Writing the exam part 2

 I’m doing Ok until I hit the navigation questions. My plan was to leave them until the end. They are time consuming and I don’t want to end up scrabbling at the end.

Part of the problem is that I’ve kind of blundered into them without noticing. I’d assumed that the 4 sections would be an even split, but there were only 20 questions in the air law section. Once I realise that I’m not approaching these questions methodically and with one nervous eye on the time, I make the decision to skip them all and tackle meteorology instead.

All the other sections done I return to my chart. Conscious of the fact that the thing makes a really loud noise when you shuffle it around, I go for the make-one-really-epic-noise-kerfuffle and get it folded into a size that fits on the desk without overlapping the entire planet rather than having to keep playing around with it. I spare a momentary thought for the poor guy behind me and the view he must be getting every time I stand up to lean over the chart to measure or mark it. I shrug it off, the charts are loud and large and everyone is going to run into the same issues eventually.

I mark as much info on the chart as I can circling features that are mentioned in questions, scrawling on angles and distances in case I need to refer back to them.

Eventually I finish all 100 questions. I take a moment to reflect, I have 90 minutes left. Time for a second run through. I carefully read each question and the answer I’ve selected. I’m mostly happy but I spot a few traps that I’ve been lured into. I correct and move on. There are some questions that I genuinely don’t know, some I can deduce a reasonable answer, others I can eliminate down to a 50/50 chance.

45 minutes left. I go through one last time. Not so much looking for incorrect answers (don’t want to fall into the trap of second guessing myself and changing answers that are in fact correct) but trying to get a handle on how well I think I’ve done, keeping a tally of the ones I’m unsure of.

Some sections are marginal as to whether I’ve done enough, but I genuinely don’t know what else I can do. I’ve double checked my calculations, triple checked my logic.

With a sense of foreboding I brace myself and click on the “done” button. That same irritating bleep warns me that I still have 35 minutes left. Shrugging my shoulders, I confirm and gather up my things. Trying not to sound like elephant crashing through a china shop as I fold up the chart.

Outside the room I hand over the folder to the woman on reception, she presses a few buttons on her computer and it spits out some paper. I turn away, retrieving my bag from the closet. I’m both anticipating and dreading the result.

Smiling she hands me the paper “you’ve passed, well done!”

“YES!!!!!!” I fist pump the air and may have done a little happy dance there and then (my mind blots out the really embarrassing stuff!). I immediately apologise to her and the other people waiting.

“That’s ok, celebrating is allowed.”  She assures me.

I wish the people waiting “good luck” and head back down to the outside world to find a quiet place to call RTH and pass on the good news.

All the way home I know I have a massive grin on my face the entire journey. I’m so relieved to have it done and out of the way. Time to celebrate.

I feel there should be some kind of ritual burning of “From the Ground Up” or something.