WRITTEN TEXT EXAMINER NOTICES USE OF COMMERCIAL HOLDING COMPUTER AFTER TEST COMPLETED.

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I SIGNED IN AND BEGAN THE FAA WRITTEN EXAM FOR CERTIFIED INST FLT INSTRUCTOR AT A PART 141 FLT SCHOOL OUT OF NEW CASTLE; DE. THE MATERIALS I USED FOR THE EXAM WERE: AC FORM 8080-3 (AIRMAN WRITTEN TEST APPLICATION INCLUDING ANSWER SHEET); QUESTION SHEET; PLASTIC OVERLAY; THE EXAM BOOK; 2 BLANK PIECES OF SCRATCH PAPER; 2 PENCILS; A REGULAR BASIC CALCULATOR; AN E6B FLT COMPUTER; AND A HOLD COMPUTER. ENCLOSED I MADE A COPY OF THE HOLD COMPUTER. I HAD THESE ITEMS OUT IN PLAIN VIEW WHEN I SIGNED IN AND FOR THE DURATION OF THE EXAM. NO COMMENT OF PROHIBITING THE USE OF THE HOLD COMPUTER WAS MADE FROM EXAMINER SO I FIGURED IT WAS PERMISSIBLE TO USE IT DURING THE EXAM TO CHK MY ANSWERS FOR HOLDING PROBLEMS. AT AM I FINISHED THE EXAM AND SIGNED OUT. AFTER THE SIGN OUT AS I WAS GATHERING MY THINGS TO LEAVE WAS WHEN EXAMINER SAID THAT I WAS NOT ALLOWED TO USE THE HOLD COMPUTER FOR THE EXAM (ACCORDING TO HER KNOWLEDGE). I EXPLAINED THAT WHEN I TOOK MY INST RATING EXAM AT FT LAUDERDALE EXECUTIVE ARPT; FL; THAT I USED THE HOLD COMPUTER FOR THE INST EXAM AND NONE OF THE EXAM ADMINISTRATORS/MONITORS EVER MADE A COMMENT PROHIBITING THE USE OF THE HOLD COMPUTER DURING THAT EXAM. SO I THEREFORE FIGURED SINCE NOTHING WAS MENTIONED THEN OR AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS EXAM THAT IT WAS ALRIGHT (ALLOWED) TO USE THE HOLD COMPUTER. I ALSO STATED THAT I DID NOT AND DO NOT CHEAT ON ANY EXAMS! EXAMINER ACKNOWLEDGED MY STATEMENTS AND SAID THAT SHE WAS NOT ACCUSING ME OF CHEATING BUT NOT TO BRING THE HOLD COMPUTER FOR MY INST GND INSTRUCTOR (IGI) TEST THAT SAME DAY. I AGREED AND COMPLIED. AS FAR AS I KNOW NOTHING FURTHER WAS MENTIONED ABOUT THIS. I AM CONCERNED ABOUT THE AMBIGUITY OF WHAT MATERIALS ARE ALLOWED AND WHAT MATERIALS ARE NOT ALLOWED FOR A FAA EXAM. IT SEEMS THAT THERE DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE AN EXISTING STANDARDIZED GUIDE OF WHAT AN EXAM APPLICANT CAN AND CANNOT BRING TO A FAA EXAM. IT SEEMS TO ME THAT EXAM MONITORS HAVE DIFFERENT OPINIONS ON THIS SUBJECT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO. RPTR STATES EXAMINER SAW HER PUTTING AWAY HER EQUIP AFTER SIGN OUT AND NOTICED THE HOLD COMPUTER. THAT IS WHEN SHE WAS TOLD IT WAS NOT ALLOWABLE AND NOT TO PLAN ON USING IT FOR NEXT EXAM. THIS YOUNG PLT IS RATHER DISTURBED THAT SOMETHING COULD GO WRONG. (INITIALLY QUITE DISTRESSED AT ANALYST PHONE CALL). HAS MOVED VERY RAPIDLY THROUGH RATINGS AND CERTIFICATES AND EAGER TO CONTINUE TO FLYING CAREER.