UK CAA Examinations Update – September 2023
When attending your examinations, you must adhere to all CAA policies in addition to any specific policy of host organisation or venue. Please ensure that you pay close attention to the required and permitted items for your examination as stated on your confirmation.
Please make sure you review the current policies of different ATOs (Bristol Ground School, Skyborne Gloucester, CATS Luton, L3 Harris Crawley, Ayrshire College, Rosyth Business Centre – Pathway Pilot Training, Leading Edge Aviation Oxford) and adhere to their risk assessments before attending exams at their premises.
Attending theoretical knowledge examinations at Aviation House, Gatwick
Aviation House access is strictly controlled, unauthorised access is not permitted.
We require for all candidates to arrive at least 30 minutes before their scheduled examination. You can now enter the building from 8:00 and there are refreshments/tea/coffee available.
Exam Requirements (as listed on your exam confirmation)
Lockers are now reinstated and strictly controlled. Please follow the invigilators instructions on accessing these. We thoroughly recommend to only bring essential and permitted items into the building, leave coats, bags, study notes, PCs etc in your car.
Candidates must provide their own writing equipment - clear plastic pen (Bic Biro type) and eraser tipped pencil.
Exam Procedures
There may be some changes to the normal exam procedures, your invigilator will guide you through them via the briefing. Please listen carefully even if you have sat exams with us before.
Booking Exams – ORS4 No 1488 Extension and ECQB06 Syllabus
All candidates granted with additional 6 months extension in to completing their FCL examinations, whose 18 months expiry ended, need to request booking their remaining exams via email with EXAMS BOOKING as subject. In order to complete the bookings by Exams Team, candidates need to add funds to their portal account. This can done by clicking on the Transactions tile – entering payment details - ‘Credit Account’. The same process applies to those who are continuing the examination on ECQB06 Syllabus.
candidates need to include in their email request list of subjects, date, venue and time – availability of sessions slots has to be checked prior to sending the email.
E-exams: register and book an exam
To take a flight crew exam you need to register on the TASMAN e-exam system.
Read our guidance on how to register for e-exams.
Once you have registered, you can access your portal account.
Candidate examination guidance
- exam schedule
- Supplied, approved and prohibited items
- Terms and conditions (pdf)
- Guide to taking e-exams (pdf)
- Notice to candidates (pdf)
- Conduct at examination venues (pdf)
- Information about technical review requests
Amendment to Professional Pilot Examinations effective from 4 May 2020
The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) use the European Central Question Bank (ECQB) for professional theoretical knowledge examinations for the grant of professional flight crew licences [the Airline Transport Pilot Licence (ATPL), the Commercial Pilot Licence (CPL) and Instrument Rating (IR)] for both fixed wing and rotary. This is the common question bank as used by all European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) Member States and provides a robust method of assessment of a potential pilot's knowledge in key subjects.
The CAA uses ECQB 06, the current version required by EASA to be used by Member States. From 01 August 2020 the CAA will be transitioning to ECQB 2020 in compliance with ED Decision 2018/001/R and which replaces the previous version ECQB 06.
To prepare for this the CAA will start accepting bookings for ECQB 2020 exams from 4 May 2020.
Following further consultation with our stakeholders it has been agreed that ECQB 06 examinations will continue to be made available for first attempt examinations within a Series to be taken up until 31 December 2020. Those candidates who have started ECQB 06 will be able to complete their examinations as per Commission Regulation (EU) 1178/2011 as amended, Annex I, FCL.025(b) and the validity period will remain as per FCL.025(c).
The final examinations using ECQB 06 will be no later than the 30 June 2022 and according to the examination schedule as published by the CAA. After 31st December 2020 no candidate will be permitted to commence a new Series of ECQB 06 examinations, including any candidate wishing to attempt an additional Series due to a breach of sitting rules and attempts within a prior/current Series.
From the 30 June 2022 only ECQB 2020 examinations will be made available.
It is the responsibility of the candidate to ensure the successful completion of all required ECQB 06 examinations within a Series and prior to cessation of ECQB 06 exams on the 30 June 2022. Failure to so do will result in the Series being recorded as incomplete and the candidate will be required to restart all examinations (and associated training) in a new Series and using ECQB 2020. No cross crediting of examinations between ECQB 06 and ECQB 2020 are permitted and no exceptions will be provided by the CAA.
If you have any queries relating to examinations, please contact us.
Please see below for details of the exam format and question styles.
Supplied, approved and prohibited items
There are strict rules about what you can take into an exam.
You will be supplied with the following items:
- Rough working paper
- Workbooks
Depending on the specific exam you are taking, you may be allowed to bring the following approved items:
- Clear plastic ruler
- Approved calculators (the approved models are: Casio FX 83/85/300 series; Sharp EL-W531/531 series; Citizen SR-260 series; Texas Instruments TI-30X/XB/XS)
- Approved flight computers – CRP-1; CRP-5/CR-3/CR-6; ARC-2; E6B:
- Jeppesen General Student Pilot Route Manual – GSPRM
- Protractor / plotter
- Compass and dividers (without case)
- Fine tip marker
You are not allowed to bring the following prohibited items into the exam:
- Pencil case (please note you will have to bring your own writing equipment as per booking confirmation)
- Mobile phone
- Watch
- Recording or communication equipment/devices
Technical review requests
Candidates and Approved Training Organisations (ATOs) may raise concerns or challenge the accuracy and effectiveness of an examination question or supporting materials. The CAA thoroughly reviews all such instances via the following two protocols and results may be amended where genuine issues are identified.
Examination Performance Management Programme
To maintain the integrity and effectiveness of the examination content.
This includes:
- routine review of all presented questions;
- statistical analysis;
- trend monitoring of question results;
- a review of all candidate comments.
Candidates are able to make comments during an examination.
Entering a comment during the examination does not constitute a Full Review but every comment is reviewed by the CAA.
Full Review
A candidate can request a Full Review which is a comprehensive investigation into the accuracy and integrity of examination content and materials delivered to the candidate during a specific test.
- The Full Review must be formally instructed by the candidate by requesting a "Review" in their results portal page;
- It must be requested within 14 calendar days of the examination in question.
The full examination review fee should be paid by the candidate at the time of request, which is fully refundable if an error is found and the candidate marks are adjusted accordingly.
The CAA endeavours to complete this service within 10 workings days of receipt of the request. A message notification, explaining the findings and closing actions will be added to the 'User Messages' area in the candidate e-Exam portal.
Provide page feedback
Please enter your comments below, or use our usual service contacts if a specific matter requires an answer.
Fields marked with an asterisk (*) are required.