About the UK CAA PPL Written Exams
The UK Private Pilot Licence (PPL) requires candidates to pass nine written theory examinations administered by the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) through approved test centres. Following the UK's departure from EASA, the UK CAA now issues its own UK PPL (LAPL and PPL). Written exams are sat at Pearson VUE test centres. The PPL entitles the holder to fly a single-engine piston aircraft as pilot in command, carrying passengers, without commercial remuneration.
The nine written exams cover:
- Air Law: Rules of the Air Regulations, airspace classification, ATC procedures, ICAO conventions, aircraft registration and certification, and accident reporting obligations under AAIB
- Aviation Meteorology: pressure systems, fronts, clouds (types and altitudes), icing, fog, thunderstorms, TAFs, METARs, SIGMETs, and QNH/QFE/QNE altimeter settings
- Navigation: map reading, plotting, compass deviation and variation, time calculations, DR navigation, VOR, NDB, GPS basics, and fuel planning
- Principles of Flight: lift, drag, thrust, weight, aerofoil theory, stall speed, load factor, turning flight, stability, and control surfaces
- Aircraft General Knowledge: piston engine operation, carburettor icing, fuel systems, electrical systems, pitot-static instruments, gyroscopic instruments, and pre-flight inspection
- Human Performance and Limitations: hypoxia, hyperventilation, spatial disorientation, illusions, fatigue, stress, alcohol and medication rules, and decision-making under pressure
- Operational Procedures: ICAO flight planning, aerodrome operations, wake turbulence, emergency procedures (engine failure, fire, forced landing), and ELT activation
- Communications (VFR): ICAO phraseology, R/T procedures, distress and urgency calls, transponder codes (7700, 7600, 7500), and ATIS
- Flight Performance and Planning: take-off and landing performance charts, climb rates, range and endurance, weight and balance calculations, and density altitude effects
Pass mark for each exam is 75%. Can retake after a minimum 15-day wait. Exam results are valid for 24 months to complete the PPL practical test.
Important: All nine exams must be passed before completing the PPL skill test. If any exam result expires before the skill test is taken, that exam must be retaken. Exam fees are paid per attempt, retakes cost the same as first attempts. The Air Law exam is the most frequently failed; Navigation and Meteorology are the most technically demanding.
Key UK PPL Theory Exam Facts to Know
- Pass mark: 75% for each of the nine subjects
- Retake wait: Minimum 15 days before retaking a failed exam
- Result validity: 24 months to complete the practical skill test
- Test centres: Pearson VUE centres across the UK
- Transponder squawk codes: 7700 = Emergency, 7600 = Radio failure, 7500 = Hijack, must be known without hesitation
- QNH / QFE / QNE: QNH = altitude above sea level; QFE = height above airfield; QNE = standard pressure 1013.25 hPa
- Alcohol: No flying within 8 hours of drinking, and never with a blood alcohol level above 0.2 parts per mille (CAA Rule of Law)
- Minimum age: Solo flight at 16, PPL licence issue at 17
- Medical: LAPL Medical or Class 2 Medical Certificate required before solo flight
- ATIS: Automatic Terminal Information Service, recorded weather and aerodrome information broadcast on a discrete VHF frequency
The UK CAA provides exam syllabus documents but no practice question banks and no worked answers. Practice Tests UK fills that gap with 60+ realistic PPL theory questions across all nine subject areas with step-by-step explanations for every answer.
| Feature | UK CAA Resources | Practice Tests UK |
|---|
| Practice questions | None | 60+ questions |
| Answer explanations | None | Every question |
| Instant feedback | No | Yes |
| Progress tracking | No | Yes |
| Drill by subject | No | Yes |
Free sample: Try 10 free questions below. Use Drill Mode to focus on the subject you find hardest.
