New FAA test questions?
 

Has anyone had any recent experience of taking an FAA knowledge test and finding question they had not seen before?

AOPA Online: FAA to revamp knowledge tests

It appears that the FAA wants to increase its question bank from 15,000 to 100,000. Without telling anyone, of course.

I am about to go for my Instrument written test and, like everyone else, I studied a typical course designed to get you through the required material. I understand the rationale behind this - you should know the material, not just recognize the question or even memorize the answer.
I have done it in the past, particularly with questions with ambiguous answers or inane things you'll never ever need in real life. But that is about the extent of it. If they simply eliminated those questions and got with the times, this problem (as they perceive it) would not exist.

But it makes most of those courses (King's, Sporty's, Gleim etc) obsolete since they are designed around the known, existing pool of questions.

Has anyone come across anything recently that corroborates this?

I sat the FAA Commercial knowledge test on 19/04/11.

Definitely quite a few new questions in there, although I recognised the vast majority. I passed with 88%.
I sat the IFP exam a couple of weeks ago and had the same experience.
(I studied with the Gleim software)

I too have heard this somewhat unrealistic rumour... Think of the man hours required to generate 100,000 new questions.

Also the current/old database contained less than 1,000 questions. I think the issue may have been blown somewhat out of proportion. That or they are phasing the new questions in, in which case I'd hurry up and sit the exam ASAP.

YS

AOPA Online: Knowledge-test revisions surprise, scores suffer

Knowledge-test revisions surprise, scores suffer

"Question banks affected by the changes include the Fundamentals of Instruction (FOI), Airline Transport Pilot (ATP), and Flight Engineer (FE) knowledge test."

FAA questions are generally the same, it may happen that you encounter a question that you've never seen before, but globally even if the question is new, the same answeres come back...I used the gleim for my IR, and it was far enough to get passed with 90%

kaptn:
What you might have missed is that since a month ago or so the FAA did some major reconstruction to their test database. And i have some friends that are really struggling right now, cause they are using study guides such as Gleim/ASA etc and they could be scoring high 90s and still have a hard time at the test.

The JAA are not the only ones to be changing things :E

phil

Dear Johnny....
what ever the database changes are, but still the concept is the same...You get asked for what you've learned....The question may change that true, but what Im saying is that instead of having a question with an airplane flying at HDG 290°, you'll see HDG 350 outbound, so just turn the page and get the answer:uhoh:

I did my written test for the Instrument on Friday. I used the Gleim course materials and about a week before the test, also got a big fat Jeppeson book which explained a few things better.

Yes, there were some new questions, but I'd say no more than about 4 out of 61. I scored 92%, whereas on the Gleim practice tests I hardly ever got less than 98%, but I guess I have no reason to quibble. Of the five I got wrong two were new questions; one about an RNAV-Baro approach, and one about the definition of a "Technically Advanced Aircraft." I checked the FAA's "Handbook of Instrument Flying" and that term appear only once in the book and no clear, concise definition is given; certainly not clear enough to give the right answer on the test. Now that made me mad. I'll be happy to learn the material we are required to know inside out, but giving me a question without giving me the means to learn the answer??

My opinion won't change on this subject: these test are a necessary evil to get out of the way before you can learn the real world necessities.

Commercial and CFI to go.

The way to pass
 

Here is the situation the ATP, FOI and FE, writtens where changed in february the rest will all be changed in 10 days. June 13th is the release date for the new tests. What the FAA is doing is it is not releasing the questions to the public anymore because they are tired of dumb pilots who have no knowledge because they just memorize question and answer and don't have a clue about the subject itself.

Had a few friends just take the IFR written this past week - barely passed! They said that some of those questions have already changed. Our school relies on Gleim and ASA to have us just memorize the questions. Also used pilot training solutions - good stuff, good review. Feeling better. Scheduled to take test next week.