[Akak]

Hi All,

I am a few lessons in to my ppl but wanted advice about the exams. I have started reading the material and whilst I'm confident I could pass on my own i wondered whether an intensive course might help me get them 'out of the way'?

My concern is that I expect those courses are designed to get one to pass the exams as opposed to retain knowledge which I expect will be useful?

Any guidance would be appreciated.

Thanks

[davelee212]

How quickly do you expect to be completing your flying training? I did mine over a couple of years and I did Air Law, Operational Procedures and Human Performance fairly early on, then did the rest over the course of the following 14 months. I think some of the exams really benefit from having started associated flying training, especially with Navigation, Communications and Aircraft General exams.

Dave

[Morten]

Agree with Dave. I'd add Meteorology to the ones which benefit from having flown/progressed to solo cross-country to both grasp the matter better but also be more likely to retain it. There is little point in rushing the theory if your flying will take best part of a year (or more) anyway.

Morten

[MercianMarcus]

The theory is a mix of: the vital to know; the potentially useful but entirely forgettable; and the mind-numbingly pointless.

One approach you might consider is to do the intensive course and take the exams so you have a tick in the box, but continue to study in more detail the more interesting and useful bits as you continue with your practical flying.

[cotterpot]

From the CAA website

https://www.caa.co.uk/General-aviation/ ... minations/

You can only take your exams once an approved training organisation (ATO) has recommended that you do so and after you have completed the appropriate training course of theoretical knowledge instruction to a satisfactory standard.

[Cessna57]

Hi All,

I am a few lessons in to my ppl but wanted advice about the exams. I have started reading the material and whilst I'm confident I could pass on my own i wondered whether an intensive course might help me get them 'out of the way'?

My concern is that I expect those courses are designed to get one to pass the exams as opposed to retain knowledge which I expect will be useful?

Any guidance would be appreciated.

Thanks

Read the books, and spend your money on flying. The exams aren't that onerous.

[MarkOlding]

How quickly do you expect to be completing your flying training? I did mine over a couple of years and I did Air Law, Operational Procedures and Human Performance fairly early on, then did the rest over the course of the following 14 months. I think some of the exams really benefit from having started associated flying training, especially with Navigation, Communications and Aircraft General exams.

Dave

Dave has a point as once you have finished the last exam, you then have 18 months to get your licence or you start re-taking.
I am 2 - 3 weeks from my QXC and am doing Nav and FPP as my last two exams this weekend. It's been useful doing the flying exercises and then doing the exams as I have already done and regularly use 80% of whats asked for in the exams.

Cheers
Mark

[rikur_]

I suspect some of it depends on learning styles ......
My personal experience was that I largely learnt from the AFE books. I did this in parallel with flying (I think I did my first exam within the first couple of months of starting lessons, and the final one a month or so before my skills test). At the time I was learning, some of the topics felt quite abstract and therefore hard to follow and learn - but re-reading them as I got more practical experience I found them much easier to follow, and they made more sense against practical experience.
As I've gone on to do IMC, AGOC, etc I've reread many of the topics and they make even more sense with more flying experience.
My suspicion is a certain amount of re-reading is helpful. First read is to give you the context for flying, the second read is to fill in the gaps once you know how it's applied.

[Bearsden]

I m not sure if it just a condition of my airfield or a general rule, but you may need to do Air Law before your first solo.

[davelee212]

I'm pretty sure it's not a requirement of the CAA, but my club had the same recommendation.

Dave

[riverrock]

The club needs to be satisfied that you know enough to be sensible and legal on first solo. Many locations use the Air Law exam as part of that, but its not a CAA stipulated requirement. Since time limits and limits on number of sittings, a number of places that used to use the air law exam instead have their own mini-test.
The club I trained at leave it up to the instructor to make a judgement call, normally with the help of some chatty questions (so you don't know you're being checked).

I suspect those that do the exams intensively are unlikely to remember the content as well as those who take their time to self study as they do flight training.

[T67M]

I suggest that the exams and the flying syllabus should be seen as a single thing, not as two separate parts that can be done independently. Some exams make most sense to the student pilot at certain points in the course - for example Nav and Flight Planning make most sense when flying the navigation part of the flying syllabus. Undertaking an intensive course usually doesn't allow that positive reinforcement of the lessons being taught/the subject being studied.

[johnm]

AS T67M says, you need to understand that theory and practice go together through out your flying career and so you should work through them together during your training and then sign up to thing like CAA Skywise and flyontrack to make sure you keep abreast of changes.

You should also review AICs from time to time.