CyberExams
CASA style of exam questions
Examination Questions
CASA examinations are written to test the knowledge standards of a ‘well-prepared candidate’, which is defined as ‘one who has completed a well structured course, either under supervision or through self-study, based on a comprehensive coverage of the relevant syllabus, and who has demonstrated achievement sufficient, from a theoretical knowledge consideration, to ensure competent and safe standard of operations for all privileges of the licence or rating.’
Types of Examination Questions
Casa examinations have two types of questions, the multi-choice type and the supply-short-answer type. The latter is restricted to answers involving numerical values only. The CASA CyberExams Practice Examination has examples of these types of questions.
Multi-Choice Question (MCQ)
The MCQ poses a query (or problem) as well as provides a number of alternative answers (or options). The alternative answers may vary from three to a maximum of five. The candidates should select one of the alternative answers which he/she has determined as the correct (or nearest correct) answer for the question asked. This is done by ‘clicking’ the radio button besides the desired alternative answer.
- Eg. What is the lowest safety altitude from SHANGRILA to NIRVANA?
5000 feet
5400 feet
6300 feet
6700 feet
Supply-Short-Answer Question
This type of question poses a query and provides a blank space for the candidate to type in the answer. The required answer is restricted to numerical values only.
- Eg. What is the lowest safety altitude from SHANGRILA to NIRVANA?
- feet
- Note 1: The candidate does not need to type in the qualifying value ‘feet’ (or ‘km’ or ‘kg’, etc)
- Note 2: The only punctuation required is the decimal point (as in ‘10.3 degrees’). A comma to denote values of a thousand or more (as in ‘102,000 kg’) is NOT required, and must NOT be entered.
Stand Alone
All questions are 'stand alone', that is, they are not linked to one another and therefore will neither affect nor be dependent upon the answers of other questions.
Marks
The questions in an examination may be of either equal or different marks. The marks awarded to a question are based on the degree of complexity (time involved in answering it), and may range from 1 to 5. In the examination, the question will indicate its allocated marks. CASA strongly advises candidates to take particular note of the marks for each question.
Total Marks per Subject Examination
The aggregate of the marks for the questions in a subject examination is the same for every candidate, though the questions may differ from candidate to candidate. The total marks form the examination’s maximum possible score.
Passing Score
The passing score for the examination is a defined percentage of its total marks. When the candidate’s percentage score is not a round figure, the rules of ‘rounding out’ shall be:
- If 0.5 or above, round up to higher whole digit - eg. 69.5 = 70%
- If 0.4 or below, round down to lower whole digit - eg 69.4 = 69%
Answer All Questions
Every question in an examination will be scored, therefore the candidate is advised to answer all or as many as possible. Where two questions (or more) appear to be, or even, similar, all should be answered.
No Penalty Marking
CASA does not practise penalty scoring for incorrectly answered MCQ.
Unanswered Question
An unanswered question is scored as incorrectly answered.
Objection to Questions
A candidate may not object to any examination question on the basis of his/her personal preference, opinion or limitations of his/her training.
Appeal Against a Question
The only exception to the rule of ‘answer all questions’ shall be when a candidate assesses that a question cannot be answered due to incomplete but essential data or information. The candidate shall report to CASA on the question’s lack of vital data or information as soon as possible after the examination. If the candidate’s post-examination report is valid, the question will be deleted (and not scored). If the question is correct and valid, the question will be scored.
Examination Time
The time allocated to an examination is based on the need for a ‘well-prepared’ candidate to answer all the questions. The candidate has sole responsibility in managing his/her examination time.
Working Calculations and Assessment
While working calculations in some questions may be necessary to arrive at the solution, these are not assessed. The scoring of the attempt is based solely on the selection of the alternative answers. Therefore a candidate should exercise the utmost care when selecting or entering the preferred answers.
Re-Assessment
In the event of an application for a re-assessment, the review process does not examine the candidate’s workings. For security, the supervisor is required to destroy all loose papers after the examination. Unless the appeal is against a question having incomplete data or information, the sole criterion for deciding whether a question has been answered correctly, is by determining the candidate’s selection of an alternative answer for the question.
Deletion of Questions from a Paper
The Authority reserves the right to delete questions from an examination prior to or after the sitting, when there are valid reasons for doing so. However, the total time allocated for the Part remains unchanged.
Adjusted Score
When a question has been deleted, the total marks for the examination would be reduced by an amount equal to the marks of the question. The percentage score achieved by the candidate is based against the examination’s adjusted total marks. CASA may not award the marks of a deleted question to a candidate.
Disadvantaged Candidate
CASA may not award a Pass on the basis of a candidate being subjected to any alleged disadvantage such as disruption during the examination session, wrong material provided by supervisor, etc.
Examination Pass
To obtain a Pass in an examination the candidate must attain the required standard, as defined by the minimum passing score.
Examination Security
Candidates are reminded that examination questions and material provided are only for the examination sitting, and must not be copied or taken out of the examination room for study, training or any other purposes. This rule includes all calculations, writings, drawings or scribbling done on the scribble pad provided. Any breach of the rules may give CASA grounds for taking action against the candidate under CAR 298A, which action could lead to the outcome indicated in CAR 298A (5).