DGCA Exams failure

Failing my dgca exams- First attempt

Introduction

Since I got my SPL or Student pilot license, which was 2 months ago, my instructors cleared me to go write the DGCA exams.

I have already written on dgca exams in the section how to be a pilot, so you can get your further information out there.

Let me give you a brief of what I did in the two months. Took a lot of photocopies of Aviation books involving air regulations and meteorology from the schools library. (as buying a new one was totally beyond budget). I studied day and night and for the first time in my life, stuck to a daily timetable when it came to studies. Also, totally avoided meeting or going out with friends. Basically I dedicated last 2 months of my life to clear these 2 exams!!.

These 2 exams are considered relatively easy compared to the other aviation exams. My seniors, batchmates and even instructors said, not to bother so much about these exams. I also researched on the pass rate in these exams and its hardly 20-25%. Well 20% isn’t a very convincing number. I went to DGCA to find out further the complete syllabus of the air regulations and meteorology exams , and also to my surprise I found out that DGCA recommends books you should study from for DGCA exams. I studied day and night,  book after book, point after point. And finally the day to give the exam came!!.

The DGCA Exam is finally here

I got my exam centre in an AME school near Marthahalli(A place in Bangalore, India), and first DGCA exam was at 1000 hrs and the next one at 1500 hrs. On the day of the exam I woke up slightly late than my usual, got ready and caught a bus. Infact, I was unusually hungry that morning, which made me eat two masala dosas and a filter coffee. I reached the centre at 0930 and saw a huge crowd. This made me realise something which I had never thought of before!!. Its the amount of competition I’m going to face in the future. I didn’t even know so many people wanted to be pilots.

Most of the people I saw had buried their face into the books and were chanting out regulations like prayers. Some of the guys were not bothered, I guess they had just given up and were giving the DGCA exams just for the sake of it. A few of them had made circles in the corner smoking away their worries. Amidst all this I walked across in utter confidence.

DGCA Exam time and the wait…

The time finally came, and I started the exam with a small prayer to god. And also in my arrogance I told god, let me pass only if I deserve it. Well I was overconfident about the result even before I wrote the exam. Both the exams went pretty well. There were a few confusing questions, but I was confident it wouldn’t stop me from passing. I forgot to tell you about the pass percentage, you need 70 out of 100 to pass these exams, which is pretty high, but my confidence made it all seem too low!!. I also went on to brag in front of my seniors about how well I had done in these papers.

A few days passed. Normally it takes close to 20-25 days for the result to come in. This time it came in 15. It was 12pm this afternoon, when the CGI or the chief ground instructor came and announced that the results were out. I was totally excited about this. And also most of my seniors haven’t been able to clear this exam yet, so I figured I’m going to leave them behind!!. The results were opened, and we all saw our results one by one. As per seniority I came last, so finally my turn came.

Failure

After impatient searching, I found my name, and immediately I was in deep pain. I had passed only one of the exams. I had failed air regulations by 2 marks. More than failing what gave me more pain is, I have to study all this again. Off-course people made fun of me. Imagine, even the cook asked me about the results. This is the kind of expectations people had from me. I couldn’t tell this at home, the consequences of letting my parents know that I had failed in a professional aviation DGCA Exam, wouldn’t be so good. But humiliation was a part of my life now, so It didn’t matter, but oh no!! I have to study the same thing once again!!. With a heavy heart, I walked back to my room this afternoon keeping my head low. I decided to skip lunch and get some sleep.

Now, I woke up an hour ago, and I’m finding words to write about my failure. Im also feeling scared about how my parents are going to take it!!. Why did good do this to me?? .Did I do something wrong??. Didn’t I put in enough efforts??. All these questions are rattling in my head.

Conclusion

I just went back and read through this post and I realised a few things. In life, you will fail, everyone does, and theres no other choice than trying again and keep moving forward. Failing DGCA Exams is not the end of anything, I can and I will try again and pass it too. No matter how hard you try certain things will only happen in its time. I remember a song that my mother used to sing to me, its a verse from the bible-

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; A time to love, and a time to hate; A time of war, and a time of peace.

4 thoughts on “Failing my dgca exams- First attempt”

  1. Same pinch man, exactly the same thing happened with me as well i tried to appear in all four exams at once after pandemic and wont be able to clear any. I was also overconfident. I just read your story and felt like its mine. I am trying my best and preparing for the next exam!!

  2. All the best buddy… Remember the best is yet to come.. keep going.. enjoy your studies it won’t feel like burden..I also want to become A COMMERCIAL AIRLINE PILOT,but since the entire course it very much expensive ( i am in class 11 ,soon I am in class 12) my dad told me to choose ENGINEERING ON AVIATION…and I do not want to become an ENGINEERING..My dad earns less amount of money but I am sure I will figure something out and I will make him believe that I have the potential to go behind my dreams..

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