What are DGCA Navigation Questions?
DGCA conducts a regular and an on demand exam every month. One of the Subject of these exams is Air Navigation. Navigation questions are asked in this. The difficulty level of the Navigation questions varies in every attempt and is not consistent. Sometimes the questions are easy but sometimes hard. The difficulty level cannot be predicted. The navigation questions are divided in three parts which consist of General Navigation, Radio Navigation and Instrument Navigation.
What chapters are important for navigation Questions?
In order to ace in this exam you should do every chapter. Most students give priority to just numerical questions but the theoretical questions are equally important to ace in this exam. Even though all chapters are important, you should give priority to chapters where numerical questions come from.
What are the type of questions asked in this exam?
- Time, Speed, Distance: these include questions like if an aircraft is flying at a particular ground speed and has to cover a given amount of distance then how much time it will take to cover the distance. Any of the values can be asked.
- Wind Triangle Questions: these include questions which mostly require the use of CX3. You will be given desired track, True Air Speed, Wind Direction, Wind Speed and can be asked to find magnetic heading, ground speed, cross wind and vice versa.
- Ground Speed and True Air Questions: These are the most straight forward navigation questions. You will be given TAS and headwind and have to find ground speed. The values can be just plugged into CX3 to get the answers.
- Fuel Calculations: These are also one of the easiest navigation questions but are important as well. DGCA usually asks fuel calculation questions from Keith Williams. The topic can get complex as well. Sometimes the questions are straight forward fuel consumption questions but sometimes you have to take into account taxi fuel, take of fuel for which you have to understand a whole hierarchy.
Why Students Fail this Exam? Are Navigation Questions that Hard?
Navigation Exam is one of the hardest exams in the whole DGCA exam series, but there is a catch — it is still easier than any of your Class 12 or 10th Board Exam.
Some students spend 15 days to study for this exam while some spend months to pass this exam. But then why are students who gave board exams failing this exam?
The answer is quite simple — it is the lack of quality education and the lack of content on how to solve the numericals.
Students find solving numericals the hardest in this exam.
If your instructor is teaching you some theory and you slept in the class, you can still just read the topic yourself and pass the exam. But for numericals, the story is different.
If one didn't pay attention while they are being taught how to solve them, you probably won't be able to do it — not even after reading books on how to solve them.
It is important to choose a good ground school for DGCA classes. The ground school should provide recorded lectures on how to solve numericals.
Some students understand in one go, but some need to learn again and again.
One of the reasons student pilots quit is not passing the Navigation exam.
Why Use CX3 for Solving Navigation Questions?
If you are serious about giving this exam, one thing which you should just blindly get if you are planning to give this exam is CX3!
Unlike other DGCA exams, Navigation is the most time-consuming exam, and this is where CX3 comes in. It will help save a lot of time while solving the questions.
You may use an E6B as well, but you may run out of time while solving navigation questions which require calculating air density, fuel, wind components — all of which can be retrieved using CX3 in seconds.
While buying a CX3 might seem like an overkill for just solving Navigation questions, it will also be used during CPL/PPL training no matter which country you are training in.
Even for planning cross-country trips during CPL training, CX3 is used to accurately prepare flight plans.
In Navigation questions, you will encounter problems like calculating how much time or fuel it will take to travel from one airport to another while considering wind, temperature, and other factors.
The same concepts are applied in actual flying, making CX3 not just an exam tool but a real-world aviation instrument.
You can buy CX3 here.
Common Student Mistakes
- Spending too much time per question: The Air Navigation exam is the most time consuming exam. Some questions are designed to take a lot of time. Due to this many students are not able to finish their exam. It is important to manage your time. One strategy which students follow is to answer all the theoretical and direct numerical questions before and then proceed to the complex time consuming questions.
- Not using CX3 properly: Get a CX3 right now instead of using the online version. Developing the habit of using CX3 and knowing where to navigate in the device is important to solve navigation questions quickly.
- Confusing TAS and GS: It is worth noting that even though the two are similar but are different. Many students confuse between the two and end up getting the wrong answer. Sometimes students do get the right answer by using the vice versa values but many a times the values can differ a lot and end up getting you the wrong answer.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Are DGCA navigation questions difficult: This depends on the topic. Some topics are fairly easy and you can get the answer with direct plotting in CX3 while some questions can get complex.
- How many numericals come in navigation exam? There is no exact weightage determined but it is usually about 30-50%.
- Is CX3 allowed in DGCA exam? Yes, you can carry a CX3 and also a calculator. Sometimes invigilators are not aware of it and may ask you not to use them. Get in touch with relevant authorities in this case.
- Can I pass navigation without coaching? It is totally on you. While the other subjects can easily be passed without coaching as they contain theoretical questions, the navigation exam is the most difficult and coaching is recommended for it. Many students are still able to pass by studying on their own using free resources.
- How to solve navigation questions fast? One strategy to follow is to solve the theoretical questions. For the numericals, practice, practice and practice and make a habit of using CX3.