IREX tomorrow. Any last min tips?

[ben87r]

Sitting IREX tomorrow and am after any pointers. Have gone alright in the practice exams and got 90 in the casa practice off the website but seem to have a fair issue with reading the question! Any pointers appreciated.

 

 

[ayavner]

My best tip that has served me well with every test I've taken, if you're allowed to have a scratch paper - when you first start the test, just do a quick brain dump of everything you can recall without thinking too hard. Then as you read the questions (READ!) if there is a fact contained in the question that may or may not be relevant to that question, note that down as well in case it comes in handy later in the test. Good luck!

 

 

[Bandit12]

And if you get stuck on a question, move on (if you can) and come back to it later.

 

 

[Guest Maj Millard]

Don't let them see you sweat !!.................Maj.......

 

 

[REastwood]

You have 3 1/2 hours, use it all! Have your ERC charts, DAPS, AIP, ERSA, CAO's and relevant CAR's & CASR's lined up on the desk in front of you. The most important thing to remember is where to look things up! Two of the answers will be so close that you need to get the exact reference from the docs to make sure you select the right answer. Go through each of the choices given and eliminate those that are obviously wrong, then look up the info and again eliminate the incorrect answer, you should hopefully be left with only one choice which is the "correct" answer (I say "correct" because I reckon with a couple of the questions all the answers were wrong, but I selected the least incorrect!). If you finish before the end of the 3.5 hours, go back and double check the tricky ones. Then submit, hold your breath and hopefully walk out with a smile!

 

 

[facthunter]

Practicing past papers is a good method of preparation ( as long as they are current). Read the question CAREFULLY always. Multi choice, you can eliminate two out of the four generally but look for the trick aspect. Sometimes knowing more than you need to will throw you as the question may be rather dumb or ill informed. Don't panic or rush. I wouldn't pass too many sections or you will find you have an unsystematic approach but IF a question looks like you are really having trouble leave it till last, as you may spend a lot of time on it and get few marks for your effort. Come back to it if you have time. Good luck anyhow!. Nev

 

 

[ben87r]

Thanks for the help guys. Passed!! Although not a very good score. Not a very nice test, and, I got every question on alternates and fuel required wrong which I don't think I got one wrong in the practice tests so not sure what went on there but everyone else also it them all wrong so at least it wasn't just me. Anyone really care about the results or just a pass? It was 75%

 

 

[ayavner]

hey a pass is a pass, nice work! Not sure whether anyone cares about the score, I am sure others will chime in, but I am sure they'd be more concerned whether you know the material you missed rather than what the mark was. Congrats!

 

 

[facthunter]

What IS a pass mark? Weight and Balance and Fuel Management used to always have a pass mark of 100%. nev

 

 

[Bandit12]

I doubt that many prospective employers will care about your exact mark. They will however care about whether you seem to know your stuff in person.

 

Congrats on getting there though!

 

 

[ben87r]

I'm pretty confident about the subject. Our ground school did a shite job of delivering the subject but I've done allot of self study away from the airport. Did taits book and right through the jepps. I'm going to try and get I contact with casa and try to see where I've gone wrong cause all of the TAF's had TCU's in them which I just regarded as a CU as did everyone else. I think maybe they wanted us to treat them as a TS.

 

 

[motzartmerv]

You should have gotten a print out of the ones you got wrong? KDR?

 

I don't remember tcu being a gotcha , but it was a while ago.

 

 

[ben87r]

Yea motz I do have the kdrs and there is 4 for alternates wit TCU in the tafs and 2 wrong for fuel required with the same. We had 20 sit on the same day and we all got the same wrong. End of the day I'm just glad to have it over with.

 

 

[motzartmerv]

Yes it's a tough exam. I bummed it first go and got 90 on my second attempt. Did you look up the syllabus reference from the kdr? It's hard to work out the code but it can help shed light on exactly where you went wrong. If you did a class and everyone got the same big wrong perhaps it wasn't covered In the class?

 

 

[ben87r]

Just waiting on the syllabus then will do. The ground schooling was not up to standard at all so was pretty much on my own but I've found a reference in the jepps saying that AU 303 3.2.5 of when thunderstorms or their associated turbulence or their probability is forecast sufficient fuel must be carried for an alternate

 

I'm wondering if their using the associated turbulence bit to say that TCU needs an alternate.

 

 

[facthunter]

If the forecast has a crosswind component above what your plane can handle you need an alternate. Nev

 

 

[motzartmerv]

Just trying to remember. I think TCU's are to be treated as thunderstorms. Regardless of Prob TS etc. Logically, it is so. If I saw TCU's on a TAF id be planning for an alternate.

 

 

[ben87r]

And this is what everyone has been saying. Problem is casa don't take common sense into it. Like if you have a GS failure on finals for an ILS you are meant to switch to a LOC approach and use LOC minimas, just juggle out the jepps instead of a missed approach!

 

 

[motzartmerv]

Nah, the charts are the same. The info for the VOR appch is all there, you just switch to a different reference and change from MDA to a minnima. :)