For EXAM question, could someone help to answer this ?

Overcast cloud 5000ft, flying over terrain of 2500ft, heading 270. What is the HIGHEST you can fly when conforming to the "table of cruising levels"?
A- 3000
B- 3500
C- 4000
D- can not fly

I have two questions for this:
1.Do we need to use the table strictly,
or we can fly random levels below 5000ft?
2. For cruising level above ground, do we need to be 1000ft AGL or only 500ft?

Thanks a lot for all of your help!

Since cloud is at 5000 feet and terrain is at 2500 feet, you need 1000 feet vertical separation from cloud as a minimum. This puts you at 4000 ft. This is below 5000 feet so the VFR cruising tables should be flown where practical but is not mandatory

From the given possible answers, 4000 feet is the highest.

Note: Since the [magnetic] heading is 270 degrees, to conform with the tables you need to fly EVEN thousands + 500 which isn't an available option in the answers.
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To answer your question
1. Given the above, when flying below 5000 feet, you do not have to conform to the VFR cruising tables (though its advised to do so where possible)

2. When flying above ground you need to be at least 500 feet AGL or 1000 feet AGL over populous areas - this is not relevant to the question because they are asking for the highest altitude.

Thanks a lot for your detailed explanation！

One thing I still don't understand, the question says "conforming to the table of cruising levels", but I am below 5000ft so I can fly random level. Is that still can be called "conforming to the table of cruising levels"? The questions from CASA are always tricky...

None of the answers conform to the even thousands plus 500 recommendation shown in the crusing tables. Below 5000 it's only a recommendation. Above 5000 it's a requirement.

Since it's asking for the highest, I would go with 4000 as it's the highest answer that keeps you seperated from cloud. You are conforming with the table in the sense that the table doesn't have to apply.

Now think about other answers the examiner could have added that algin to the recommendation...

1. 2500... But that's terrain flying!
2. 4500... But that won't meet verticle seperation
3. 6500... But thats going through the overcast cloud.

Even with these options were included non of them would be valid. So 4000 remains the best.

Option D 'cannot fly'...well you can as explained above, and the question is asking for the highest level.

None of the answers conform to the even thousands plus 500 recommendation shown in the crusing tables. Below 5000 it's only a recommendation. Above 5000 it's a requirement.

Since it's asking for the highest, I would go with 4000 as it's the highest answer that keeps you seperated from cloud. You are conforming with the table in the sense that the table doesn't have to apply.

Now think about other answers the examiner could have added that algin to the recommendation...

1. 2500... But that's terrain flying!
2. 4500... But that won't meet verticle seperation
3. 6500... But thats going through the overcast cloud.

Even with these options were included non of them would be valid. So 4000 remains the best.

Option D 'cannot fly'...well you can as explained above, and the question is asking for the highest level.

Some guys sat the exam before says it maybe "no appropriate level" , because "table of cruising levels" only means even level + 500ft…… I really don't know which one is CASA want.

Thanks again for you spending time to answer my questions!

Remember, you have to choose the best answer. "No appropriate level" is not the same as "cannot fly". Often when students post practice exam questions from memory from a study group this occurs and some important subtle information in the question or answer is missing which can actually change the 'best answer'

Sorry for my bad wording. If "no appropriate level" is a candidate, will you go for it?