Learning to fly, or thinking of learning? Post your questions, comments and experiences here

Moderator: AndyR

By IWF
#1822174
In researching how to pass the theory exams I’ve come across a number of ground school organisation who are transferring to on line.

While still able to operate face to face, these schools offered week long courses to complete all of the exams in a week, without prior knowledge and including all the course materials .

The on line versions seem to work off the back of a 3/4 hour MS teams call you take the exam on the same day. Very high pass rates are claimed.

Anyone any experience of them ?

I could certainly see some benefit of say some home study then a days revision on line followed by the exam.

Regards
By IWF
#1822186
PPL ground School.

I’m my case doing one subject once a week would fit quite well with the day job .

Then again I’m doing reasonably well with the excises at the end of each of the chapters of the Air Law APM book at the mo.
By lcolman
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1822605
What I would say is don't bother with Ground School for PPL Theory.

How I did it worked for me:
- Get the Pooleys Air Pilots Manual full set of books
- Download an App called PPL Tutor

Now follow these steps:
    Read the Book for the subject you want to test (i.e. Air Law)
    Repeatedly do the mock test on PPL Tutor for the subject (i.e. Air Law)
    Take your test (i.e. Air Law)
    Move onto next subject and rinse and repeat (i.e. Meteorology)

Good Luck!
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By skydriller
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1822614
lcolman wrote:What I would say is don't bother with Ground School for PPL Theory.

How I did it worked for me:
- Get the Pooleys Air Pilots Manual full set of books
- Download an App called PPL Tutor

Now follow these steps:
    Read the Book for the subject you want to test (i.e. Air Law)
    Repeatedly do the mock test on PPL Tutor for the subject (i.e. Air Law)
    Take your test (i.e. Air Law)
    Move onto next subject and rinse and repeat (i.e. Meteorology)

Good Luck!


I would add between 1 & 2 :

If you dont understand something ask your instructor or on here. This is important, because though you need the right answer for the exam, you need to understand the subject matter to be a pilot.

Regards, SD..
JAFO, T6Harvard, Kemble Pitts and 2 others liked this
By Highland Park
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1822650
Taking the point made by @skydriller, you need to understand the subject, not simply pass it.

I used a provider to do all my exams in a week in 2011, but I made sure that I understood the subjects before I went, as in my experience, they taught how to pass the exam, not necessarily to understand the subject (there simply isn't time in one week). Certainly, with some of the attendees, during the evenings (we happened to be staying in the same B&B), I had to teach some of them how to use a whizz wheel before they did the nav theory and practical exams as they didn't know how to before the course...

Ian
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By MachFlyer
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1822668
lcolman wrote:What I would say is don't bother with Ground School for PPL Theory.

How I did it worked for me:
- Get the Pooleys Air Pilots Manual full set of books
- Download an App called PPL Tutor

Now follow these steps:
    Read the Book for the subject you want to test (i.e. Air Law)
    Repeatedly do the mock test on PPL Tutor for the subject (i.e. Air Law)
    Take your test (i.e. Air Law)
    Move onto next subject and rinse and repeat (i.e. Meteorology)

Good Luck!


Would this approach still work with the new online exams. I don’t know but I would expect there would be a larger question bank for example?
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By T6Harvard
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1822698
I am very curious about the online PPL exams! Have found the CAA guidance and there are a few pages of screenshots showing what to expect with regard to the process (eg, where to click for next question), but I'd like to see a few sample questions because I understand the q's are different format now. I am comfortable learning without ground school for most of the exams (may well need schooling for Nav!) but I know I'll be 'thrown' if the online exams are radically different.
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By TLRippon
#1822701
I'd be interested in how an online ground school is able to invigilate ground exams without you travelling to their premises to sit the exam at a registered device?

I'd also note that the format of many questions and the scope of the exams has changed since the introduction of the e-exams.
By IWF
#1822706
Thanks all.
@T6Harvard I agree hence asking the question. Passing the exams is one thing, knowing the subject is something different. I can imaging passing the exams with enough cramming wouldn’t help you in front of the examiner during your skill test.
@lcolman I like your approach.

Correct me if I’m wrong , you can take an exam up to six times and there no longer any 2 year rule ?
By IWF
#1822709
PPL. I assume if the CAA have changed the way exams as run they have some example or mock papers. From my reading of the CAA pages I need to sit the exam presumably at a physical location at a duly approved flight school capable of managing the exam

This seems to preclude the taking of exams during lockdown, because if the need to physically travel somewhere.

I also assume from this the exams are not open book.

All said and done it would be good to see a couple of mock papers
User avatar
By TLRippon
#1822720
The UK CAA do not produce mock papers but do produce a set of learning objectives for each subject, available on the CAA website.
Yes, you are correct, these are not open book exams.
The change to e-exams has allowed the use of a much larger question bank with the answers in a randomised order. Since 2013 a single set of three exam papers for each subject was in use and inevitably this led to the narrowing of the subject as the contents of those papers became more widely known. The new system requires a broad knowledge of the learning objectives and a good understanding of the subject. The online question banks will certainly help but should be only a part of your overall study regime.
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By TLRippon
#1822721
Before you can book an exam you need to register with a training organisation via the CAA e-exam online portal and be approved. It can take a week in normal times and there is nothing to stop you doing that now.
User avatar
By akg1486
#1822723
IWF wrote:[T]hese schools offered week long courses to complete all of the exams in a week, without prior knowledge and including all the course materials .

All of the PPL subjects from scratch in one week? That sounds dubious and certainly won’t give you the necessary understanding as discussed above.