How significant are exam/skill test retakes for cadets?
 

From what I've read they're very significant. The thing is that despite myself having left school with very few GCSEs and having achieved the lowest grade at university, I'm currently in the 95th percentile of salaried UK earners as a software engineer for a well established bank.

The foundation of my subsequent question is that despite myself reading that recruiters in this industry are critical of the things mentioned in the thread title, my personal experience in a field that requires high levels of skill and professionalism indicates actual proficiency is more significant than numbers based on structured learning.

My question is as follows: do you think someone who is a bit of a dunce with structured learning, someone who struggles with achieving high grades on their first attempt, still stands a decent chance of getting that fabled first job in this industry?

Modular route?
If you achieve in the aviation written exams with first time passes & ideally not less than say 90% in any paper, that is you demonstrating commitment & adequate grey matter. Similar first time passes in the flying tests, & a positive final report from the ATO.
What happened during school & university should be significantly discounted with any employer, as they aren’t really relevant to your suitability for the flight deck.

If you can raise 100k to give to CAE and L3 that will get you into Easyjet. They don't seem to be that fussy who they take.

Sorry, this is mostly bilge.

The exams or close to meaningless for knowledge, it’s a memory test. 85% and no more than three passes sort of used to be a rough ish guide but if there’s seats they want to to fill then they’re not fussy.

same for GCSEs etc. Whatever the minimum standard is, that’s the standard. Get your licence and they become pretty meaningless.

Get 500 hours by paying Ryanair for a type rating and then everything else really is irrelevant.