and reliance the question banks now gets is a joke. I'm glad the ATPLs are being shaken up, it's about time students were made to think.
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Recent students are being spoon fed their ATPLs. Didn't have a question bank when I did mine, didn't have a problem assuming you're being taught properly.
Now I admit, if you're using BGS for example you're going to be distance learning, so you won't have a department full of instructors available 24/7, hence the question bank is very usuful. But the amount abuse and reliance the question banks now gets is a joke. I'm glad the ATPLs are being shaken up, it's about time students were made to think.
Now I admit, if you're using BGS for example you're going to be distance learning, so you won't have a department full of instructors available 24/7, hence the question bank is very usuful. But the amount abuse and reliance the question banks now gets is a joke. I'm glad the ATPLs are being shaken up, it's about time students were made to think.
Why would a Captain speak among the lines to his first officer? Because then later he can claim to have been misunderstood. Yes, this is an actual ATPL question.
What defines a first group? A family celebrating the mother's 40th birthday. Yes, this is another ATPL question.
And I could list you more questions, with different correct answers in several countries. One in Performance for example has 4150 as correct answer in Germany, 3860 in Poland.
In another question in Flight Planning a CB apparently does not imply severe turbulence and icing, just some moderate stuff.
First they need to fix this, sort this mess out. Then they should change it.
It is going to be a massive
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By all means encourage us to learn, but ask us reasonable stuff that is designed to see our knowledge on a topic, not what luck we have in picking the right wrong answer. I'd be playing the lotto if I had such luck about me!
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Indeed. I also wonder how many pilots in general would pass the new exams with high scores.
Will they be asking all current pilots to redo the tests in the current format to ensure all pilots are up to the same standard? If not, then it defeats the whole purpose of trying to up the standard.
If this is being done in the interest of safety then that's all well and good, however I fail to see what extra safety benefit it will give considering a significant majority of those already qualified will not pass the current tests and won't be asked to.
Edit to add the entire thing reeks of arrogance on behalf of EASA. Who do they answer to? All other exam boards I know of regularly conduct reviews of the exams they are providing, and more importantly they address issues with exams as and when they arise. EASA's approach is "ask them whatever we can to trip them up and don't give them any hope of putting us to task" ... they are untouchable.
You can of course complain about specific questions, by the time you get the result of the complaint your mates would have probably achieved command ...
'Safety' agency? I think not. Focus the exams on what we need to know and stop trying to trick us.
Will they be asking all current pilots to redo the tests in the current format to ensure all pilots are up to the same standard? If not, then it defeats the whole purpose of trying to up the standard.
If this is being done in the interest of safety then that's all well and good, however I fail to see what extra safety benefit it will give considering a significant majority of those already qualified will not pass the current tests and won't be asked to.
Edit to add the entire thing reeks of arrogance on behalf of EASA. Who do they answer to? All other exam boards I know of regularly conduct reviews of the exams they are providing, and more importantly they address issues with exams as and when they arise. EASA's approach is "ask them whatever we can to trip them up and don't give them any hope of putting us to task" ... they are untouchable.
You can of course complain about specific questions, by the time you get the result of the complaint your mates would have probably achieved command ...
'Safety' agency? I think not. Focus the exams on what we need to know and stop trying to trick us.
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Guys, I've just been through this pain, and I have an advice for you.
Just work towards result, as simple as that. The result that counts is the passing score. This exam has nothing to the real knowledge but it can easily stop your career. So just focus on passing.
Resume the real learning once you got past it. A good pilot learns throughout one's life.
Just work towards result, as simple as that. The result that counts is the passing score. This exam has nothing to the real knowledge but it can easily stop your career. So just focus on passing.
Resume the real learning once you got past it. A good pilot learns throughout one's life.