During engine start, which indicators are typically monitored to assess start performance?

• A. Cabin pressure and oxygen level.
• B. Fuel quantity.
• C. N2 speed and EGT.
• D. Nose wheel steering angle.

Answer: (C)

During engine start, you’re looking at how the core of the engine responds as the start sequence unfolds. The key indicators are N2 speed and EGT. N2 is the high‑pressure spool speed, so watching it rise from zero to the target idle speed tells you the starter is turning the core and the engine is taking over rotation. EGT shows how the fuel‑air mixture is igniting and burning; a healthy start will see EGT climb into the normal range and stabilize as ignition is established and the engine comes to idle. If N2 doesn’t accelerate as expected or EGT doesn’t rise or climbs erratically, that points to a start problem such as ignition, fuel flow, or starter issues.

Cabin pressure and oxygen level are about the aircraft’s environmental system, not engine start performance. Fuel quantity doesn’t reflect how the engine is starting, and nose wheel steering angle is a ground-handling parameter, not an indicator of start health.