Ah the fun of being a Mod.
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Being fair, itâs a reasonable post, and arguably right. The quality of understanding has dropped a lot since we moved to online exams.
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This IMO is largely due to a lack of printed books/materials and going to an online only system. Might be an age thing, but I like a book to look at when Iâm getting to grips with something new. If Master Cadets were really worth their salt, they could almost pick up any subject and crack on, like I and others did when we were doing and after Staff P1 in preparation for Staff P2. But the need to have any real knowledge of the subjects has long gone.
The replacement for the classifications was done as cheaply and quickly as possible.
Do a course through work and the supplier gives you a booklet, the person running it works through this material and if there is software or adaptations for existing software we use them and get given them. We should at least have printed books/manuals for the classifications, with any online things an addition.
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In fairness, I donât think what we do now is any better or worse than beforeâŚ
As a cadet in the mid 2000âs I remember being sat at a table with a CI reading from an ancient ACP book - then somehow managing to pass the examsâŚ! When I came to do my PPL exams some of the items I recall having some sort of vague memory of as a cadet, but nothing properly stuck.
Maybe I was just a rubbish cadet!
But I think the way our squadron delivers classification now is much more dynamic and interesting than what I received as a cadetâŚ
And thatâs fine, but itâs very hard to read as a block of textâŚ
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My biggest beef with the current exams, is how easy they are to pass without even searching the internet - i.e. by just guessing. Allow me to explain my reasoningâŚ
Each exam measures success against specific learning outcomes (LO) - usually with two questions per LO. To pass an LO, they only have to get one question correct.
If, on a previous attempt they successfully answered a question on an LO, they wonât be asked about it again in any future resit - as they have already met that requirement. This means that on each subsequent attempt of that exam, they will be asked fewer and fewer questions.
But, and this is the important bit, each question has four options - so there is 25% chance of getting it right, just by guessing. Considering there are two questions in each outcome (and only a need to get one of those right), that raises the probability of passing an outcome by randomly picking answers to 43.75% on each attempt. And this is before they even think of using Google to shorten the odds.
As a result, by randomly hitting the keys, cadets are able to âpassâ exams on the second or third attempt.
Given how easy it is to pass without study, or even the need to use Google - is it any wonder that the standard of education has gone through the floor?
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I understand this complaint - but that is not a problem with an open book, online exam - that is a problem with how they are structured and implemented.
Personally, with the questions as they are now I think that the fact they are open book is a bit unnecessary - as mentioned, they are not that hard.
We could upgrade the exams to be a minimum of 50 questions, choose these questions carefully with all 4 answers being credible.
The trouble with making exams online and not open book is that it is impossible to police - assuming cadets will often take or resit exams at home. Before, you could have âexam nightâ on a squadron and have 50 cadets lined up taking their relevant exams⌠on our squadron I think we have a grand total of 4 laptops that work - so maximum of 7 or 8 exams at a time if you kick all staff off the desktops.
Personally, I would be much happier delivering how we do now, with the online exam something cadets can do at home as a âtaster examâ - and then sit a formal sit down paper on squadron.
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I agree, there is nothing wrong with the online exam system, as long as there is sufficient rigour.
With the old paper based exam, if a cadet failed it - they retook the whole paper (possibly six months later).
I think that these exams would have more teeth, and better respected if the cadets had to take the whole exam again, and they were harder to pass in the first place.
I do like the idea of the taster exams!
I remember having to take âre-sitsâ
Also good practise for exam technique / room layout etc for GCSEâs.
Scrap the Academic Syllabus in its entirety, itâs outdated and pointless. (Much as projects were on the old system).
Link Classification to PTS, bin the blue badges so everything goes Bronze, Silver Gold and give NNAS itâs own badge.
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Time limit each sitting say 25 minutes, which reduces the amount of time for searching and make it 2 from 3 or 3 from 5 for each LO. Chances of guessing and passing greatly reduced. For giggles when they first went online i sat the online exams for things Iâve never taught or done and passed with educated guesswork
The paper exams was 13/25 for a pass for each subject. With 3 subjects per level so you could pass with 39 (133) or fail with 62 ((252)+(1*12)). The thin edge of the wedge was when partial pass was brought in and cadets only did the subject they didnât pass
@Kermit definitely resit the whole exam. It was a regular occurrence for two cadets to join on the same night and after a 2-3 years having at least one classification level separating them.
I failed my Senior exam, made sure, I passed it on the resit.
I couldnât get my head around not having subject books, our kids had textbooks and revision books for their GCSEs, just before we got rid of the books.
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You could also pass without studying parts of the syllabus if the rest was taught correctly.
Nooooooo, I think AT is quite OK without any link to badges!
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It wouldnât have been easy when it was an all or nothing pass or fail. Our dribbled pass system is rubbish, no sense of achievement. But then that mirrors the everyoneâs a winner mind set in society, god forbid anyone fails. It must come as a shock to kids who fail a driving test, whoâve never been 'allowed 'to fail throughout their life.
Your idea is OK if it can be all done at the squadron, like the classifications can. As soon as it requires going off-sqn at weekends it loses appeal and puts time pressure on people to run things at weekends or visiting other sqns.
You could also get at least two right per test by just reading the questions. One would often answer another.
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Not reading questions properly is a major cause of failing any exam.
When we did paper exams I would always write RTQ on a board or piece of paper pinned to a noticeboard.
I still write RTFQ at the top whenever I do a written paper
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I did that once and when I explained a parent moaned at me, although I said flippinâ.
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Off topic - Its not like the PPL exams are much harder⌠let alone still in date (I know the IMC paper still references the quadrantal rule).
And similarly PPL through to ATPL students pretty much only rely on question banks. Maybe thatâs what we need to invest in as at least something sticks.
A lot of the questions are uplifted for sure, was making no claim about how hard one or other isâŚ
Only that I learnt principles of flight at cadets, and had to totally relearn it 10 years later when doing a PPL as none of it stuck⌠literally no part of how a piston engine works remained with me, and I put that down to boring lessons read from an ACP written in the 40âs.
I think now the training materials and delivery is more engaging than it was, but the testing is too lax.
The difference being, when I was a cadet there was no BTEC qual that suggests something has been effectively taught and diligently learned - so no harm done.
As it is, we are sending cadets off into the world with a certificate that says Aviation Studies on it; but if they finish the syllabus and have no idea then it shouldnât be awarded.
I think the points being made is that the current ultilearn exams may be good as a question bank, but ultimately there should be a more formal exam.
Anyone going for a career in aviation relying on passing exams through slamming question banks, although Iâm sure is possible, will likely find that they come unstuck at some point - but thatâs a problem for them and the CAA - we should be teaching cadets and assessing understanding properly regardless.
I guess Iâd be looking to mix the old with the new - the new training materials, the ultilearn question bank, but bring back a proper exam.