A&P licence

[DARKSCOPE001]

Hello all I was wondering if you could all give me some help. Anyone is welcome to chime in I just need a point in the right direction.

Ok I just graduated AMT school and im studying for my A&P licence. I have the written compleated but I have a question about the Oral and Practical sections. Before i graduated I purchessed a flash drive from the school loaded with sample Oral questions along with a few other helpfull things.

Ive been studying since I graduated now and I feel like im not really making any progress. I have some of it down but there is much more to go. So here is the question.

When you or someone you know took there A&P test was the oral open book? what did they allow? I have my AC43.13 book and an old copy of the FARs from 2009 probably going to get a 2011 issue because someone told me it would be money well spent. Also if i remember right they allow you to take your textbooks from school but I cant remember. It just seems like there is an awful lot to remember.

Any tips pointers or heads up would be more than welcome at this point. I really want to get out there get a job in the field and at least start paying back some of my student loans.

Thanks
Sean Scott

 

[kams1973]

Who will be giving you your O's and P's? If it is an instructor from the school, everything you'll need will most likely be on the flash drive. Real life is open book and so are O's and P's. The things they will be looking for are basic items. They aren't going to be getting into specific systems on aircraft you know nothing about. My advice is to step back and relax for a minute. If you took the courses serious and was able to pass, you are prepared. Don't over think **** and make it complicated. Best of Luck!!

 

[Steve from Socal]

I would strongly suggest you take the test with an examiner the school recommends; next, all oral questions should be answered in short concise statements. I am a pilot and former flight instructor; i have seen more applicants fail because they talked themselves into it. Have current copies of the FAR and AC43.13 with you, an easy way to flunk is having out of date material. Physicking yourself up for the test is usually harder than the test itself. Remember a short answer is the right answer, if a yes or no will do that is it. DO NOT add commentary or further any line of questioning unless compelled to. This is kind of like being in court; anything you say can and will be used against you.

Good luck,

Steve

 

[bczygan]

Find out who the examiner will be and ask former applicants about him. Some examiners have pet things they look for and even pet questions. FAA really wants you to know the rules and the paperwork and where to find the right answers.

Oh, and BTW Sean, it's spelled license, not licence. As an A&P you need to be a little OCD about details. Another one is that is not a license, but rather a certificate that you earn.

Bill
Pilot with a Pilot's certificate

 

[kams1973]

IIRC it's a certification, not a license.

 

[Jamech]

Oral and Practical are given by FAA Designated Examiners. You can find a list of them in your area on the FAA web site. Talk to other students who have passed their tests about the local examiners. My experience was that the Oral questions were very similar to the questions that were on the written. In my opinion you are attempting to give the examiner a warm and fuzzy feeling that you have prepared yourself for the test properly and that you know the material that you are supposed to know as specified by the FAA. I believe the examiner has specific guidelines from the FAA for what a candidate should know. You should attempt to answer any question asked and/or provide the examiner with as much correct knowledge/information as you know. More than once during my exam the examiner got to a question and said "Oh, you've already answered that". Also from talking to other candidates it seemed that the higher your written score was the easier your O and P was. The examiner perhaps realized that a person with a written in the 90's was better prepared than one with a written in the 70"s. All just my opinion.
The only open book was when he had me write a logbook entry on a specific repair I might have done and the aircraft manual was available.

Jamech

 

[copterdoctor]

Sean, take a few deep breaths brother. You've got yourself worked up over something that you shouldn't be worried about. Most examiners are not looking to fail you. They are looking to further the aviation industry.
One suggestion, if you do not know the answer, do NOT say "I don't know" and leave it at that. Always add, "but I can find out the answer". Then, find the answer. lol.
I'm not sure if it's open book or not, but, I didn't even need to think about opening a book when I did mine. It really wasn't that difficult.. at all..
now, if you have your head stuck where the sun don't shine, and was the same way all through school, good luck... if you were a good student, and went beyond learning just what you were taught in class, you'll be fine.
I got all 100% scores on my writtens, and a 98% on my O&P's... I had to time a mag, do a compression check, buck a few rivets, make a few bends on the brake, etc.. nothing was aircraft specific.
my PME, primary maintenance examiner, could tell I was nervous when I got there... so he took the time to take me out on the ramp, and "shoot the ****" with me about a few things b4 the test actually began. at the end he gave me a great piece of advice.. "you have just earned the license to learn, congratulations"...
I did an apprenticeship, and didn't attend A&P school, and still kicked *** on the tests.. I'm sure you'll be fine. And if you need any advice/help, feel free to PM me. I know there's quite a few A&P mechanics on GJ, and most I've talked to have the same attitude about helping another mechanic out.
and yes, spelling and proper gramar on logbooks is VERY important as someone pointed out. THAT is what the FAA is going to want to see most of the time... one other thing, a LOT of FAA officials don't know jack **** about aircraft specifics, they'll get you every time in the logbook though... good luck buddy. and congrats on passing those tests

 

[Shadowdog500]

I'm not an a&p but I am a flight instructor. Oral tests for pilot ratings are open book. I assume that the oral for the A&P is the same, but would confirm. Open book does not mean that it is OK to look up every answer, they do expect you to know something. If you don't know something don't bluff, look it up. ASA makes really good oral exam guides for pilot ratings. I see they have one for A&P ($7.99) at skygeek.

I actually had an examiner question my answer on a checkride and I pulled out my oral exam guide and showed him that I didn't make up my answer. He really liked that book after I showed it to him.

If your school send all their people to the same examiner you
may be able to find his pet peeves.(every examiner seems to have a couple).

Also relax. If your school thinks you are prepared for the test, then you are.

Chris

 

[DARKSCOPE001]

Thanks everyone for the replies.

In school I wasnt the best student but I was far from the worst. I was on deans list for quite a few quarters and really enjoyed learning from all the teachers. I actually got a small amount in scholarship (enough to pay for my oral and practical and 600 for tuition! )

Afaik 4 or so of the teachers at my school are DME's and are who the kids that I went to school with got there tests. Im a bit behind because many of the kids I went to school with went just for the part 147 cert I stayed in and got my degree so im about 3 quarters behind and some of the smarts fell out lol.

But I do have to add that the DME I want to take my tests with was my powerplant and "heavy maintenance" instructor So we were always pretty cool with each-other I enjoyed talking to him about old radials and stuff like that and shoot the **** with him.

Anyways thanks all for all the input. Im sure im making this way more complex than it needs to be. Some of the kids that didnt do nearly as well as i did in school got it knocked out in short order.

Thanks again
Sean Scott

 

[bczygan]

Sean,
Just a note, the examiners are required to test you harder on the areas you didn't do well on when you took the written. So bone up on those areas. And I know you will do well. Just the fact that you posted here shows you care. And that's a good part of the battle. Keep your good attitude and I'll always hope you work on my aircraft! And while you're at it, how about going for your pilot's certificate?

Bill
SP SEL, PPCL, WSCL
AGI, IGI

My free Sport Pilot Training website:

http://sptraining.blogspot.com/

 

[pipsters]

Sport pilot is kinda a waste of $$ imo

Good luck on your A&P, my company (air carrier) is basically perpetually hiring...

 

[DARKSCOPE001]

Thanks again bczgan. I dont really remember what areas I did poorly in on the written. I think it was more or less all over the place i just remember my scores 90% on both the general and airframe and an 88 on the powerplant.

If I remember right my missed questions were just kinda spread out and not really in one area or another. But I cant remember. But yes im going to keep studying and I think im going to look for a 2011 coppy of the 43.11 too. My books took alot of abuse over the 2 years i was at AMT school. (my 1 gallon drink cooler decided to leak all over my FAR book so its stained red )

Im gona keep studying my sample oral questions but man there is a ton. I have a 3" binder that is FULL of sample oral questions. Ive been making flashcards but it seems like "every time i learn something new the old stuff gets pushed out" Ha kidding

Thanks again everyone for your support hopefully I can get this thing passed and get a job. First payment on student loans is due in December.

BTW? Pipsters where do you work? The big guy taking in all the kids i went to school with out here in central Ohio is Republic. They also seem to be perpetually hiring.

 

[Shadowdog500]

Sport pilot is kinda a waste of $$ imo

Not if you can't pass a flight physical!!

Chris

 

[Ramblur]

My oral and practical was nearly 30 yrs. ago and all that I remember is the
examiner tripping on a tie down on the ramp and dumping a full set of 0-6"
Starrett micrometers.... scattered them all over,shoot,I was embarrassed for
him. Definitely don't remember it being that hard tho... You'll be fine.

 

[bczygan]

Thanks again bczgan. I dont really remember what areas I did poorly in on the written. I think it was more or less all over the place i just remember my scores 90% on both the general and airframe and an 88 on the powerplant.

If I remember right my missed questions were just kinda spread out and not really in one area or another. But I cant remember. But yes im going to keep studying and I think im going to look for a 2011 coppy of the 43.11 too. My books took alot of abuse over the 2 years i was at AMT school. (my 1 gallon drink cooler decided to leak all over my FAR book so its stained red )

Im gona keep studying my sample oral questions but man there is a ton. I have a 3" binder that is FULL of sample oral questions. Ive been making flashcards but it seems like "every time i learn something new the old stuff gets pushed out" Ha kidding

Thanks again everyone for your support hopefully I can get this thing passed and get a job. First payment on student loans is due in December.

BTW? Pipsters where do you work? The big guy taking in all the kids i went to school with out here in central Ohio is Republic. They also seem to be perpetually hiring.

If you don't mind studying online, the FAR's are online free as well as anything else you might want to study. They are provided in the form of PDF files to read online or download to use on your computer or print.
Examples:

Aviation Maintenance Technician Handbook:

http://rgl.faa.gov/Regulatory_and_Guidance_Library/rgFAR.nsf/Frameset?OpenPage

 

[pipsters]

BTW? Pipsters where do you work? The big guy taking in all the kids i went to school with out here in central Ohio is Republic. They also seem to be perpetually hiring.

I work for this company, not as a mechanic but on the flight side. Philly is the main mx base as well as Norfolk VA. There is a smaller super senior base in Milwaukee and a new base in Columbia, SC. Not sure if it is open yet or not though.

I did hear from a PHL mechanic that 3-4 months after new classes start most of the guys quit and go to Boeing down the street for way more money.

 

[pipsters]

Not if you can't pass a flight physical!!

Chris

Haha true enough