CAA NZ AME Licence Exam - Turbine Engines (Subject 6) exam-day guide
CAA NZ AME Licence Exam - Turbine Engines (Subject 6) · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Photo identification
Bring the same government-issued photo ID you used at booking (passport or driver licence). Name must match the enrolment exactly. If you have changed your name or your ID is expired, confirm the accepted-document policy with the provider before test day.
Admission or booking confirmation
Print or download the confirmation email showing your candidate number, subject, date, time, and venue. Have it accessible on your phone as a backup, but do not rely on phone access alone in case devices are collected at the door.
Approved calculator
Turbine engine questions involve pressure ratios, temperature rise, thrust, and specific fuel consumption. Confirm with the provider which calculator models are permitted and whether a basic non-programmable calculator is supplied. Do not bring programmable or graphing models unless explicitly allowed.
Stationery and scratch materials
Bring several pens or pencils and an eraser if the test is paper-based. Scratch paper is usually supplied and collected; confirm whether you may bring your own and whether notes must be surrendered.
No notes, books, or phone in the test room
Subject 6 is closed-book. Leave revision notes, technical manuals, smart watches, and phones outside the room or in the designated locker. Confirm the provider's rule on bags and devices at check-in.
Know the formula and unit conventions
Revise the relationships you will need: pressure ratio, thermal and propulsive efficiency, thrust from mass flow and velocity change, and SFC. Check whether answers are expected in SI units and how many significant figures or decimal places are accepted. Confirm the marking convention with the provider if it is not stated in the candidate handbook.
Venue and travel plan
Confirm the exact building, room, and arrival time with the provider. Do a route check the day before, allow for traffic and parking, and identify a backup transport option. Arrive early; late entry rules vary and must be confirmed with the provider.
Rest and hydration plan
A multi-hour technical paper rewards steady concentration. Plan a normal night's sleep, a light meal before the test, and water. Confirm with the provider whether water bottles and snacks are allowed at the desk and whether toilet breaks stop the clock.
Medical or access arrangements
If you need extra time, a separate room, or other adjustments, these are normally arranged in advance and are not granted on the day. Confirm the approval and any supporting documentation with the provider well before the test.
Review the syllabus scope one last time
Skim the published Subject 6 topic list so you know which areas are examinable: engine fundamentals, compressors, combustion, turbines, exhaust, lubrication, fuel systems, starting and ignition, and performance. Do not attempt new topics in the final hours; consolidate what you already know.
Timing strategy for question types
Decide in advance how you will allocate time across multiple-choice and written or calculation questions, and how long you will spend on a stuck item before moving on. Confirm the total duration, number of questions, and whether there is negative marking with the provider.
Emergency contact and provider details
Save the provider's phone number and your booking reference. If illness or transport failure threatens attendance, call as early as possible; rescheduling and refund rules are set by the provider and must be confirmed with them.
Plan the day
Stop learning new material. Work through your own summary sheets on compressor surge and stall, combustion chamber types, turbine blade cooling, and engine performance relationships. Do a timed practice paper under exam conditions to check pacing, then mark it and list only the two or three weak areas worth revisiting.
Confirm logistics in writing: venue address, start time, reporting time, ID requirements, permitted calculator, and any access arrangements. Check that your ID is valid and the name matches the booking. Resolve any discrepancy now, not on the day.
Do a focused review of calculation methods: pressure and temperature ratios, isentropic efficiency, thrust, and specific fuel consumption. Practise unit conversions and check how many significant figures you will quote. Re-read your own error log from practice papers rather than starting fresh topics.
Pack your bag: ID, confirmation, approved calculator, pens and pencils, eraser, water if permitted. Lay out clothes and plan the route and departure time. Do one light revision pass over summary notes only, then stop. Aim for a normal night's sleep rather than a late cramming session.
Check the provider's website or email for any last-minute change to venue, time, or rules. Charge your phone but plan to leave it outside the test room. Set two alarms.
Eat a proper breakfast, hydrate, and arrive at the venue with time to spare. Avoid last-minute discussion of answers with other candidates, which raises anxiety and can confuse details you already know. Keep revision to a brief glance at your summary sheet before entering the building.
Present your ID and confirmation, follow the invigilator's instructions on devices and bags, and locate your seat. Read any instruction sheet carefully, note the total time and question count, and ask the invigilator only about procedural matters, not technical content.
Read the whole paper or section first if permitted, then work in passes: answer confident questions first, flag calculations that need care, and return to harder items. For calculations, write the formula, substitute with units, and sanity-check the magnitude of the answer. For descriptive questions, use precise terminology such as surge, stall, creep, and blade cooling, and structure answers in short labelled points.
Check that every question has an answer, transfer or confirm flagged answers, and verify units and significant figures on calculations. Do not change answers on impulse unless you have a clear technical reason.
Note which topics felt uncertain while memory is fresh, for future modules or retakes. Confirm with the provider how and when results are released and what the pass mark and appeal process are, since these are set by the provider and not assumed here.
Rules to check
Bring valid photo ID matching your booking and present it on request. Candidates without acceptable ID may be refused entry; confirm the accepted documents and the procedure for name changes with the provider.
The examination is closed-book. Do not bring notes, technical manuals, phones, smart watches, or other unauthorised devices into the test room. Follow the invigilator's instructions on where to store personal items.
Use only the calculator model permitted by the provider and show your working for calculation questions where the paper requires it. Unsupported answers may lose method marks; confirm the marking scheme with the provider.
Arrive by the reporting time stated in your booking. Late arrival, admission after the start, and any extra time granted are at the provider's discretion and must be confirmed with them.
Raise your hand and wait for the invigilator if you need to leave the room. Confirm with the provider whether toilet breaks are supervised and whether the clock stops during them.
Any access arrangements, extra time, or separate-room provision must be approved in advance. They are not normally granted on the day; confirm the application deadline and evidence required with the provider.
Do not communicate with other candidates during the test, and do not remove question papers, answer sheets, or scratch material from the room unless the invigilator permits it.
Scoring, the pass mark, and the number of attempts permitted are set by the provider and may change. Confirm the current pass criteria, result timeline, and appeal or resit process with the provider rather than relying on second-hand information.