G'day everyone,
Just thought I'd let you know that I passed IREX yesterday with 90% and I can't stress how big of a relief it is to have it out of the way! I can finally watch TV without the niggling feeling of "you should be studying!". I'd like to thank Mister W and Bob for all the support they have given me in the forum, it's a such a great resource for those who self study.
The exam itself was exactly as I expected. [As others have noted] for the most part the wording of each question is very different to what I had studied. Not all the questions were that way however, some of them were actually strikingly close to that in the online practice exams. In this respect, I advise not allotting too much time on the
format of the study questions themselves. Rather, learn the content and establish all the scenarios in which that content may be applied. This is especially important as in the exam it does take effort to establish exactly what the question is asking.
My exam comprised of 40 questions, each worth 1 mark (I was expecting fewer questions with some worth higher marks). It also seemed as though it was in 'sections'. As a rough breakdown from memory:
- The first 3 questions related to recency requirements;
- The next 7 were alternate requirements (these were worded HORRIBLY);
- The next 10 or so were based on given flight plans, which tested ERSA flight planning requirements, LSALT requirements, reporting points ect... using ERCs and TACs. In this regard, note that whilst the question will only refer to one chart (i.e. "ERC L3 refers") it is often the case that another chart will actually be of more assistance. I had a question asking at what DME distance from an aerodrome I would be entering it's controlled airspace and the information wasn't on the referring ERC, but instead on the appropriate TAC.
- The next 10 were based on instrument approaches, "your flight is from A to B, to what level may you descend in IMC on the DME arrival at B" this also consisted of SIDs and STARs and really did test your perception. Make sure you understand the fact that there are often special requirements listed on IAL charts. I can't exactly remember the aerodrome at which I saw it, but one had a special procedure for training missed approaches, which was different to operational missed approaches. Another had a requirement, which wasn't listed on the schematic view of the approach but in the notes, for aircraft to be below 800' ASAP after a certain DME distance. My point here is that if you think the question has an obvious answer, have a closer look and more than likely it doesn't.
- The next 10 were miscellaneous general knowledge such as altimeter setting requirements, ADF and VOR tracking, calculation of LSALT, icing questions, etc...
In terms of taking the exam itself, I refer back to the adage of
RTFQ (Read The F-ing Question) as I found that the context of the question often depended on a single subtle word or phrase. Make sure you establish exactly what the question is asking.
Lastly, I definitely understand how daunting at times it can be to self study. Whilst everyone has their own methods, I know it helped me getting tips from people on how to tackle a specific exam so the way I studied for this one was:
1 - I went through the entire BT text book from cover to cover, using this very forum whenever I had questions;
2 - I used the sample questions on the CASA website (
www.casa.gov.au/scripts/nc.dll?WCMS:STANDARD::pc=PC_90060) as a practice exam of sorts. They do not have answers so where I was unsure, I used the forum to ensure I was right (thanks Mister W!); and
3 - I bought the 4 online practice exams. I did them all without outside reference other than what is allowed in the exam, two un-timed and two timed (mind you I completed them all in under 2 1/2 hours). In the exam itself I used all available time to ensure I actually HAD picked up on the meaning of the question.
Aside from that, good luck and enjoy! I really did (do) love learning about all that IFR flight has to offer and I am now very excited to begin the practical component of the MECIR. If anyone has any other questions, feel free to PM me or just ask in the comments.
Thanks again for all your help everyone.
Cheers,
Dan
