Re: Exams during PPL

PPL Training

Exams during PPL

James Marshall 18/07/2003, 6:13 PM
Hi,

I have recently started training for my PPL.

How many exams are there during training of a PPL? I know there is an exam on Air Law, but

what others are there? Which is the hardest to pass, or does it depend on the person?

How many hours of flying would you recomend I take before I take the exams?

Thanks

James

Re: Exams during PPL

Jon Whitehouse 18/07/2003, 11:11 PM
hey, James!
im just finishing my ppl course and only have a couple of exams left. In total there are 7 papers you have to take, but there is also an RT practical test. the exams are as follows:
1.air law
2.navigation
3.meteorology
4.human performance and limitations
5.Flight planning and performance
6.Aircraft-technical
7.radio-telephony.
the R/t paper and practical test go hand in hand and get you your radio licence indepenant of your ppl. I taught myself each of the subjects and found that they are not too difficult if you use the 'PPL Confuser' which is a book of sample exam questions which i can thoroughly recommend. if you can get the pass mark on the confuser you have a pretty good chance of passing your actual exam. there is a great series of manuals on each subject, written by Trevor Thom, there is also one by Jeremy Pratt. it really comes down to personal preference of their approaches. your flying will teach you a bit about each subject but you would be better to sit down and study each exam as it comes (your instructor can recommend what order to do them in) then take the exam and move on to the next one.
good luck with your course, i have thoroughly enjoyed it and im sure you will too! happy landings!
jon

Re: Exams during PPL

William Flood 22/07/2003, 1:53 PM
Hi,

I am studying for my writtens for the JAA PPL, and I am a bit confused over the nature of the PPL confuser....

Is it ;

a) A comprehensive collection of ACTUAL past exam questions and thier respective answers?

or

b) A collection of questions and answers SIMILAR to those asked, and simply an informed opinion of likely questions?

or

c) None of the above

I am heading to florida in 4 days time. I can get the pass mark easily in all subjects based on self testing. I have passed Irish PPL writtens before, so can anyone who may have been in the same shoes throw some advice my way.

Thanks lads,

William Flood

Re: Exams during PPL

William Flood 22/07/2003, 1:54 PM
Hi,

I am studying for my writtens for the JAA PPL, and I am a bit confused over the nature of the PPL confuser....

Is it ;

a) A comprehensive collection of ACTUAL past exam questions and thier respective answers?

or

b) A collection of questions and answers SIMILAR to those asked, and simply an informed opinion of likely questions?

or

c) None of the above

I am heading to florida in 4 days time. I can get the pass mark easily in all subjects based on self testing. I have passed Irish PPL writtens before, so can anyone who may have been in the same shoes throw some advice my way.

Thanks lads,

William Flood

Re: Exams during PPL

Andrew Sinclair 22/07/2003, 9:06 PM
I am going to go for b) A collection of questions and answers SIMILAR to those asked

If you are able to pass papers in the PPL confuser paper up to 85% to 90% regularly then you should be fine. You may drop a mark or two due to few little nerves but that will still leave you with sufficient marks to pass.

One thing though....learn the subject not just the answers to the questions. This is much better. Here is an Airlaw example....

If you learn the minima for the weather criteria for VMC and learn the weather minima for legal flight for a PPL without IMC or instrument rating (IR). then you could end up with the impression that VMC=VFR=OK for PPL, but this is incorrect. There can be a weather report which is below the minima for PPL without IMC/IR but still VMC. You only get to know this if you learn the subject looking from all angles and not just to answer the questions.

You should be digging into the UK AIP, ANO, Rules of the Air Regulations, LASORS etc etc then you will fly through the exams. Excuse the pun.

Re: Exams during PPL

William Flood 24/07/2003, 11:37 AM
Thanks Andrew - thats a good perspective on it.

Hopefully it will all go okay, but I can see how studying the background to the answer is the way forward, rather than an off by heart answer.... Thanks again

William Flood