How do the EASA ATPL and CPL theory exams work?
To get an EASA CPL or ATPL for aeroplanes, you pass a theory exam in 13 subjects. You need 75 percent in each paper, and a wrong answer costs you nothing. You get four attempts at each paper and six sittings, and you must pass them all within 18 months, counted from the month of your first exam.
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Last checked 1 Nov 2026.
01 The problem
A student joins an ATPL course in Europe.
They have 13 subjects to pass, 75 percent in each, and a clock that starts with their first exam.
The quick way through looks obvious: drill questions until the answers look familiar.
That's the trap. You clear the exams, and the why is gone a month later.
Our founder trains airline pilots on the A320. He sees where that ends: on the flight deck, where nobody gives you four options.
We're going to change that.
02 What we do about it
We teach each idea in 3D, so you see it before you learn it for the exam. You watch the air flow over a wing, the stall build, the forces in a turn. Then you answer questions that check you understood why, not just what.
03 What we cover for EASA today
We map every lesson to the EASA learning objectives and count only what a lesson really teaches. Today we teach one EASA subject in depth: Principles of Flight. Next come General Navigation and Instrumentation, from our Air Navigation lessons now in review, and Airframe and Systems.
- 010 Air LawNot yet.
- 021 Airframe, Systems and Power Plant1 lesson (propellers), under 1 % of its learning objectives.
- 022 Instrumentation2 lessons (pitot-static, airspeed indicator), under 1 % of its learning objectives.
- 031 Mass and BalanceNot yet.
- 032 Performance1 lesson (engine failure speeds), 2 % of its learning objectives.
- 033 Flight Planning and MonitoringNot yet.
- 040 Human PerformanceNot yet.
- 050 Meteorology2 lessons (the standard atmosphere, icing), 3 % of its learning objectives.
- 061 General NavigationLessons in review, nothing counted yet.
- 062 Radio NavigationNot yet.
- 070 Operational Procedures1 lesson (wake turbulence), 2 % of its learning objectives.
- 081 Principles of Flight21 lessons, 52 % of its learning objectives.
- 090 CommunicationsNot yet.
Percent of each subject's learning objectives our lessons teach, from our own mapping to EASA AMC1 FCL.310 and FCL.515. An objective a lesson only touches is not counted.
04 Try three questions
Answer on the page, with our explanation after each.
05 Why trust us
- Made by an Airline Captain with over 8,000 hrs.
- From the team behind Wingman Pilot Logbook and AirRoster, trusted by more than 30,000 pilots and cabin crew.
- Every lesson and question is our own, written from published sources and checked line by line before you see it.
- True Airspeed is not an approved training organisation, and EASA has not approved our material. Your ATO runs your course and recommends you for the exams. We help you understand what you study there.
See how a wing really works, in 3D. Free.
06 Questions students ask
How many EASA ATPL theory exams are there?
Thirteen, one for each subject: Air Law, Airframe and Systems, Instrumentation, Mass and Balance, Performance, Flight Planning, Human Performance, Meteorology, General Navigation, Radio Navigation, Operational Procedures, Principles of Flight and Communications. The CPL has the same 13 subjects.
What is the pass mark?
75 percent in each paper. There is no negative marking.
How many attempts do I get?
Four attempts at each paper, and six sittings in all. Every paper must be passed within 18 months, counted from the end of the month of your first exam. Miss any of these limits and you retake the whole set, after more training at your ATO.
How long does a pass stay valid?
For a CPL or an instrument rating, 36 months from the day you pass the last paper. For an ATPL, the theory pass stays valid for 7 years from the last validity date of the instrument rating in your licence.
Can I take the exams with True Airspeed alone?
No. You can only sit them when the ATO or DTO that trains you recommends you, and all of them with one country's authority. True Airspeed sits beside your ATO course, not in place of it.
Are these real EASA exam questions?
No. Every question is our own. We never copy real or leaked exam questions. Our question bank was written for the Indian DGCA papers first. Where the physics is the same, as in Principles of Flight, it fits EASA students too. We do not have an EASA-format mock exam yet.
What does it cost?
The first lesson and its practice questions are free. The full course is not on sale yet. Sign up and we will tell you first when it opens, with the price.