CAA NZ AME Subject 2: Aircraft Engineering Knowledge exam-day guide
CAA NZ AME Subject 2: Aircraft Engineering Knowledge · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Photo identification matching your booking name
Bring a current passport or government-issued photo licence. Ask the provider in advance which document types they accept, whether a name mismatch must be corrected before test day, and whether a digital licence on your phone is acceptable - most venues require a physical document. (needs_review: confirm accepted ID types and any name-change process with the provider.)
Exam booking confirmation / admission slip
Print or download the confirmation showing your candidate number, subject, venue, date and start time, and keep it with your ID. Confirm with the provider whether a printed copy is required or whether the email confirmation on your phone is enough - if phones are collected at the door, a paper copy is safer. (needs_review.)
Non-programmable calculator with fresh batteries
Subject 2 questions involve arithmetic, ratio and percentage work, unit conversions, triangle trigonometry, and basic electrical and mechanical relationships. Confirm with the provider which calculator models or functions are permitted (typically no programmable memory, no graphing, no symbolic algebra) and whether a spare calculator may be brought.
Spare batteries or a second approved calculator
A flat calculator mid-paper costs marks you cannot recover. Carry the correct battery type for your model and a second approved calculator if the provider allows it; have it inspected at the desk rather than swapping quietly mid-exam.
Pens, two 2B pencils, eraser and sharpener
Bring at least two dark-blue or black ballpoint pens for written answers and working, plus pencils if the paper uses a separate machine-read answer sheet. Written answers in pencil may not be accepted, so use pen for anything you want marked. Confirm the answer-sheet format with the provider. (needs_review.)
Transparent ruler, set square and protractor
Useful for vector diagrams, force polygons, bearing and angle questions, and for neatly annotating sketches of systems and structures. Clear plastic only, with no printed notes or stickers on the surface.
Plain non-smart watch
Many halls have no visible clock, and phone clocks are unavailable once devices are stored. A basic analogue or digital watch with no communication or smart features lets you pace sections. Confirm with the provider whether any watch type is restricted.
Any formula or data sheet the provider issues or permits
Ask in advance whether a formula/data sheet is supplied with the paper, whether you may bring your own annotated sheet, or whether formulas must be memorised. Do not assume - the answer changes your revision plan significantly. (needs_review: confirm with the provider.)
Water bottle and a snack for the scheduled break
Labels must normally be removed from bottles and the bottle placed on the floor or as directed. If the paper has a supervised break, plan a quick, low-sugar snack so you do not return sluggish for the second half.
Comfortable layers and a quiet, reliable timepiece-free arrival plan
Exam halls are often cold early and warm later; a removable layer keeps you comfortable without leaving your seat. Plan transport and parking in advance and aim to be in the building well before the reporting time - late arrival may mean refused entry, so confirm the cut-off with the provider. (needs_review on cut-off.)
Leave notes, textbooks and phone in a bag or locker
Any study notes, textbooks or annotated material must stay out of the exam room. Pack them in a bag you can leave at the designated area, and check at the door that nothing is in your pockets except permitted items.
Plan the day
Re-confirm venue address, reporting time, room number, ID requirements and permitted equipment with the provider in writing, then stop chasing new topics. Spend these three days on active recall and worked problems: unit conversions, mass/balance and percentage calculations, power and torque relationships, electrical resistance and power formulas, gas laws, and aerodynamic ratios. Time yourself on full-length practice papers so you know roughly how many minutes you can spend per mark.
Write a single-page summary from memory of the formulas, standard values and unit conversions you use most, then check it against your notes and correct the gaps. If the provider permits a reference sheet, this becomes your draft; if not, the act of building it is the revision. Practise sketching the systems that recur in engineering knowledge papers - fuel, hydraulic, pneumatic, electrical distribution, flight controls, landing gear and basic structural layouts - and label components from memory.
Plan the journey including parking, public transport timetables and a fallback route, and note a phone number for the venue. Shift your sleep and wake times toward the exam-day schedule, and keep the last two nights' study light so you arrive rested rather than over-caffeinated.
Pack the bag now: ID, confirmation, pens, pencils, eraser, sharpener, ruler, set square, protractor, watch, calculator plus spare batteries, water and snack. Test the calculator on a few sample sums and check it is cleared of any stored programs or notes. Do one light pass over your one-page summary, then stop - no new material, no late-night cramming.
Re-read the provider's exam instructions for the specific subject, check the reporting time against your transport plan, lay out clothes, and set two alarms plus a backup. Eat a normal meal and go to bed at your planned time; if you cannot sleep, rest quietly rather than studying.
Eat a proper breakfast, hydrate normally, and leave early enough to arrive 30-45 minutes before the reporting time. On arrival, store your bag and phone as directed, keep ID and confirmation in hand, and use any waiting time to look at your one-page summary - not to learn new content. Once seated, check that the paper is the correct subject and version, read the instruction page, and fill in every identification field before you turn to question one.
Scan the whole paper and note the mark allocation before starting. Answer the questions you are confident in first and flag anything longer than about a minute, so a hard calculation early cannot eat the time you need for easy marks later. For written technical answers, state the principle, apply it, and show the working with units at every step - method marks survive an arithmetic slip, a bare answer does not.
Return to flagged questions by descending mark value. Check every numerical answer for units, order of magnitude and physical plausibility - a cruise altitude in metres, a torque in newton-metres, a current in amperes - and re-read the question to ensure you answered what was asked. Reserve the last five to ten minutes to confirm numbering on the answer sheet matches the question paper, that no answer is blank where elimination is possible, and that your candidate details are complete. If you think a question is defective, note its number and raise it after the paper, not during it.
Rules to check
Bring physical photo identification that matches the name on your booking; if any detail has changed, resolve it with the provider before test day rather than at the door. Confirm the accepted document list with the provider. (needs_review.)
All electronics must be switched off and stored away from your desk unless explicitly permitted. Phones, smartwatches, earbuds and any device with communication, camera or storage features are normally prohibited at the desk even when switched off - the calculator is the only computing device you should expect to use. Confirm the exact rules with the provider.
Use only the material the provider permits at the desk: approved calculator, drawing instruments and any supplied or authorised formula sheet. Any other notes, textbooks or annotated material is unauthorised and may lead to removal from the exam; ask the invigilator rather than risk it.
Do not communicate with other candidates once the paper is issued - no borrowed equipment, no shared answers, no signalling. Raise your hand and wait for an invigilator if you need something or feel unwell.
Leaving during the timed paper is normally only allowed under supervision and is typically restricted in the first and last part of the session; ask the provider about their exact breaks and withdrawal policy before the day. (needs_review: confirm timing of any supervised break and the toilet-escort procedure.)
Scoring and pass criteria are set by the licensing authority and the provider, not the venue; confirm whether there is a single overall pass mark or a minimum per section, whether marks are deducted for wrong multiple-choice answers, and when and how results are released. (needs_review: confirm pass standard and results timeline with the provider.)
If you believe a question is ambiguous, mis-keyed or outside the published syllabus, answer it as best you can, note the question number on your working paper, and raise it formally with the provider afterwards. Do not stop your paper or dispute it with the invigilator mid-exam.
This is an independent study guide, not an official publication, and rules can change between exam sessions. Where any item here conflicts with the provider's written instructions, the provider's instructions apply.