YVR In-person Assessment (Jan 2019)

[aslam]

Hi there... Just got my invite to the in-person assessment in Vancouver on Jan 23. That's only 9-days away!

Interesting note: it looks like they are NOT doing the FEAST for this session. Reason I say that is that about 2-3 hours after booking my time slot I received an e-mail with a link to the w-Sim preparation PDF. They wouldn't be sending that and asking us to study it if they were doing the FEAST and not going to even do the w-Sim test, right?

My big question for you fine folks is... can those of you who have gone through the NavCanada in-person assessment please share tips for how I can prepare for it? I have read the line that "you can't prepare for the test" but I feel like there must be something that I can do. Even if it is just to go through lots of practice questions that are "similar" in nature to the real ones so that my brain is used to seeing those types of questions and thinking in those ways. Does anyone know where I can find banks of such questions?

Also, is anyone else booked for the in-person assessment in Vancouver for this month? Feel like teaming up to prepare?

[flyboy987]

Make sure you find the W-sim easy, the actaul w-sim isn't much harder just more time consuming questions.

[wanderlust_xx]

Hi there, congrats on getting a seat at the assessment!

I am starting IFR training in April!
PM me and I can give you some detailed tips for the assessment
I wrote mine is May of last year.

Kelsey

[randomresponse]

Sent you a PM with some info

[estrela20]

I also sent a PM

[hopefulguy]

Not many days left... But hit me up on those pms guys. I would appreciate any help. I don't just wanna pass, I wanna ace the test

[marieh]

When did you originally submit you application? How long did it take to hear when you had passed your online assessment?

[rcminvcr]

Was invited to the May 2018 assessment and again to the Jan 2019 assessment. Unfortunately, no dates worked for me again due to work and being out of area.

I wrote the online assessment in Jan 2018, so will likely be doing that again soon and hope I can make an assessment sometime this year. I'm hoping that being invited twice is a good sign. I'm worried about being invited a 3rd time if i've already had to turn down dates twice.

On that note, good luck to everyone attending the assessment this week! Stay sharp, work hard!

[dbebz]

Why are you turning down dates? Not being rude, but this is almost a once in a lifetime opportunity and you really should try to make your schedule work. I'm not sure how it exactly works, but they probably don't like it if you repeatedly reject offers to write the assessment. If I were you I would try everything possible to make the dates (whether you must switch shifts at work, plan your vacation for another time, etc.)

[rcminvcr]

In theory, I completely agree with you.

Unfortunately, due to limitations of my current career (not a vacation planning issue ). Asked for the days off, but when the higher ups decline it due to training dates at work, my hands are a little tied. If the available dates included the weekend, no problem, already have the money set aside for flights the day I can make it out. Just bad timing and poor luck as most dates throughout the year could have worked.

Here's hoping

Until then, lots of material online available to study. More time to strengthen my application.

[hopefulguy]

Wow, I don't want to get nav Canada angry by revealing too much info about the test, but man it was brutal. Did any of you guys who passed the assessment already feel good about it?

I could only finish about half the sections, even for the easy first section I only got 49/50, and the arithmetic section 25/26... math is supposed to be my strong point, I had perfect scores in canadawide math contests back in high school way back in the day... altho I am very rusty, should have finished with time to spare, but still.

And the voicemail section... I know we shouldn't guess, seen so many people Gove that advice... But when your answer sheet has less than half the blanks filled, you start feeling nervous and really want to guess... I couldn't hold myself back =/ ended up guessing like 3 for a total of 12/24 questions answered... regretted it immediately. Should have just went with the 9.

I was hoping to ace the test, now I'm not even sure I'll pass lol. But good luck to people doing it tmrw, hope you find my info helpful.

And again, would love to hear your thoughts, people who already did it.

[B.Yeg28]

Wow, I don't want to get nav Canada angry by revealing too much info about the test, but man it was brutal. Did any of you guys who passed the assessment already feel good about it?

Hi Hopefulguy!

I did my in person assessment in YEG last July!
Don't get too down on yourself, I was about the same. The first test I got up to the last couple questions, and then I started answering less and less as the tests went on. I don't think I completed one test!
The listening one was 100% the hardest of the bunch and I only answered maybe 6 questions.

I think that the most important one would be the W-SIM test since they gave you the study material prior.

When I left the testing session I though I was done, there was no way I passed those tests but I made it all the way through and I am now waiting on an offer.

The tests are not graded like most, each test has a pass/ fail mark and no one knows what it actually is. So you could have gotten 40% on one test and still passed, where as another tests pass mark would be at 70% for example.

I'm sure you did great!
Let us know when you find out.

[wanderlust_xx]

Wow, I don't want to get nav Canada angry by revealing too much info about the test, but man it was brutal. Did any of you guys who passed the assessment already feel good about it?

Hey Hopeful,

I wrote in May and was sure I failed. I am horrible at math and guessed on what felt like half. Ran out of time for wSIM and also guessed on a few listening ones- tbink I answered maybe 6-7.... and I still passed!
I’m now starting IFR terminal in April... so don’t be too hard on yourself. The test is meant to be stressful and make you feel that way. It is not easy for anyone. Like I said, I was certain I failed.

[dbebz]

Wow, I don't want to get nav Canada angry by revealing too much info about the test, but man it was brutal. Did any of you guys who passed the assessment already feel good about it?

I was sure I bombed it, but somehow came out of it with a pass when I did it. I've failed the CBSA test before in the past so after doing this one, I was not confident at all. Don't stress over it. Just wait the week or two or whatever it takes until you find out!

[hopefulguy]

Thanks for the encouragement guys! Really appreciate it. I'm just a bit anxious of the pass or cut for each section... objectively I think I did very well for a couple of sections, probably well above the pass line. But I really screwed up voicemail because of guessing, and also the section I like to call "guess the letter". I literally guessed for like 90% of that section Lol, I had no clue.

But if it's just a pass/fail grade for each section, how do they decide who to invite for an interview? And which candidates score higher and are high up on the list of potential training invitation?

[randomresponse]

But if it's just a pass/fail grade for each section, how do they decide who to invite for an interview? And which candidates score higher and are high up on the list of potential training invitation?

When I did the assessment in YEG last year they said everyone who passed the assessment (which means getting the minimum score for each section, what ever that is) would be invited for a phone interview.

From what I understand (don't quote me) if you make it through both interviews and get into the pool, then your assessment scores will play a part in determining your rank to get an offer in your chosen stream.

[B.Yeg28]

But if it's just a pass/fail grade for each section, how do they decide who to invite for an interview? And which candidates score higher and are high up on the list of potential training invitation?

From what I remember, you have to pass each section, one fail on a section means you fail the whole thing.
Everyone that passes all section is then put into a pool and you WILL receive a phone interview. From there you are scored based off of you online test, in person assessment, resume, essay question/ cover letter and phone interview, the top people out of all of this will be invited to an in-person interview. & Then the real waiting game starts for an offer.
Its quite the process, just be patient and take one hurdle at a time.

[hopefulguy]

I see... REALLY helpful. Thank you guys so much! I guess I just have to hope most people couldn't tell how to guess the letter either lol.

[ty335499]

Anyone who sent PMs regarding the in-person assessment (w-sim, not FEAST) care to PM me as well with any info? Got an invitation for early March.

[hopefulguy]

Wait... in YVR? They're doing another one in early March?! That's like... just a bit more than 1 month! :O! But PM sent. Hope you find it useful.

Also... anyone get their results from the Jan assessment? Joanne did say it was going to be out last night, but I haven't received anything at all, whether pass or fail. Does that just mean I didn't pass?

[ty335499]

No, I should have clarified that it was in YQX, not YVR. Thanks so much for the PM.

[aslam]

@ty335499: if you’re doing your test in YQX, are you sure it is the older testing regime that includes the w-SIM? I thought the eastern regions had already switched over to the FEAST.

[aslam]

Also... anyone get their results from the Jan assessment? Joanne did say it was going to be out last night, but I haven't received anything at all, whether pass or fail. Does that just mean I didn't pass?

I’m still waiting also. She had promised that we would be informed either way (successful/unsuccessful) so I’m keeping my fingers crossed that it’s just a delay in getting the results collated and entered into the system. I’m thinking of emailing her if I haven’t heard by early next week. Let us know if you hear anything and I’ll do the same.

[rcminvcr]

Well, after having to turn away from 2 invites for an in-person assessment in YVR. This morning I was offered a spot to the assessment in YWG on Feb 21st.

Made the dates work and now have the time off to continue pursuing this. Feeling excited, nervous, and very blessed that this has worked out.

On that note, for anyone who has done the assessment, feel free to bombard PM me with tricks, tips, and advice.

[ty335499]

@ty335499: if you’re doing your test in YQX, are you sure it is the older testing regime that includes the w-SIM? I thought the eastern regions had already switched over to the FEAST.

They sent me the w-SIM practice, so I was just assuming i guess.