G'day everyone,

Firstly, let me start off by thanking Bob and Richard (and all those other kind people) for not only putting up with but thoroughly answering all my questions during my time studying for the CPL. It was like I was in the class room and could just put my hand up whenever I had something that needed some further explanation.

Over the last 7 months I have completed one exam a month and here are my final results:
- HPL: 88%
- Air Law: 98%
- AGK: 93%
- MET: 93%
- NAV: 88%
- Aerody: 85%
- Performance: 94%

I have a few tips and tricks that I used throughout my study:
- Take your own notes. I studied in front of the computer with the book on a stand in front of me. I just wrote the heading and took dot points covering all the important aspects of the topic. All totalled I averaged about 30 pages per subject.
- Limit the amount of study per day to manageable amounts. It's better to take in a relatively small amount and know it well than a large amount and struggle with the concepts.
- Don't do the practice exercises on the day you covered that topic. The key to memory is repititon. If you do the practice exercises the day after you covered the topic you will be refreshing your memory, thus helping to store it in your long term memory.
- When you do the exercises, don't write in the book, do them in a work book. Not only will you have room to take notes on questions you got wrong but you will be able to go through the book at the end of the topic and do the exercises again without being able to see the answers.
- Study with the syllabus next to you. Remember that CASA can only test what's in the syllabus. Mark things off as you go, and at the end of the subject go through the syllabus and highlight areas you may need to take a refresher on.
- Make a 'dot-point summary'. Use each syllabus dot point as a heading and take notes on it. This is a great way of ensuring that you've covered/are comfortable with everything.
- Don't be afraid to ask questions!
- When in the exam READ THE QUESTION!!! It's hard because they're digital and you can't highlight important areas, but make sure you understand what it's asking you. This includes confirming what units are being used. I had 2 questions in my CFPA exam that were literally identical except for the fact that one gave the values in litres and one gave them in kilograms. I had to do a double take and before I realised the units were different I thought someone on CASA's end had messed up.

I hope this helps, as I know how difficult it can be to do things home study style; solidarity guys. So if you have any questions feel free to ask! Also, let me know how you go! Best of luck to you all.

I'm now going on to my flight test and promptly after that I will be undertaking IREX so Bob & Rich you haven't gotten rid of me yet!!

Thanks tremendously for all your help guys.

Cheers!

Dan

Hi Dan,
Thanks for the study tips.
I have CPL NAV tomorrow as my final CPL exam and I am looking forward to it!

I would be keen to hear how your IREX study is travelling and bounce ideas off you if you are keen for that?

Bob, as always, your material has been more than sufficient! Thanks and well done!!

Jason

Hey mate,

How'd you end up going in NAV? Funnily enough that was the topic I found hardest.

And yeah sure, if you wanna bounce ideas here and there over IREX I'll be keen for that. I've heard nothing but scary things about that exam so all the help we can get will be good!

Cheers mate,

Dan

Dan,

Thank you for posting your study hints for the benefit of others.

I’m not a student or associated with Bob Tait’s Aviation Theory School but simply a ground instructor with an interest in the learning process, particularly e-learning.
I would like to clarify that when you say you studied in front of the computer with the book on a stand in front of you that you used the online e-texts as your primary reference with the book as a secondary reference. I may have that wrong but I’m interested as to how you used the computer/book combination.

Well done passing your examinations and I wish you well in your flight test.

Clinton.

Hi Dan,

Cheers mate, yeah NAV was the hardest! Got my lowest score as well, 70%
As for IREX I was more or less after your study techniques, I do sometimes struggle to set out a plan and stick to it etc so any help there would be great!

Thanks again

Jason

G'day!

Hey Jason a pass is a pass, right? I thought NAV would have been one of the easiest considering it's been used so much in a practical sense. I mean, if we weren't navigating properly we wouldn't be able to make B from A. Alas, it was not what I expected.

As for study techniques, I guess I'm going to tackle it the same way as all the other exams. I find it very helpful to study (especially for IREX considering it'll be used almost consistently) with AIP and any other relevant documentation beside me. I have yet to look at the syllabus so I'm not sure what can be examined but I assume you'll need the CAAPs and CARs etc... as well. That's how I studied for air law and it seemed pretty affective. I'm sure I'll have to adapt my study techniques simply based on the horror stories I have heard with regards to this exam.

Hey Loro,

An instructor, awesome, where are you based?

I didn't actually use the E-Texts for any of the subjects. When I say I used the computer I mean I used it as my note-taking medium. Rather than hand writing all my notes, which at 40 odd pages per topic would surely have given me some form of RSI, I typed it all up. I sat with the book on a book stand in front of me and as I read it I took notes in word. I just made dot points under each heading of all the important stuff. The only things I hand-wrote were the notes I took on questions that I got wrong in the practice questions.

Cheers guys,

Dan =]

Dan,

Thanks for the clarification.

I'm currently based in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Cheers,

Loro.