Hi all

I am within a couple of weeks of attempting the PPLA exam, just running through the Bob Tait PPL Exam Prep practice exams. I understand from the CASA website that some questions are no longer multiple-choice, and they have moved, or are moving to, 'supply answer' for questions that require a numerical answer. I don't know to what extent this now applies, but I presume it could apply to Weight and Balance and Take-off and Landing calculations, and maybe some of the Nav questions.

I haven't found anyone at my school who's familiar with it. Has this change been implemented? Does anyone have recent experience with this? If it is in effect, do they allow reasonable margins around the answer?

Any advice is welcome so that I am ready for whatever I find.

Thanks

I have heard that the change to numerical answers is on, but I haven't personally had any feedback from students who have encountered it yet. There is no need to stress about it though, I'm sure that they will have to allow sensible margins either side of the CASA 'official' answer. You are correct in assuming that the new system is likely to apply to weight and balance, performance charts, heading and ground speed and fuel or weight type calculations. As long as you are careful in your use of the charts you should have no problems. Also, for fuel required and weight calculations, it would be a good idea to carry decimal places on your calculator for intermediate steps and round your final answer to the nearest whole.

Good luck with the exam. Please let me know if you do encounter numerical answer questions in your exam.

Bob

Thanks for the reply Bob. Not too worried, just like to be mentally ready for whatever I find. There's just a bit of reinforcement in finding an answer option that matches the result you get, but I expect to be confident enough in my calcs by then to not need this. I have the habit of carrying decimal places; no sense in compounding rounding errors. I imagine the highest risk of error comes from drawing lines on charts to extract weight or distance allowances, so let's presume they are sensible about that.

I will update the forum on what I find (booked for 29/7) but still keen to hear from anyone who has done a PPLA exam in recent times.

Thanks all.
Bernard

Good luck 823444!

I am currently in line to do the test. I have not booked yet, will do once I am confident of my learning and will revise until the date I book it in for.

I also look forward to hearing you pass!

Hi Bob

It appears that, for now at least, the PPLA exam is still all multiple choice. I was anticipating some numerical inputs, but all of the suspects on my exam were pick-a-box choices. I've heard that numerical inputs crop up in other levels of exam, but it looks like they haven't got there yet on the PPLA level.

I appreciated your Exam Prep package, thanks Bob. I think they were very well targeted. I did them all plus some others and I ended up with 87% for the real one. I think there must have been a couple of simple mistakes going by the topics in the KDR, so the CFI and I should get on ok when the time comes.

Cheers, Bernard

Congratulations Bernard!

It's great to hear that you achieved such a strong pass mark. I know there have been some numerical answer type questions in some of the ATPL examinations. Seems like the guys at CASA have got too much else to do to worry about the PPL exams. All the best with your flying now and don't forget to keep in touch.

Bob