Word of caution. If you sit the exams in the U.K. now, you will be very unlikely to pass using the question banks alone. The exam question bank has been significantly overhauled.
Unfortunately during this overhaul it would appear that something has gone awry with matching questions to learning objectives. Ie. There is a very good chance you will get questions on things you are not supposed to even know for CBIR.
This is a real pain because where the theory providers have gone to some effort to actually adapt their materials to be CBIR relevant (taking out the bits from ATPL/CPL that are really not needed), this comes undone at the exam point.
It is a really good idea to actually review the Learning Objectives for each subject so that in the event the exam is asking you something outside of them this can be flagged.
At £70+ per exam, which in some equates to at least £5 per question you’d like to think they would attempt to make the questions relevant.
That – questions not supposed to be there – has been a persistent problem for many years.
It is made more complicated by the fact you aren’t allowed to make notes which you take away, but you can’t appeal questions and get them credited unless you can state which ones they were! The system is rigged against you.
So you have to make notes covertly, or make notes and hand them to the invigilator (the exam supervisor) in the hope they will be passed on, which is probably unlikely.
There has been a bit of a development on that front for the better at least. It is possible to leave a comment on the question using the new “online” system. No idea at what point these get read, but certainly they should be accessible if one was to appeal the result.
Probably adding “Not CBIR LO” would be sufficient given the time constraint of the exam. Of course this requires some memory of the actual LO’s.
I am building a doc with the LO’s and topics where I have seen questions that shouldn’t be. Hopefully this can assist others in future, but will need more feedback from future candidates since I’m hoping not to be taking them too often!!
I can recommend the two Pooley’s books, although these really cover the practical aspects rather than the theoretical knowledge examinations, they are still a good and well worth read:
Air Pilot’s Manual 5: https://www.pooleys.com/shop/pooleys-air-pilot-publishing/air-pilots-manual-volume-5-radio-navigation-instrument-flying-apm-easa-book/
The EASA IR Skill Test Guide: https://www.pooleys.com/shop/pooleys/a-guide-to-the-easa-ir-flight-test-jonathan-shooter/
Snoopy wrote:
From my instructor point of view, once the basics are understood and manifested, I try to remember this quote: Give a man a fish, and you’ll feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and you’ve fed him for a lifetime.
The one I heard was: “Steal a man’s wallet and he will be broke for a day. Teach a man to fly and he will be broke for a lifetime.”
