PPL exam

[Guest morgan000]

I am doing my ppl theory exam for GA in a few days, wondering if anyone has any tips or advice for me? Anything to look out for?

 

Thanks in advance.

 

 

[motzartmerv]

G'day.. just passed mine the other day..Umm, its all exam technique.. Answer the Question, read it a few times and make sure ya watch out for the trick in the question..

 

Make sure ya up on ya P charts and Loading stuff.. there worth more points..

 

Make sure ya know how to calculate daylight..

 

Umm..

 

Ya get 3 hours, so go through and answer all the ones ya can, then go back to the loading and Pquestions, and the ones that need referance to the CAO's, aip's etc..

 

Cheers

 

 

[ossie]

Hi there,

 

No trick questions in the PPL exam. However some questions are worded in such a way that if your a little weak on a particular topic two or more answers will seem equally correct.

 

There'll be one or two words in the question that will narrow the selection to one answer.

 

The 'trick' is to read the question thoroughly and understand what is being asked, do that and you'll nail it........:thumb_up:

 

Get hold of Bob Taits Human Performance and Limitations book, this subject is usually not covered adequately in most PPL books. There will be one or two questions in the exam on the subject.

 

Sing out if you need any help, I'd be happy to help.

 

Good Luck with it.

 

Cheers

 

Os

 

 

[Guest tezza]

know how to determine pressure altitude and density altitude

 

I got quite a few met questions on mine.

 

make sure you know the difference between tempo and inter

 

and what wind forecasts are in Magnetic and True

 

and cloud bases when they are AGL or AMSL

 

and there will be questions on the privledges of the private license.

 

Its always good to do some practice exams.

 

Contrary to popular belief I dont believe they try to trick you at all, just read the question and read it again. Sometimes we trick ourselves by seeing what we think we want to see.

 

Good Luck

 

Terry

 

 

[skybum]

Mine had one trick. After about three questions on forcast currency at an aerodrome for arrival,I was aked about wx at a point en-route. The answer was at the time on the forcast. As everyone says, do the easy ones first and go back to the hard ones. Watch your time if you cannot go directly to the reference for the question. If you have to start flicking about it will cost you time. Best do another question and come back to it. Panic not, as long as you get the pass, your ATO will give you some more fun with your KDR (Knowledge Deficience Report) so make sure you know your mistakes backwards come time for the flight test.

 

 

[morgan000]

Thanks for the advice guys, I passed, end up getting 77 % so guess I'll be getting a few questions before the flight test.

 

 

[antzx6r]

Congrats.

 

I'm looking to do the same in the not to distant future.

 

Interestingly, re: the trick questions, on my RAA x-country exam recently (pre the new ops manual, so may have been changed) I got one Q that actually gave two correct answers. Not a trick really. They were identically worded. I had to answer "B and D" and it was correct.

 

I doubt CASAs cyber exams would contain the same qwirks tho.

 

 

[Guest tezza]

Congrats Morgan, I failed mine the first time and blitzt it on the second go ,used to bugger them up at school for the same reason (nerves). Did my GFPT exam twice as well. I've been told by a few that the CPL is easier in that you are only tested on one subject at a time, I am hoping to do this next year ,anyone have some feedback ,cheers Mat

CPL exams vary in difficulty from ridiculously easy ( Human Factors) to quite difficult ( Performance and planning). The worst part is the cost. Seven exams and they cost about $150 each to sit plus the books and for some you have to buy maps etc as well. I have done 6 and only have air law to go, this one requires you to have copies of all the regs etc which will set you back about $250 in addition to the exam fees. You have to pass all 7 exams within a continuous 3 year period. You have to get 70% minimum to pass except Air Law which is 80% pass mark. Commercial exams also have to be sat at the approved exam center ( which was Werribee in my case).

 

Tezza

 

 

[morgan000]

I too am looking to do the CPL but I might do the class 1 medical first to make sure I can go on and not waste the studies. Anyone know of any good schools at bankstown airport to do some flying at?

 

Thanks in advance.

 

 

[Guest tezza]

I too am looking to do the CPL but I might do the class 1 medical first to make sure I can go on and not waste the studies. Anyone know of any good schools at bankstown airport to do some flying at?

By all means do your class 1 but regardless I dont think the studies are wasted. I may or may not ever end up doing the commercial flight test, and realistically it is unlikely I will ever by working as a commercial pilot ( I am 48) but I just want to learn as much as I can and be the best pilot I can be and always having a goal to aim for helps to keep you to keep learning.

The class

 

 

[ossie]

Keep your options open Tezza. A friend of mine just recently started with QLink, he's 52.

 

I agree too, get the class 1 sorted out then do the CPL's. There's plenty of work around if flying is what you want to do.

 

Cheers

 

 

[Guest pedrok]

Thank you for the tips above, I passed my test a couple of days ago.

 

Just in case it may help somene else I have posted some comments about my exam in my blog at

 

http://www.recreationalflying.com/forum/blogs/pedrok/56-my-ppl-theory-exam.html

 

Pete

 

 

[Guest cyrus]

Hello to everyone,

 

I'm new here as well as in the air (10.8 hours so far...) and just done with the BAK exam... i'm looking forward to take the GFPT but have to fly a few more hours of circuits and training area for that... anyway

 

I would actually like to step into the PPL as soon as possible so I would be done with the theory stuff... I was studying for the BAK on the ATC text book but I had the feeling that some topics weren't really covered or in a superficial way... what text book would you guys recommend for the PPL? Maybe the Bob Tait's one? Thanks in advance for your inputs!

 

Last question ; I know that the BAK is organised by the flying school itself but I guess that the PPL is not... does someone know (1) where I could find the next test session dates -around Brisbane- and (2) how to make a booking?

 

Thanks again ;-)

 

 

[Simonflyer]

Thanks **Tezza and Ossie** for the chatter on CPL.Very inspiring.

 

Im currently at the beginning of the long road to the CPL, and i was thinking to myself i could be too old to work in the industry..(Half the pilots i know started when they were 16 and had there cpl by the time they were 18/19!)

 

The theory side of all this is can be a bit of a slog, but im with you tezza in that i want information to be better, safer, and really know what im doing..The flying itself is expensive, but apart from buying the books(im that obsessed im working bob tait AND the aviation theory centre!)i can study as often as i want, and i must admit that getting 86% on GFPT was almost the highlight of my entire training, because i was no good at school, but i just worked hard and the rewards are excellent..

 

I sit the PPL in a month or so..

 

Im pretty sure that you can sit the PPL exam as a cyber exam through your school, and you will get the result immediately, and if you fail it you can sit it again 5 or seven days later...But Like i said..im pretty surei_dunno

 

I find with the exams there are two answers that are wrong, and two answers that sound right, but there is always only one correct one..:thumb_up:

 

Good luck to all with the exams..

 

 

[Guest pedrok]

cyrus

 

Have a look at the CASA page FCL exams - Private Pilot Licence Exam it describes how to book and where testing locations are. It also has a link to sample questions - which are very similar to the actual test. I used a number of different manuals and sample exams, but to be really honest, most sample exams contain the same question as per the CASA sample questions

 

I did a blog entry just after my PPL exam which I hope may also help you. It is at Australian4WD Forum -> Passed My Theory Exam

 

Go through the VFR Flight Guide (VFG),( Pilot information - Visual flight guide )you will find that it can provide a lot of your answers to the test questions. So if you become very familiar with it it will help out heaps. Not only does it provide a great reference for the open book test, it also provides an excellent guide as to the important stuff for PPL flying.

 

Only other tip is - yep agree start on the theory now, you don't want to finish your dual navs and be sitting around waiting to do your exam before you can start your solo navs. Its nice to have the test done first so you can flow straight from duals to solo.

 

One thing I have found is that I did my GFPT using the ATC books, but found them awkward. I switched to Bob Taits which helped me heaps for my PPL exam.

 

However now that my understanding is much better - I now prefer to go back and review things using the ATC books. I think they are good - but better used when you have a better understanding, rather then when you are just starting out.

 

Pete

 

 

[Guest cyrus]

Hi Simonflyer, Pedrok,

 

Thanks a lot for your answers, that's really useful!

 

You are right, what I absolutely want to avoid is the gap between dual and solo if I have to wait for the PPL theory exam!

 

I'll follow Pedrok's path and try to switch to bob taits for that one ;-)

 

By the way, I would like to check 2 other points I heard about; for the PPL:

 

- do I have to take a test about "human factors"?

 

- do I have to take a radio exam?

 

that's a lot of questions I know ;-)

 

Anyway, thanks guys for your answers!

 

C

 

 

[Guest cyrus]

Hey guys,

 

Just past my PPL theory yesterday with 85%.

 

Pretty happy with that.

 

Some rubbish questions though about the formation of clouds, the symptons of hyperventilation and some other stuff like that I couldn't remember correctly... that will be a pain to go through that kind of stuff again for the oral examination before the actual flight test... anyway

 

Let me know if you need further info on the content itself :-)

 

cheers

 

c

 

 

[motzartmerv]

Congrats mate... There are some curley bits they like to chuck in.. Yes, you do need to pass a radio exam, and no, i dont think there's a seperate human factors exam yet...may be wrong but pretty sure..

 

Oh, and be carefull, don't give too much about the "content" away on here, remember, its a public forum... never know who's reading...

 

cheers

 

 

[Guest cyrus]

yep, you are right ;-)

 

thanks man anyway!

 

c

 

 

[robinsm]

Sat my PPL in 07. Sat a separate human factors exam a few weeks ago. Might pay to check with your flying school re the human factors.

 

Cheers

 

Maynard