Introduction
At the same time as hour building, you should study and complete your ATPL theory exams. They are a required part of the (f)ATPL. You need to complete the 13 theory exams before you can start your commercial and IR training. This post will cover the structure and the process of taking your ATPL theory exams.
Structure
You have 6 sittings to pass your exams. The length of sittings and the number of exams you can take in each sitting or per day, depends on the place you are taking the exams. Within these sittings you must pass all the exams and you are allowed to retake an exam up to four times. If you don't pass on the fourth time on a single exam, you will have to start the exams again. The pass mark for all exams is 75%, they are multi choice questions. The length of the exams varies depending on the subject but can be up to two hours.
From when you have taken your first exam, you then have 18 months to complete the rest, otherwise you will need to start the exams over again.
Choosing a School
Before you can take your exams you need to enrol to study through an approved training organisation or ATO. These schools provide a structured training programme that covers all the modules. This can be all in person classroom lessons or a combination of both online/remote learning and classroom learning.
If you choose to go for full time, in person learning, it will feel a lot like going to school. You will have a teacher and classroom lessons, you will be following a schedule set by the school. The school will usually have you pass an in house mock exam for each subject before you are allowed to take the real one. The advantage of full time is that you will have a fully structured course and will be closely monitored. This is also faster than part time and can take around 6 months to complete.
For distance learning, you are provided with software that has all the lessons in a computerised format. For distance learning you can learn at your own pace, although there are recommended schedules and hours you should dedicate given by your school. You will complete lessons and once a block has been completed, you need to pass a short progress test to continue to the next lessons.
Depending on the school/aviation authority you take your exams with, you will either need to complete a module or the whole theory course before you can take exams. Part time, distance learning can be good if you have other commitments such as work, as you can do them at the same time. The downside is that a lot more of it is up to you. You have to manage your own schedule and when you will take the exams. It can also take longer at around 12 to 18 months to complete although it can be longer or shorter depending on your study schedule.
Question Banks
There are several ATPL question banks available through online subscriptions. These have thousands of questions that replicate the questions you will see in the exams, often word for word.
Practising using a question bank will get you used to the exam and question style and can help you get your timing right. For example, many people find that they are racing against the clock in General Navigation due to the complexity and number of questions. They also help you in knowing which topics to focus on for each exam.
Though a useful tool, you shouldn't use them as your primary study method. There are always new questions in the real exams and you don't want to be limited by focusing on the specific questions too much. You should have a solid understanding of the subjects too.
Taking the exams
The order in which you will take your exams can depend on your school. They will usually have a recommended order of subjects to take. However in the case you choose a course with which you complete the study for all the modules before taking the first exam, then it may be up to you to choose the order. Even so, I would recommend taking the exams in an organised way and some examples can be found online. In summary, subjects such as Instrumentation and Aircraft General Knowledge have some overlap and so are good to take in the same sitting.
The exams themselves are computer based. You will need to travel to an exam centre. The exact format and what you can take into the exam with you varies with which country you take the exam.
Most authorities require you to book ahead to take the exams. There are a limited number of seats per day and these can fill up early, so make sure to plan well in advance.
As you have a maximum of six sittings, it is a good idea to leave at least one or two sittings as a backup in case your exams don't go to plan. That way you still have enough sittings to space out the exams and in case you fail one or two, you have a sitting left to re-take the exams. The last thing you want is to run out of sittings near the end, as then you will have to take all the exams again.
An important detail to keep in mind is that from the date of taking your first exam, you then have 18 months to complete all the theory exams, otherwise you would need to start over.
Conclusion
This post covered some of the most important aspects of planning and taking your ATPL theory exams. More tips, strategies and help are available online. There are various ATPL theory groups on websites such as Facebook, which students have joined to discuss the exams, study strategy, past questions and more, with each other.
When you have passed all your exams, you will receive your exam certificates and then you will be ready to go onto your further training. The intense study is over and you can look forward to new experiences in flying. The next steps are still not going to be easy, but can at least be enjoyable compared to the ATPL exams.
About The Author
Humzah Sharif - "I am a qualified commercial pilot that finished my training just as the Covid-19 Pandemic hit Europe. I started my training at 18 alongside my university studies and have done my training around Europe, mostly in the UK and Poland, while navigating the issue of Brexit. Since then, I have been working on maintaining my ratings and skills while I try to find an opportunity to achieve my goal of finding employment as a pilot.
Currently, I am working at Flightpath Training as a Marketing and Communications Assistant, which has given me a chance to stay connected to the industry while it recovers."
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