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ATPL Theory Exam Switzerland OFAC/FOCA

Hello everyone,

I will be doing my first ATPL theory exam in May and I would like to ask if anyone around here have done the ATPL exams there. Currently I base my study mostly with Aviation Exam and Bristol books. I would like to know if the current QB that FOCA uses is similar to the one in Aviation Exam.

Thanks

Last Edited by miguel22 at 26 Feb 14:09
Portugal

In 2013 I used Aviation Exam for preparation and I passed all exams at BAZL in Bern on first attempt.
I hope this helps. Maybe you want to ask that question on pprune.org. Someone there might have a more recent experience.

EDVE, Germany

FlyPPI wrote:

FlyPPI 26-Feb-19 14:34 02
In 2013 I used Aviation Exam for preparation and I passed all exams at BAZL in Bern on first attempt.
I hope this helps. Maybe you want to ask that question on pprune.org. Someone there might have a more recent experience.

Hello FlyPPI,

Thanks a lot for the answer. Any special advices for some special subjects that you might recall (it’s been already long time for you… )

Portugal

Hello,
I am currently in it.
Have passed most, just failed perf (32) and Popps(70) 1 week ago, probably because I wanted to do too many exams at a time. 7 could be too much depending on the modules, or 3/4 by exam day. Have been working on Easy-atpl database, not bad at all. I advise to do 3 max per exam day with an easy one in.
First day I did 10 21 40 91 All ok.
Second day 80 92 22 tough but ok.
2 months after, second session
I did 50 31 33 32 failed 32 – tired and not prepared enough.
the day after 60 61 70 I failed 70 because I was fried.
32 and 70 are definitely not the toughest but time and brain management got me.

Some modules are difficult because they are thick and need you to get many things by heart (e g 10, 21, 50), some are thick and need you to concentrate on your time (60, 61, 33), some are easier but can be missed because you have too few questions, little to no error margin (91/92, 70). Some you need to understand well, learn by heart and understand the tricky questions between the lines (80, 32).
You easiness will depend on your brain mostly.

Last Edited by greg_mp at 26 Feb 22:48
LFMD, France

Hello Greg,

Thanks a lot for the advice! I am going in May to do 4 exams. Performance, M&B, Instrumentation and Flight Planning and Monitoring.

I agree with you about the quantity. my school proposed me 3 sessions (~4/5 exams per session but I will be doing around 3 or 4 exams per session). According to my plan I will need 4 sessions to do everything so I still have 2 spare sessions to repeat if anything goes really bad.

How does it go with the exams? Do you choose how many subjects you want to do in one day? I see that you advise doing 3 max per day… How did you feel on the second session? M&B and Instrumentation are not sooo extensive but Flight Planning and Performance could demand a little more focus and good preparation to work with all the charts.

Btw may I ask you in which school you are doing it?

Thanks a lot for the help!!

Portugal

Hello,
The planning you have seems fine, it also depends on how many days you will do the 4 exams. If in 1 day, you may be exhausted on the last. In 2 days it won’t be a problem but you need to come on the day after…
Exams were fine, the rhythm of the second session was too high, the main reason for which I failed some easy exams. I am pleased to have succeeded on meteo, nav and radionav that are used to be more difficult.

M&B is an easy one if well prepared as it is well reading the question – twice by the way, and applying the formulas. Instrumentation is more complex (at least here in France) because it mixes old Technics and very new one, so it depends on the difficulties of the question set. But it isn’t “extensive” as you say. Flight planning is a kind of 100% for short period of time, and you finish with very few because it is all calculation, computer, calculation, computer, ruler. But if you are well prepare, it won’t be a problem. Performance needs good preparation, I know of something :P.

I am Mermoz in France, but in a “distance course”. Actually I spent 2 weeks in a kickoff session in september 18, because DGAC requires you to spend 1/10th of time in the school even for a distance course. Then once home, you have a number of “mermoz” exams to pass before mermoz grants you to go to the exams, because still DGAC require you to be granted by the school authority.
Apart from that, I am home with (e-)books and database. Books are very good (my opinion) , but database “less good”, the reason why I have been using others. easy-atpl is good so far (I used easyppl for the PPL and was pleased). I had very few discrepancies between exams and database… a bunch of them in meteo and 80 (meca).

LFMD, France

Hi Miguel,

I’m still studying for the ATPL exams but haven’t sit any yet. But I’ve passed all 7 CBIR exams in Bern in 2017 with the help of Aviation Exam and got about a 90% average. The coverage was very good, except with Meteo where my subjective feeling was that I saw many new questions – but still passed with 85%.

I’m currently learning with Aviation Exam again (plus my school’s database which is not very good) – and I’m fairly optimistic that it will work out. :)

Nick

I’m a fan of Aviation Exam too, but recently heard that ATPL Questions has better coverage for ECQB5. Will be preparing using both myself.

LPFR, Poland

nickflyer wrote:

Hi Miguel,

I’m still studying for the ATPL exams but haven’t sit any yet. But I’ve passed all 7 CBIR exams in Bern in 2017 with the help of Aviation Exam and got about a 90% average. The coverage was very good, except with Meteo where my subjective feeling was that I saw many new questions – but still passed with 85%.

I’m currently learning with Aviation Exam again (plus my school’s database which is not very good) – and I’m fairly optimistic that it will work out. :)

Hello Nick,

Good to hear. I am going for the first 4 subjects in May to Bern. Last month of preparation before the exam I will most probably use AE and ATPL questions to prepare myself.

Good luck!

Portugal

miguel22 wrote:

Hello Nick,

Good to hear. I am going for the first 4 subjects in May to Bern. Last month of preparation before the exam I will most probably use AE and ATPL questions to prepare myself.

Good luck!

I guess you’ve already finished your first session, how did it go?

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