fun FAA knowledge test questions

[dmspilot]

Unfortunately, the FAA is pumping out lots of new inane questions. In my opinion, this is one of those:

A runway exit sign
A.) points toward a named taxiway that leads off the runway
B.) (don't remember the exact wording, something like "intersection of two runways")
C.) indicates the direction and designation of a taxiway at an intersection

I stared at this question for 5 minutes trying to figure out the difference between A and C. I got it wrong.

Wondering how other people would answer...

 

[DC34ME]

In answer C I assumed the intersection referred to a taxiway only intersection. Answer A is the most correct, so I chose that.

 

[flyingron]

It's C. It comes straight out of the "Pilot's guide to Airport Signs and Markings"

RUNWAY EXIT: Defines
direction & designation of
exit twy from rwy

 

[DC34ME]

That really is a confusing set of answers.

 

[dmspilot]

Thanks, I'm glad I'm not the only one who thought it was confusing.

I chose C and got it wrong. The correct answer is A.

There are several other questions that I completely disagree with and I will be sending the FAA a letter with my suggested corrections.

 

[Bob Noel]

C, by elimination.

A is wrong because the exit sign doesn't "point" to anything. Plus, plenty of taxiways run parallel to the runway, and therefore the taxiway can't "leads off the runway"

B is just gibberish.

 

[\__[Ô]__/]

Just from the wording alone, it seems A is the obvious choice for a runway exit sign: "points toward a named taxiway that leads off the runway"

For C, I'm thinking of a taxiway intersection with signs indicating which taxiway goes where.

Either way, it doesn't seem a very useful question. Does knowing the exact definition of a runway exit sign actually help you? Seems it might be more useful to show a picture and ask what it means.

 

[MAKG1]

It's C. It comes straight out of the "Pilot's guide to Airport Signs and Markings"

RUNWAY EXIT: Defines
direction & designation of
exit twy from rwy

(C) doesn't say anything about runways.

 

[dmspilot]

Here's another one I had a difficult time with.

Two distinct flight situations should be covered when teaching slow flight. These are the establishment and maintenance of
A.) airspeeds appropriate for landing approaches, and flight at reduced airspeed
B.) an airspeed which gives a stall warning indication, and an airspeed at which complete recovery can be made from stalls.
C.) an airspeed at which the airplane is operating on the back side of the power curve, and an airspeed at which the elevator control can be held full-back with no further loss of control.

"Reduced airspeed" is way too vague to be an answer. Reduced from what? It doesn't make sense. As most people fly landing approaches at "reduced airspeed" (from cruise), it is really saying the same thing two times. So how can "flight at landing approach speed" and "flight at reduced airspeed" be distinct situations?

The airplane flying handbook splits slow flight into two components: "flight at less than cruise airspeeds" (airspeeds appropriate to takeoffs, departures, and landing approaches), and "flight at minimum controllable airspeed".

IMO this question has no correct answer choice. But the FAA says it is A. Is that because it's "the least wrong"?

 

[Stevel]

There seem to be quite a few questions like this

I'm looking in the ASA 2013 Instructor Test Prep book and it seems like maybe one in ten or one in fifteen questions is about splitting hairs on word useage, rather than knowing the subject matter.

I'm trying really hard to learn the subject, and not just memorize the answers to the questions. After banging my head on the wall trying to find some miniscule sliver of meaning in the difference between the correct and incorect answers, I have concluded that sometimes it is just a matter of getting the quote right, based on how the guy in charge happened to say it the first time.

At that point, I think memorizing the answer is the same thing as learning the subject matter, and I don't think the question added any value to the test, other than to prove that your knowledge came from the FAA approved sources.

The good news is that the questions that simply require memorization are only a fraction of the aforementioned group (in my experience, your mileage may vary), and only represent 2-3% of the total.

This leaves the perfectly-valid option of switching off the OCD and just letting the chips fall where they may. I have no intention of taking the exam if I am anywhere near the point where 2-3% off of my score would make a difference.

 

[bflynn]

Unfortunately, the FAA is pumping out lots of new inane questions. In my opinion, this is one of those:

A runway exit sign
A.) points toward a named taxiway that leads off the runway
B.) (don't remember the exact wording, something like "intersection of two runways")
C.) indicates the direction and designation of a taxiway at an intersection

I stared at this question for 5 minutes trying to figure out the difference between A and C. I got it wrong.

Wondering how other people would answer...

C would be correct except for the fact that it ends in the word "intersection".

A isn't correct for all types of runway exit signs. A sign at the end of a runway where the exit turns directly into a taxiway does not point at all.

Perhaps the people making the test questions should concentrate on testing and not determining who can parse most like them.

 

[DC34ME]

Wait, so A is correct? Sorry to dig this back up from last week, but I'm still confused. I went with answer A because it seemed most correct. My instructors always told me "when not sure, choose the answer that seems more right than the other options". I agree with most of the posts above. Useless question, stupid answer bank. This thread has been more intriguing than the high speed exit, runway reverse exit thread at least.

 

[dmspilot]

Wait, so A is correct?

Yes. And as stupid a question as it is, I had it twice. Once on the Advanced Ground Instructor and again on Flight Instructor Airplane. Wrong first time, right second time. :wink2: