Ground school delays?
Thread Starter
Joined: Dec 2024
Posts: 5
Likes: 0
From: England
Ground school delays?
Hey everyone.
This is a long story short;
I have a 8 exams (dual license) coming up in a little over a week and I am not ready for them, if im lucky i reckon I could scrape a pass. I started ground school determined to achieve an average of 90-95 first time passes in 6 months. Lol deffos not happening now. Well long story short, I fell behind, put in crazy hours sacrificed a lot and well I think if im lucky I can scrape a pass in my exams. I also feel very burnt out. I am considering moving a class back as I dont feel hopeful for my exams. If i do so it will mean that ground school will go from 6 months to 7 months (maybe 8 due to xmas and new year but I have no idea how my school operates during the festive period). I ahve mocks then 4-5 days till my first exam.
If I extend ground school by a month will this effect my employability in the future?
I've wanted this for ages and I am determined to do well, however I need to be aware of my limits and realisitic with what I can do. I will be talking with the training officer about whats best for me as i've been a complete knob. I am just asking on this forum for some advice so I am prepared for this conversation.
This is a long story short;
I have a 8 exams (dual license) coming up in a little over a week and I am not ready for them, if im lucky i reckon I could scrape a pass. I started ground school determined to achieve an average of 90-95 first time passes in 6 months. Lol deffos not happening now. Well long story short, I fell behind, put in crazy hours sacrificed a lot and well I think if im lucky I can scrape a pass in my exams. I also feel very burnt out. I am considering moving a class back as I dont feel hopeful for my exams. If i do so it will mean that ground school will go from 6 months to 7 months (maybe 8 due to xmas and new year but I have no idea how my school operates during the festive period). I ahve mocks then 4-5 days till my first exam.
If I extend ground school by a month will this effect my employability in the future?
I've wanted this for ages and I am determined to do well, however I need to be aware of my limits and realisitic with what I can do. I will be talking with the training officer about whats best for me as i've been a complete knob. I am just asking on this forum for some advice so I am prepared for this conversation.
Joined: Mar 2023
Posts: 94
Likes: 11
From: Ireland
Hard to disagree with paco above.
If you're not ready, don't sit them. Don't be bounced into it by a flight school wanting to keep schedule. I've never met anyone who regrets not rushing their exams, but have met plenty who regretted doing them before they were ready.
100% with first time passes should be your aim and nothing less. Obviously a basically impossible target, but even a average 'B' grade student who was several years out of school like me managed all first time passes and an average above 90% so it's certainly doable with work. If you're going into the exam room wondering whether you'll scrape a pass or not, that's not good at all.
As to whether it would affect an airline's view on you. Obviously not. They will not care one bit whether you ground school was six or seven months. I took around two years to do the ATPLs, but I was also working at the same time and took breaks due to Covid. Now... you're flight school and their recommendation might be a bit different and you need to establish that with them. Highly unlikely though IMO.
This is yet another thread reminding us of the perils of the integrated course and the benefits of modular.
If you're not ready, don't sit them. Don't be bounced into it by a flight school wanting to keep schedule. I've never met anyone who regrets not rushing their exams, but have met plenty who regretted doing them before they were ready.
100% with first time passes should be your aim and nothing less. Obviously a basically impossible target, but even a average 'B' grade student who was several years out of school like me managed all first time passes and an average above 90% so it's certainly doable with work. If you're going into the exam room wondering whether you'll scrape a pass or not, that's not good at all.
As to whether it would affect an airline's view on you. Obviously not. They will not care one bit whether you ground school was six or seven months. I took around two years to do the ATPLs, but I was also working at the same time and took breaks due to Covid. Now... you're flight school and their recommendation might be a bit different and you need to establish that with them. Highly unlikely though IMO.
This is yet another thread reminding us of the perils of the integrated course and the benefits of modular.
Joined: Apr 2006
Aviation Qualifications: PPL
Posts: 22
Likes: 10
From: Yorkshire
I would hold off your first set as once you have started you have 18 months to finish, as you will know, so go in ready to pass the first set. As far as 100% passes are concerned I think trying for that is a great way to stress yourself out, i'm currently about 7 weeks from sitting my first set of 4 (Met, Instrumentation, HF and Gen Nav), i'm not doing EASA, don't have the right to work in the EU anyway.
When I was 18 I went and sat down to do my mod 1 brush-up, bottled it and became a plumbing and heating engineer for 20 years. I wish someone had told me to take it easy and take my time.
P.S. Learn the question bank
When I was 18 I went and sat down to do my mod 1 brush-up, bottled it and became a plumbing and heating engineer for 20 years. I wish someone had told me to take it easy and take my time.
P.S. Learn the question bank
Last edited by JamesBG; 1st August 2025 at 17:13.
Joined: May 2024
Posts: 82
Likes: 2
From: United Kingdom
With regards to ATPL are some modules quicker than others? I am a more mature student and did my PPL modules in a little over two months sitting an average of 3-4 modules a month or 1 every 10 days. This is including working full time. My Average in my PPL was 95% with 100% in Nav, Flight Performance and Aircraft General.
I have my PPL skills test on the 28th August and will be around 47 hours by then as I am just doing revision now.
I am looking to give myself 9 months to complete my ATPL dual to do my ratings next June. Does that seem like a reasonable target?
I have my PPL skills test on the 28th August and will be around 47 hours by then as I am just doing revision now.
I am looking to give myself 9 months to complete my ATPL dual to do my ratings next June. Does that seem like a reasonable target?
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 324
Likes: 0
From: Sunny Solihull
Hi AdamSt205, so far so good & best of luck with your PPL skills test etc.
First of all the UK/EASA ATPLs are a very different ball game to the PPL. It's the volume of high-class rubbish you shall never use again in the time available that's the killer for both for full-time & distance learning (DL) students trying to keep focused & motived isn't easy.
It is possible to do the ATPLs (DL I presume) in 9 months, I have known students (DL) do them in 6 but this is rare I believe the average is around 12-15 months. Don't forget there are limits on number of sittings and completion times from when you sit your first exams. Known several DL students running out of time or sittings as life & unexpected events get in the way & divert you off course.
Bear in mind different schools/ATOs don't all do the ATPLs in the same order or number of subjects in a module so that might have a slight impact. As others have said above don't attempt the exams until you are 'happy' and reasonably confident that you will pass first time with a good mark say 85%+.
First of all the UK/EASA ATPLs are a very different ball game to the PPL. It's the volume of high-class rubbish you shall never use again in the time available that's the killer for both for full-time & distance learning (DL) students trying to keep focused & motived isn't easy.
It is possible to do the ATPLs (DL I presume) in 9 months, I have known students (DL) do them in 6 but this is rare I believe the average is around 12-15 months. Don't forget there are limits on number of sittings and completion times from when you sit your first exams. Known several DL students running out of time or sittings as life & unexpected events get in the way & divert you off course.
Bear in mind different schools/ATOs don't all do the ATPLs in the same order or number of subjects in a module so that might have a slight impact. As others have said above don't attempt the exams until you are 'happy' and reasonably confident that you will pass first time with a good mark say 85%+.
Joined: Dec 2005
Aviation Qualifications: ATPL
Posts: 4,971
Likes: 326
From: Hong Kong
It all depends how focused you are. I took 4 weeks off work, put in 12 hours per day completing a DL syllabus and smashing every question bank I could get my hands on (but mainly BGS) and took my first 4 ATPL exams in the 4th week. Then I went back to work for a month (to relax!) and did the same again the following month and repeat... I wouldn't recommend it but it helps being self employed. I basically studied 6 days per subject.
Joined: Nov 1999
Aviation Qualifications: ATPL
Posts: 3,139
Likes: 740
From: UK
I attended a full-time 18 month integrated course at a well known UK flying school and did fine. They were not perfect, (but nor was I), and nothing ever is. Admittedly, that was back in the day before the prices got really stupid.
At the time though, airline recruiters were only considering students who had completed CAP 509 integrated courses at certain well known and established schools.
Joined: Mar 2023
Posts: 94
Likes: 11
From: Ireland
Undoubtedly it is, however with good reason.
Too many integrated schools promote the idea that they are the only way to train to become a pilot and the only way to the flight deck. Too many young people and their families are taken in by the glossy brochures and sales pitches and don't see the pitfalls of the integrated pathway.
Even BA and easyjet are taking modular candidates nowadays so this idea that integrated is the only way is nonsense.
Of course each path has its pluses and minuses, and people should go in with their eyes fully open as it's a hell of a lot of money that's being spent to train (even with old prices).
And you're also right on pricing too. Six figures is standard.
Though modular is catching up too. A friend shared with me what Aeros had offered him on their structured modular course and I was a bit taken aback at the total - up 50% since pre-Covid.
Too many integrated schools promote the idea that they are the only way to train to become a pilot and the only way to the flight deck. Too many young people and their families are taken in by the glossy brochures and sales pitches and don't see the pitfalls of the integrated pathway.
Even BA and easyjet are taking modular candidates nowadays so this idea that integrated is the only way is nonsense.
Of course each path has its pluses and minuses, and people should go in with their eyes fully open as it's a hell of a lot of money that's being spent to train (even with old prices).
And you're also right on pricing too. Six figures is standard.
Though modular is catching up too. A friend shared with me what Aeros had offered him on their structured modular course and I was a bit taken aback at the total - up 50% since pre-Covid.
