Three years of aviation qualification exam data to pinpoint training institutions’ “weak spots”

[Financial News] The Korea Transportation Safety Authority (TS) is set to analyze results from aviation qualification exams taken over the past three years, down to individual assessment items, and use the findings to revise curricula at specialized aviation training institutions.
According to TS on the 16th, the “data-driven customized consulting for improving education quality” was designed to improve curricula by sharing the authority’s exam data with training providers. Its goals are to raise the education standards of aviation personnel and develop the capabilities of future leaders in the aviation industry.
Four institutions selected from the fields of piloting, air traffic control, maintenance and flight operations management are included. The first consulting session, for the maintenance field, was held on the 15th, with the other three fields to follow in turn through November.
TS selected the institutions through an application process and review last April. It then examined the 2023–2025 exam results of test-takers from those institutions, breaking them down by qualification, subject and subtopic. The analysis went beyond pass rates: TS calculated accuracy rates for each subtopic, compared how achievement levels changed from year to year, and measured the difference from the accuracy rates of all test-takers. Based on the findings, it identified each institution’s strong and weak subtopics and pinpointed gaps to address in its curriculum.
The findings will also be used to improve the exams. TS plans to incorporate weak areas by subject and subtopic, as well as needs identified through collaboration with training institutions, into question development. It will also use the findings to review exam-setting criteria and content. The aim is to keep assessing whether the qualification exams are appropriate and aligned with demand in the field. In the longer term, TS is also considering using artificial intelligence (AI) with its accumulated exam data to enhance its results-analysis capabilities. The plan is to better identify each institution’s characteristics and students’ learning levels, then develop tailored measures to improve education at each institution.
The first consulting session was held on the 15th at an aviation maintenance training institution. After sharing the analysis results, TS discussed ways to improve the curriculum with the institution, reviewing learning outcomes by subject and subtopic and how they had changed over time. An official responsible for exam operations explained the qualification system and exams to trainees, and heard directly about the difficulties they faced and their requests for improvements. Through November, TS officials will also visit institutions in the piloting, air traffic control and flight operations management fields, continuing the consultations by combining the analysis data with perspectives from the field.
TS Chairman Jeong Yong-sik said, “We expect this consulting to serve as a solid foundation for raising education standards by connecting the specialized data TS holds with aviation training in the field.” He added, “We will continue to make every effort to improve the quality of aviation education, nurture outstanding aviation professionals and ensure aviation safety by actively leveraging data and AI.”

[email protected] Jeong Gyeong-su Reporter