Taking the IFR written Monday...

LowHrsMan

LowHrsMan

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First FAA written test for me in 24 yrs!
Taking the test at a PSI testing center. What should I bring?
Right now, I'm planning to bring my E6B (paper) and a simple calculator.
Apparently bringing a pen/pencil and scrap paper (handy for those entry hold questions) is not allowed, as the confirmation email says this:

"Candidates may not bring personal writing implements."

Any advice from those who've taken the written recently?

LHM
 
Remember if they give you a picture with the question the answer is in the picture/diagram. There was one that I looked at for minutes and I was li I e wtf then realized it was there.
 
LowHrsMan said:
First FAA written test for me in 24 yrs!
Taking the test at a PSI testing center. What should I bring?
Right now, I'm planning to bring my E6B (paper) and a simple calculator.
Apparently bringing a pen/pencil and scrap paper (handy for those entry hold questions) is not allowed, as the confirmation email says this:

"Candidates may not bring personal writing implements."

Any advice from those who've taken the written recently?

LHM
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Dude, if you can’t draw holds on the wind side of the E6b……
 
LowHrsMan said:
Apparently bringing a pen/pencil and scrap paper (handy for those entry hold questions) is not allowed, as the confirmation email says this:

"Candidates may not bring personal writing implements."
Click to expand...
They supply those things, along with a calculator. Bring the same materials that you brought for the last written you took. Good luck!
 
RyanB said:
They supply those things, along with a calculator. Bring the same materials that you brought for the last written you took. Good luck!
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Thanks! My last written was before they had computer testing centers, around 2001.
 
They give you some blank paper and some pencils. They want it all back at the end.
 
Don't make a YouTube about it where you joke about paying off the examiners, because someone somewhere has nothing better to do with their life than making trouble for people. Not saying one of our more famous Social Media personalities would do that.........
 
Let us know how it went on Monday. I’m also curious if they still have a significant section on VOR driven CDI navigation (where are you relative to the VOR tower), airway transitions and altitudes vs OROCA and RNAV, etc.
 
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WDD said:
Let us know how it went on Monday. I’m also curious if they still have a significant section on VOR driven CDI navigation (where are you relative to the VOR tower), airway transitions and altitudes vs OROCA and RNAV, etc.
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They still do have many VOR questions, if the Sheppard air test prep software is accurate...
 
WDD said:
Don't make a YouTube about it where you joke about paying off the examiners, because someone somewhere has nothing better to do with their life than making trouble for people. Not saying one of our more famous Social Media personalities would do that.........
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OMG, who would do that? Everyone knows the FAA does not have a sense of humour. Just ask Martha Lunken. BTW, I can count the number of YouTube videos I've EVER made on 1 hand...
 
LowHrsMan said:
They still do have many VOR questions,
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Yes, still many VOR questions. Because of MON, you can anticipate VOR questions long into the future. However, I'll hazard a guess that when the new KTS comes out, the number of VOR questions will be reduced. Also, fewer questions featuring analog HSIs and more digital HSIs (typically with fewer dots representing deflection).

PSI/FAA plans on releasing what they call AIG (Automatic Item Generation) later this year. This will allow for dynamically generated questions with randomized variables. Once this hits, memorizing questions/answers will become a useless study strategy.
 
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write-stuff said:
Once this hits, memorizing questions/answers will become a useless study strategy.
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On one hand, good to hear. Testing understanding vs memorized answers makes sense. IMHO, this makes more sense with the PPL and Com test, as they cover topics that involve concepts (wing loading, W&B, lift, etc.).

However, to me is seems that the IFR material is a lot of memorization of procedures and rules, less about concepts.
 
WDD said:
On one hand, good to hear. Testing understanding vs memorized answers makes sense. IMHO, this makes more sense with the PPL and Com test, as they cover topics that involve concepts (wing loading, W&B, lift, etc.).

However, to me is seems that the IFR material is a lot of memorization of procedures and rules, less about concepts.
Click to expand...

Well, yes, of course. Memorizing procedures, regulations, ADM checklists will still be needed. The issue here regards memorizing test questions/answers. Completely different situation.
 
WDD said:
Let us know how it went on Monday. I’m also curious if they still have a significant section on VOR driven CDI navigation (where are you relative to the VOR tower), airway transitions and altitudes vs OROCA and RNAV, etc.
Click to expand...
I took the test 11 months ago and those were still on the test.
 
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write-stuff said:
Well, yes, of course. Memorizing procedures, regulations, ADM checklists will still be needed. The issue here regards memorizing test questions/answers. Completely different situation.
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That would be fine if they would get rid of questions where the scored correct answer is 100% wrong. There are currently at least 2 questions where that is the case.
 
I'd be grateful if the OP gives us a run-down of his experience and test questions. I plan take the Instrument written in the next few weeks, and would love a pirep.....
 
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If they asked me - and no, they haven’t - I’d move the emphasis to topics more relevant to today’s flying.

For example, more focus on RVAV issues, GPS, etc. Maybe have one or two VOR CDI questions.

I’ve got to believe that 90% of navigators are WASS, so forgo the RAIM questions, etc.

Another suggestion would be on managing your approach, such as vectors to final vs full approach.
 
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StraightnLevel said:
I'd be grateful if the OP gives us a run-down of his experience and test questions. I plan take the Instrument written in the next few weeks, and would love a pirep.....
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PIREP: 2-3 questions I hadn't seen before but the IFR ground school + Sheppard Air course prepared me well. 2 VOR questions. A few questions look familiar but the answers had been reworded. scrap paper and pencil provided. 65 questions total 60 questions + 5 "experimental" that don't count towards the score. I don't know for certain which 2 I got wrong because the test result shows only a code for each.
 
LowHrsMan said:
I wasn't going to, but am curious as to why not?
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Because the FAA doesn't have a sense of humor - nor should they. It would be about as dumb as joking to TSA about something you might have in your bag while boarding a flight.
 
LowHrsMan said:
That would be fine if they would get rid of questions where the scored correct answer is 100% wrong. There are currently at least 2 questions where that is the case.
Click to expand...

If you can provide me with known test questions whose answers are 100% wrong, please let me know what they are. We have a pretty good track record of getting these types of questions removed.
 
write-stuff said:
If you can provide me with known test questions whose answers are 100% wrong, please let me know what they are. We have a pretty good track record of getting these types of questions removed.
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I don't know about 100% wrong, but in my IFR ground school I've found one question that is at least 50% wrong:

Q: Flying into severe turbulence, what should you maintain?
One of the options is airspeed Va, another option is level flight attitude.

Of course you want to maintain both: slow down to Va and maintain level flight attitude. But they are separate options - you can't select both. The answer that the FAA wants to see is maintain level flight attitude. This is misleading since it implies that slowing down from cruise speed is not important. Yet in severe turbulence, if you don't slow down to Va then the turbulence can damage the airframe, even rip the wings off.

I saw this question in ground school prep, I haven't seen it on the IFR test. I reported this test question to Gleim just in case the problem is theirs, not the FAA.

Note to moderators: because I haven't seen this question on an IFR test, I don't believe this post constitutes posting test questions & answers online. It came from ground school and therefore is educational discussion. But if you feel that this post does violate FAA rules about tests, feel free to delete it, or ask me to do so.
 
Actually, I was taught that in severe turbulence you don’t stress / over stress the plane maintaining constant altitude.
 
WDD said:
Actually, I was taught that in severe turbulence you don’t stress / over stress the plane maintaining constant altitude.
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I learned the same, but the question isn't wrong for that reason. It says "attitude" not "altitude".
 
MRC01 said:
I learned the same, but the question isn't wrong for that reason. It says "attitude" not "altitude".
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My bad. But IMHO it’s still wrong

Getting back to needed attitude is important of course, but getting back to attitude outside of Va is going to stress the plane. You won’t be able to hold attitude if you snap off a wing.
 
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