This procedure describes the process and the rules to be followed in order to get ratings through succeeding exams on the IVAO Network. The minimum conditions (number of hours required, theoretical exams, practical exams, etc.). of access to the exams are specific to ATC and pilots.
For all exams, you are expected to complete the exam alone without any external human help.
These conditions are detailled in the tables below:
Depending on the rating, you may have to pass
The exams can be requested via "My Personal Details" at the bottom of your profile.
The Training department guarantees the confidentiality of test content and results. This rule applies to all staff involved in training and, more broadly, to any member involved in an exam.
The Training department strictly prohibits the communication and dissemination of the content of all exams, whether theoretical or practical.
Any theoretical exam consists of 20 multiple-choice questions (MCQ) you will have to answer in a maximum of 45 minutes. The language used for questions and answers is only English.
The questions are mainly made from our extended training documentation material which can be found in our Training HQ database.
All questions are based on ICAO Rules and Regulations if not stated otherwise in the question.
Each question includes at least 4 proposed answers among which only one is correct.
You have a maximum of 45 minutes to submit your answers. Should you exceed this limit, the exam will be automatically recorded as failed and noted 0 point. If no answer is sent, the exam is cancelled and cannot be re-requested before a deadline automatically assigned on your exam page.
You can submit your answers as often as you want during the 45 minutes of the exam. Only the last submission will be taken into account. We greatly recommend you submit your examination form on a regular basis in order to avoid to be marked 0 if you are disconnected or if you exceed the 45 minutes limit.
Our system does not allow the resetting of theoretical exams. Consequently, the Training department will always refuse to reset unfilled or timed out exams.
In order to shorten the time for applying again, members should save their answers on a regular basis so as to avoid the exam being marked 0 point if a disconnection or a time out happen.
Note : If the question uses an image that is not visible in your browser, you can open the image in a new tab.
The evaluation of the exam is automated by a script run by the HQ training department. You will received the result by mail (mail address declared on your IVAO profile):
- each question will be scored 0 point when the answer is failed.
- each question will be scored 5 points when the answer is correct.
The pass-mark for the exam is 75 points with a maximum of 100 points (corresponding to at least 15 correct answers).
Note 1: Should your email address needs to be changed, you shall contact the membership department (members@ivao.aero) before requesting your exam.
Note 2: All exam information (i.e. applicant answers, marks, and references) will be available for consultation (from the exam number) as long as your exam is marked 50 points or higher.
As far as the theoretical exam is marked as success, no delay is required between theoretical and practical parts of the same level.
As the evaluation is automatic, it is not subject to manual validation by the Training HQ department.
The content of the exams is detailed in the following briefing guides available in our Training HQ database:
You shall consult your division website or contact your division training coordinators (TC/TAC) about any specific examination rules applicable for your division.
Please also consult your national regulation of your division in order to know specific requirement for all exams: Division national regulation.
For any exams, you shall used only one approved IVAO software. The list of approved software is available here
The practical exams can be requested via "My Personal Details" at the bottom of your profile .
When you ask an exam, you shall:
Your exam will be automatically assigned to an examiner in your division based on his/her ratings.
However, your divisional TC/TAC may re-assign your exam to another divisional examiner.If there is no divisional examiners owing the proper rating for your exam, it will be assigned by the TD/TAD to another examiner.
This process is manual and can take several days. Therefore, you should wait to be contacted directly by your examiner.
Be careful to check your IVAO registered email since it will be the only one your examiner will use to contact you and arrange the practical details. You can check this information on your personal details page. If your email address needs to be changed, you should mail the membership directors (MD/MAD) before requesting your exam (a link is provided on your page).
Requests for practical exams are only possible for members of active divisions. Members of inactive divisions will have to change to an active division in order to get higher ratings (R&R 4.6.2.1)
Any practical exams shall be done at the latest 1 month after applying for it. Refrain you from asking for an exam if you know you will be unavailable for a long time (vacation, school or professional obligations, Internet unavailability, etc).
Limited availability could result in exam cancellation. Reactivation of a cancelled exam can be done only by writing a mail to the HQ Training Directors (TD/TAD).
In the event of a cancelled exam, the examinee may request to reset the exam according to the specifications eventually given in the exam comments, by contacting training@ivao.aero.
Your practical exam will be evaluated by your examiner(s) in accordance with the published exam briefings and the HQ Training guidelines.
As a last part of the exam, the examiner(s) will propose a debriefing where the examinee will be able to self assess his/her performance and the examiner will then provide a detailed assessement. This will be summarized in the exam report which will be submitted by the examiner.
For pedagogical reasons, some divisions propose exams conducted over public communication channels (e.g. discord). The examinee may refuse this by notifying the examiner prior to the exam.
The filled evaluation grid, together with some details and comments, is included in a separate report for the attention of the HQ Training validator.
Be aware that the exam result is not set before it has been validated.
For exams involving staff members, it is mandatory to have an observer present in addition to the assigned examiner.
The observer, who must be an active IVAO examiner holding the 'Approved Examiner' badge, may be:
The exam date, time, and proposed observer must be reported to HQ Training at least seven days in advance, although shorter notice may be accepted in special cases.
The HQ Training Department, which can assign a different observer, will provide an approval number that must be included in the exam report. Exam reports without this approval number may be rejected during validation.
For educational purposes, an exam may be observed by members, but this is subject to specific conditions.
Observation by training staff from other divisions, who are not part of the HQ Training Department, must be requested in advance and is usually welcome.
The presence of members who do not own the tested rating is restricted and left to the examiner's discretion based on training relevance.
All observers are expected to behave in a manner that ensures their presence does not disturb the exam at any time.
It is the responsibility of both the examinee and the examiner to grant access to the observer on the exam voice channel, especially if the exam is not on a public ATC channel. The examiner remains responsible for the confidentiality of certain parts of the exam and may, as such, open restricted communication channels.
After evaluation, the exam report submitted to the HQ-Training department is manually assigned to a validator who is a member of the HQ-Training department.
The validation of a practical exam is a critical step to ensure fairness and consistency across all divisions.
In general, the validator is the Training mentor of the division. The list of HQ Training mentors for each division is available on this link.
Note that some delay may occur between exam completion and final result in case examiner and validator have to share some information and/or discuss some marks.
In the event of an abnormally long delay in the validation process, members may contact either their examiner, validator or training@ivao.aero. However, no specific details will be given on a forum or on Discord, as the Training department guarantees the confidentiality of exams.
If your exam result is a SUCCESS:
The new rating will be automatically updated within 24 hours.
A waiting period of 60 days will be required before requesting an exam for the next rating.
If your exam result is a FAIL:
A waiting period is required between 2 exams:
- 15 days for practical exams validated between 51/100 and 74/100 (50/100 to 70/100 for theoretical exams),
- 30 days for practical exams validated between 1/100 and 50/100 (5/100 to 45/100 for theoretical exams),
- 90 days for exams validated with 0/100.
You must complete your exam alone, without any external human help.
Personal and IVAO documentation are not considered cheating. You are allowed to use documentation during your exams, but it will not be considered a reason for a failing grade.
If another person assists you during any exam, the HQ Training Department will classify it as cheating, and there will be no statute of limitations on this matter.
If cheating is discovered, the HQ Training Department will follow the cheating procedure:
In case of substantial doubt regarding an exam, HQ Training Directors will halt the exam validation process and may arrange an oral interview to assess the available information and decide on the next steps.
As no one should be excluded from doing exams on IVAO, the HQ Training Department offers to make special exceptions for users with disabilities, like deafness or muteness.
To be eligible to make a special exam, the member should contact the Divisional HQ and Training Coordinators, providing clear and detailed evidence of the concerned disability. The Divisional HQ and Training Coordinators will assess the request and prepare a detailed proposal of a specific procedure conformal to the situation of the member. This proposal should be transmitted to the Training mentor of the deivision, as well as to the HQ Training Director and HQ Training Assistant Director who will take the final decision about the request and the eventual conditions of the exam.
If you disagree with the result of a validated exam, you have the option to initiate an appeal process directly with the Training HQ department.
To proceed, and to ensure all your arguments are clearly understood, you must submit a complete appeal file. A template for this file is available online at this link. Include all relevant materials to support your observations.
Once your complete file is received, the TD/TAD will change the status of your exam to "validating" and assign two HQ Training members to review all the submitted materials. This process may take time as interviews may be conducted with various stakeholders.
After receiving the conclusions of the HQ Training members, the TD/TAD will communicate the outcome of your appeal. Based on the reviewing process, the initial result of your exam may either be upheld or modified. If modified, you may be required to retake the exam under the supervision of an HQ observer.
If the appeal procedure is found to be fraudulent, the cheating procedure will be applied immediately.
The appeal decision is final and cannot be appealed.
¶ AUTHORS
VID 208011 TD - Rewording and appeal procedure 09/12/24
VID 514786 TDM - Update 19/11/24
VID 150259 TDAM - Update 03/01/21 - New Wiki integration and rewording.
¶ COPYRIGHT and DISCLAIMER
This documentation is copyrighted as part of the intellectual property of the International Virtual Aviation Organisation.
The content of this documentation is intended for aviation simulation only and must not be used for real aviation operations.