Operational Procedures and Radiotelephony
What you must know
Learn standard phraseology, call signs, and the readback requirement for clearances. Study ATC clearances, position reporting, and the standard circuit. Know emergency procedures: MAYDAY (distress) and PAN-PAN (urgency), transponder codes 7500 (unlawful interference), 7600 (radio failure), 7700 (emergency). Study lost communication procedures, intercept procedures, and the use of the phonetic alphabet and standard numbers. Learn pre-flight and in-flight operational checks, fuel management, and passenger briefing. Study runway incursion avoidance and the sterile cockpit.
Traps
Questions test the difference between MAYDAY and PAN-PAN, and the correct readback of runway, altitude, and heading instructions. Another trap: a clearance to "line up and wait" is not a take-off clearance. Also, after radio failure in IMC, follow the published lost-communication procedure and squawk 7600.
Worked example
You are cleared: "PR-ABC, runway 27, line up and wait." The correct readback is "Line up and wait, runway 27, PR-ABC." You must not begin take-off until a take-off clearance is issued.
Rule of thumb
Read back all runway, altitude, heading, and frequency instructions. When unsure, ask - never assume.