EASA moving to open question system for ATPL exams?

[hid3]

Greetings everyone.

I've heard a rumour from one person who was sitting ATPL exams back in 2019-Nov that starting at some point in 2020, EASA will move from current "multiple choice" system to "open questions" system for ATPL examination.

Anyone heard anything similar, can confirm or deny this?

[Crusherrr]

I was told during an open day at an ATO that 25% of the questions are open questions.

[Kon2g]

Which means by definition that we must take that 25% extra at the end of any non-sense, useless exam.

[markkal]

It is supposed to be KSA100 Easa has rumored this for more than a year, anyone has more details ?
There have been requests from pilot selection entities to change the current system, the level of ATPL knowledge seems not to be satisfactory, it favours rote learning of those multiple choice questions and answers at the expense of content, which has a big part of irrelevant material in it. The good thing, if it will happen, is that the number of questions will be reduced to more pertinent ones, and there should be open questions, which are welcome, less burdensome more relevant, let's hope

https://www.easa.europa.eu/sites/def...019%20V1.8.pdf

https://www.easa.europa.eu/newsroom-and-events/events/area-100-ksa-workshop-follow

Scroll down to "Events proceedings":

Event Proceedings
Presentations - Area 100 KSA Workshop (follow-up)

[Alex Whittingham]

KSA 100 is a different topic to the introduction of different question types. There are different question types that are already in the process of being introduced, the UK CAA was an early adopter and they call the system 'Quadrant', guidance video......

here

Other Authorities have said they will introduce new question styles 'soon', the time delay apparently dependent on their exam providers upgrading their software. Open questions, as in essay type answers, are not planned but I understand that the LBA have used these for some years. I believe that their use was not compliant with EASA's AMCs which require all questions to be drawn from a common question bank but, well...
KSA100 is an attempt to introduce competency-based assessment, and to some extent training, into ATPL groundschool as a preliminary to introducing competency-based training into ab-initio flight training at some undetermined future date. The net result of its introduction is that candidates will be assessed either continuously or in specific exercises against the ICAO competencies (explanation here ) during ATPL groundschool. KSA 100 was meant to have been introduced with the new syllabus about now, but the mandatory introduction has been delayed so far by 6 months. The current position is that candidates taking their first exam after the end of 2020 will be trained and examined to the new syllabus and be assessed according to KSA100. Those who take their first exam before that date will stay on the existing system.

[parkfell]

Originally Posted by Alex Whittingham

KSA 100 is..... the ICAO competencies (explanation here ) during ATPL groundschool.

A distinct sense of déjà vu occurred when I began to read the (here) insert.
They are the framework against which the MCC/APS & MPL are taught.

The learn and chern doesn’t achieve a great deal. It proves but one thing ~ the effectiveness of your brain as a sponge. After 28 days unless you keep revising it, the material will fade.
As Sandy Thomson said to me last century when I attended one of his ATPL nav block monthly brush up courses “high class rubbish”.

Just how much of the ATPL syllabus do you really need to know to fly an aircraft?

If they could get the syllabus, the learning and examinations to answer the question WHY, then real understanding would occur.
So WHY is there an Easterly Jetstream off the Horn of Africa?

[PilotLZ]

Some 3 or 4 years ago in the UK there was an idea to subject each candidate to an oral examination on the subject with the Head of Training before admitting them to an exam. That was rumoured to become EASA-wide. However, with vast differences in how exam question banks are managed across EASA states, those ideas didn't see light back then. Whether it's going to happen now, when authorities will likely be less busy than usual with administering exams for some time - who knows...

[paco]

A Transport Canada/FAA style oral is indeed how we are going to conduct our KSA 100, although much of the assessment will be in timely submission of paperwork etc. It is an initiative for large schools who have exposure to students over longer periods, in my opinion largely a waste of time in its current format - in fact we encourage our students to be anti-authority, which was a vast source of amusement to the rest of the attendees when I mentioned it at the last KSA meeting I went to in EASA. In essence, as it is a school opinion, you could still not get your licence by being an @rsehole. Naturally, it opens up a vast legal minefield, as many schools don't have the expertise to judge whether a candidate would be a good pilot or not, especially with the minimum 65 hours exposure at consolidation. No problem here, as I am a CRMI, but our certification will only state that candidates are suitable for further training, not whether they are either competent of unlikely to crash into a mountain from a great height.

In my opinion the State's job is to ensure that pilots have a safe level of knowledge on which to build future experience - if the airlines want a particular type of candidate, they should sort it out - they are not the only game in town. With the current activity around question banks (which is needed to pass the exams) EASA have ensured that a good proportion of licence holders are no better than the 40% of PIA pilots whose licences are suspect.

[markkal]

With the current activity around question banks (which is needed to pass the exams) EASA have ensured that a good proportion of licence holders are no better than the 40% of PIA pilots whose licences are suspect