Aircrew Selection/ACS (Merged)

[Roger123]

I am hoping that one of the recent graduates of ACS can comment on whether or not speeddistancetime.info provides a good sample set of what’s to come. Are the questions on this website harder, or easier than those questions found on the CFASC test? Can we expect 3-4 digit questions (ie. 369NM @ 615KTS)?

Thanks.

You know SDT questions are going to be included in the test battery. If you are having trouble with 2-3 digit questions, there isnt much practical benefit jumping to 3-4 digit questions. Whatever your training level, work to increase proficiency until the next level. This goes for all types of preparation. Work at a level that is doable but still poses a challenge and then, in time with practice, ramp up the difficulty. Anything being stated that is beyond the candidate test guide is a violation of the Non-disclosure agreement. You know from the listed experiences people perceive great difficulty with the testing: simulate such conditions in your preparation.

 

[Caronh]

Hi everybody,

Ive received confirmation that I have been enrolled in the aircrew selection testing at Trenton and, after chatting with my father, who is a pilot (going on 23yrs), he recommended I dress cleanly during the process, as he says it's as much an interview as the actual interview I'll have to do later on.

Ive got a pretty long beard, but still far from looking like a hipster. Would it be better for me to shave it off?

Also, any general advice for ACS? 

 

[Sub_Guy]

Has anyone used this website to prepare for the testing?  Mainly the speed/distance stuff.

https://www.jobtestprep.co.uk/raf-oasc-aptitude

I should be in Trenton sometime in mid-Feb.

 

[Downhiller229]

Hi everybody,

Ive received confirmation that I have been enrolled in the aircrew selection testing at Trenton and, after chatting with my father, who is a pilot (going on 23yrs), he recommended I dress cleanly during the process, as he says it's as much an interview as the actual interview I'll have to do later on.

Ive got a pretty long beard, but still far from looking like a hipster. Would it be better for me to shave it off?

Also, any general advice for ACS?

It's never a bad idea to look sharp around people you might work with in the future. Beard is cool though, you're not subject to the standard yet. Otherwise I would just dress comfortably...

Overthinking any part of this process is just as detrimental as underpreparing.

Best of luck

 

[Caronh]

It's never a bad idea to look sharp around people you might work with in the future. Beard is cool though, you're not subject to the standard yet. Otherwise I would just dress comfortably...

Overthinking any part of this process is just as detrimental as underpreparing.

Best of luck

Appreciate the reply, thanks!

 

[Icarus035]

Has anyone used this website to prepare for the testing?  Mainly the speed/distance stuff.

https://www.jobtestprep.co.uk/raf-oasc-aptitude

I should be in Trenton sometime in mid-Feb.

In all honesty, there is very little that will prepare you for the tests; I did luminosity, SDT questions, the LSAT and they didn't help all that much, maybe a touch but nothing that made me go "thank god I practiced this". The only thing studying helped me with for certain, was the confidence I had when I first entered the test, though that was shattered by the time the break came lol.

Best advice I can give about that site is...trust your gut, (it's often picked up on things your not aware of) does it feel like it would help you? for some people the answer is no for others yes, neither are right or wrong it's what works for them. Go in prepared to do your best, spoiler alert *it won't be enough*, but when it's not enough KEEP GOING LIKE IT IS.

Never let the perceived failure of the last question affect the present, the last question/test/section is done pass or fail, if you let what HAS happened creep into your head what WILL happen is failure.

 

[Roger123]

In all honesty, there is very little that will prepare you for the tests; I did luminosity, SDT questions, the LSAT and they didn't help all that much, maybe a touch but nothing that made me go "thank god I practiced this". The only thing studying helped me with for certain, was the confidence I had when I first entered the test, though that was shattered by the time the break came lol.

Mental math training helps alot. How many of us practice 155/90 to two decimal places on a regular basis outside of preparing for ACS? There is ground that can be made up if preparation is commenced well in advance and is consistent and challenging.
Practicing SDT calculations mentally also helps. SAT algebra questions, in my experience, help the math portion when you are given pencil and paper. Reading flight instrument six packs, in varying degrees of attitude, bank angles, climbs and descents, airspeed,etc. help with instrument comprehension. Memory games while doing something else helps with multitasking.
There is a limit to how much you can prepare for this test ( some portions I still cannot think how I would prepare for them if I had to do it again), but there is room to improve.

 

[Icarus035]

Mental math training helps alot. How many of us practice 155/90 to two decimal places on a regular basis outside of preparing for ACS? There is ground that can be made up if preparation is commenced well in advance and is consistent and challenging.
Practicing SDT calculations mentally also helps. SAT algebra questions, in my experience, help the math portion when you are given pencil and paper. Reading flight instrument six packs, in varying degrees of attitude, bank angles, climbs and descents, airspeed,etc. help with instrument comprehension. Memory games while doing something else helps with multitasking.
There is a limit to how much you can prepare for this test ( some portions I still cannot think how I would prepare for them if I had to do it again), but there is room to improve.

Sorry my message got lost in my own ass, I meant to say that in terms of the RAF practice tests he was looking to pay for I wouldn't do it, but that doesn't mean it won't help. I simply meant to point out that what works for some doesn't work for others, therefore he should go with his gut as to whether or not he feels like the RAF practice tests would benefit him. For me personally, I didn't find those experiences helped me, but there's more then one way to skin a cat.

 

[Roger123]

... therefore he should go with his gut as to whether or not he feels like the RAF practice tests would benefit him. For me personally, I didn't find those experiences helped me, but there's more then one way to skin a cat.

    Fair enough. In my experience, the RAF practice tests are a good intro to such calculations. Problem is, the numbers given can be broken down into easy to work with numbers. As mentioned before in a previous post, you have to practice working with numbers that cannot be broken down and require being mentally solved as is. In other words, if all you do is RAF practice tests online, become well versed in breaking down the question into easy to work with numbers and then are faced with numbers that cannot be broken down, you'll waste time, be overwhelmed and not as successful.
    RAF helps with understanding the problem and develops simplifying the problem by looking for common denominators. I would copy the problem structure, use less than 'ideal' numbers, and work on them that way.

 

[AliTheAce]

    Fair enough. In my experience, the RAF practice tests are a good intro to such calculations. Problem is, the numbers given can be broken down into easy to work with numbers. As mentioned before in a previous post, you have to practice working with numbers that cannot be broken down and require being mentally solved as is. In other words, if all you do is RAF practice tests online, become well versed in breaking down the question into easy to work with numbers and then are faced with numbers that cannot be broken down, you'll waste time, be overwhelmed and not as successful.
    RAF helps with understanding the problem and develops simplifying the problem by looking for common denominators. I would copy the problem structure, use less than 'ideal' numbers, and work on them that way.

Can you give me an example of how you would break down 155/90 so you can divide it mentally? Or is it not possible?

How do you do similar questions that can't be broken down? Visualizing long division?

 

[Roger123]

Visualizing long division. I get 1.72 from 155/90. Dont need to go further than that. 155/90 = 1 with remainder 65 bring down the zero. Decimal place. 650 divide by 90 is 7 with remainder 20 ( 650- 630= 20, 90* 7 = 630) . Bring down the zero. 200 divide by 90 = 2 remainder 20.
You get 1.72

 

[Overboard]

Can you give me an example of how you would break down 155/90 so you can divide it mentally? Or is it not possible?

How do you do similar questions that can't be broken down? Visualizing long division?

90 goes into 155 once (Answer is 1).
155-90=65. 90 cant go into 65, so add a zero to 65.
90 goes into 650 7 times (Answer is 1.7).
7*90= 630. 650-630=20. 90 doesn't go into 20, so add a zero.
90 goes into 200 2 times (Answer is 1.72).
9*2=180. 200-180=20.
As above, 90 can't go into 20, so we go back to 200. You can see that this will repeat itself forever, so the answer is 1.722 repeating.

 

[AliTheAce]

Excellent, exactly what I was looking for. Thank you guys! Really appreciate the help

 

[RADOPSIGOPACCISOP]

I don't remember dealing with numbers that are not generally round.

Not exactly sure how the tests corrects it, but I would not waste too much time trying to get accurate answers to the 4th decimal point. You will have too much to do that getting your mind lost in one question will sink you.

If you are stumped just make a ballpark guess and move on. It's somewhere between 2 and 1.5, then put in 1.75 and move on to the next question.

 

[Caronh]

Well, I just finished ACS today and I apparently did very well and qualified for Pilot, AEC and ACSO! Was a surreal feeling walking out of the testing building.

My $0.02: Panic is unavoidable. At some point in the test, you'll panic and see red and nothing will register in your brain anymore. Numbers dont have meaning and easy calculations get bogged down in brain fog. Being able to mentally reset as quickly as possible is as important as the other qualities you are being tested for.

Also go to bed early and plan for >8 hours in bed, cause you'll definitely be turning around for half of it before you actually fall asleep or wake up in the middle of the night like me

 

[AliTheAce]

Well, I just finished ACS today and I apparently did very well and qualified for Pilot, AEC and ACSO! Was a surreal feeling walking out of the testing building.

My $0.02: Panic is unavoidable. At some point in the test, you'll panic and see red and nothing will register in your brain anymore. Numbers dont have meaning and easy calculations get bogged down in brain fog. Being able to mentally reset as quickly as possible is as important as the other qualities you are being tested for.

Also go to bed early and plan for >8 hours in bed, cause you'll definitely be turning around for half of it before you actually fall asleep or wake up in the middle of the night like me

Wow, congratulations!

How much preparation did you do before? How comfortable did you feel fore walking into the testing building?

Also, would you be able to just take a quick test on speeddistancetime.info and let me know what your time and score was? I just wanna gauge how well-prepared I am.

 

[Caronh]

Wow, congratulations!

How much preparation did you do before? How comfortable did you feel fore walking into the testing building?

Also, would you be able to just take a quick test on speeddistancetime.info and let me know what your time and score was? I just wanna gauge how well-prepared I am.

Prepared for ~2-3 months using pilotaptitudetest.com and SDT questions. Going in the building and sitting in the wait room was horrible, but once I got started, I got in the zone and everything else kinda faded away.

As for SDT, I never really was quick at them, averaging 5-20s for the easier ones and almost a minute for the more difficult ones. I was more concerned about getting them correctly than being the quickest and that strategy worked apparently. Gotta be great at everything else though to not fail.

One thing I'd change is do more till Im <30s on all practice questions.

 

[AliTheAce]

Prepared for ~2-3 months using pilotaptitudetest.com and SDT questions. Going in the building and sitting in the wait room was horrible, but once I got started, I got in the zone and everything else kinda faded away.

As for SDT, I never really was quick at them, averaging 5-20s for the easier ones and almost a minute for the more difficult ones. I was more concerned about getting them correctly than being the quickest and that strategy worked apparently. Gotta be great at everything else though to not fail.

One thing I'd change is do more till Im <30s on all practice questions.

I see, thanks.

Did you purchase a subscription for pilotaptitudetest.com?

And I'm guessing you practiced only mental math, since there wasn't really anything else you could practice for?

 

[Caronh]

I see, thanks.

Did you purchase a subscription for pilotaptitudetest.com?

And I'm guessing you practiced only mental math, since there wasn't really anything else you could practice for?

Yes bought premium, as they have plenty of psychometric tests of varying difficulty and questions on math logic, science, etc. Way I saw it was like buying a book for university, so it wasn't really a tough decision haha.

And yes, everytime I had to do SDT, I would do it mentally because like they said in the study guide, you won't have access to writing aids, so might as well practice like you play.

Best of luck to you!

 

[Rip10793]

Good Day,

I never got the opportunity to properly thank all of the individuals whom have posted any form of advice in this thread.
I passed ACS back in June-2017 and it was as nerve-wrecking as everyone had mentioned it would be. However, with that said, I thoroughly enjoyed the testing portion and it was my downtime that caused me to overthink the what-ifs.

As an applicant, I was treated with the utmost respect and was offered sage advice by many of the members on the base. All were friendly and willing to speak about their experiences, in their respective trades, and provide answers to any questions I had regarding my selected trade.

The two nights I spent on base for ACS I vividly remember not being able to sleep for the life of me. I probably got 3-4hrs of fully interrupted sleep the first night and 2-3hrs the following night.

Overall, there was a group of ~17 applicants during my ACS, IIRC. We were all as nervous as the next but my mentality and preparation had prepared me for the best and the worst. I studied to my hearts content and remembered to breath as the testing was being conducted ;D
After the testing had concluded, being the ~9th person to finish, I walked to the briefing room and took a seat. One by one the applicants were being called... all prior to myself had come back with no success, for PLT, and my mind was bouncing from one place to the next not knowing what to think.

Then came my turn...
After being seated in the small room I was notified that I had made ACSO/AEC but there was a question and an excruciatingly long pause prior to receiving the answer for how I had done for PLT. 30 seconds passed, what felt like an entirety, and this was when my heart began to beat out of my chest and the muscles in my face were fully flexed. I made the cut. I couldn't stop smiling for the life of me and was dumbfounded when asked if I had any questions. I go back and try to be as humble but two of the applicants from my slot, after noticing my gleaming smile, come up to me to ask, or more so tell, "You got PLT, didn't you?" to which I give a nod and still was unable to compile any conceivable words 

Out of my ACS I was the only one to have qualified for PLT.

TL;DR
Barely slept, passed for ACSO/AEC/PLT, was the only one in the slot to meet PLT standard, enjoyed the experience and am looking forward to what the future brings.