FOI Question
 

During the flight portion of a practical test, the examiner simulates complete loss of engine power by closing the throttle and announcing simulated engine failure. What level of learning is being tested?
A- Application.
B- Correlation.
C- Understanding.

I'm taking the American Flyers online FIRC and when I chose A-Application it was marked wrong. When I looked at the reading material it said the answer was B-Correlation. I also looked at the Jeppessen Flight Instructor Manual and it agrees with me. Any thoughts?

I guess I would consider that one to be correlation. Application would be the process of dealing with the engine-out, ie the checklist procedures. Correlation is more situational...doing the right thing at the right time.

Rote: Memorize the Checklist
Understanding: Know the reason for each checklist procedure
Application: Practicing the flow in the airplane (maybe on the ground)
Correlation: Executing the flow and checklist during a flight scenario, after recognizing the need.

Actually for correlation, the instructor should have just pulled the power and kept his mouth shut to allow the student to recognize the problem.

Of course the Flyers ground materiel is always suspect for errors...don't trust it.

Correlation is the correct answer and I admit I saw this post and thought about it for quite a while. You could see it as a test of a student's ability to recite a rote memory checklist procedure in an engine out situation, and it tests that ability, but remember FAA questions are written to offer several valid answers and you are supposed to find the BEST answer. More than one answer may have some percentage of validity. In this case a student is beyond rote memorization and is requested to make a discrimination about wind direction, altitude, location, and timing. So it goes beyond the rote level. It does not reach the "understanding" level though because an engine out test is a reactionary test and it has nothing to do with deeper knowledge of cause and effect.

For it to reach that level, there would have to be some element of analysis of cause of potential causes of engine failure, and that is out of the question because the DPE simply pulled the throttle. Nothing very deep about that. You could extend the question to the correlation level by saying, you have just lost power and it was not from me pulling the throttle, it was from something else and by the way we just passed through a cold front.

I thought correlation was higher than understanding? No?

Yes you are correct. Semantics aside, the highest level is where there is interrelatedness between the blocks of learning. To use my own example of passing through a cold front, weather theory would be interrelated to engine failure. As the engine moves from high density air to low, a richer stiochiometry is required.

Yup...correlation is the right one. Basically correlation is when you put all your s$%% together, that being knowledge, previous experiences etc and make a whole out of that to solve your engine failure.:rolleyes:

TI-