• Air Law & Operational Procedures Aeroplanes
• Meteorology

• Flight Performance & Planning

• Human Performance & Limitations

• Aircraft General & Principles of Flight

• Navigation and Radio Navigation

• Communications - PPL

All these examinations must be passed prior to taking the PPL Skill Test. The pass mark is 75%

The examinations must be passed within a period of 18 months and remain valid for licence issue for 24 months from successful completion of the examinations

If the candidate fails to pass an examination at the first attempt there will be a 2 week period before sitting another paper on the same subject

Should the candidate fail the examination at the second attempt there will be a 4 week period before taking a further attempt

In the event of a third failure the candidate will incur an automatic 3 month ban on sitting any examinations until further remedial study has been carried out. The candidate will be required to produce a certificate of completion of further study signed by the CFI stating that the student is ready for re-examination

The next examination will be taken at either the CAA or a regional examination centre and a booking will be required to be made through Exam Support PLD. A re-sit fee will also be payable to the CAA

It is therefore strongly recommend that a candidate prepares fully before attempting any of the examinations

The following reference material is recommended to read when studying for the JAR PPL (A):

• The PPL Course by Jeremy M Pratt

• VOR, ADF and RMI by Martin Cass

• Human Factors For Pilots by Green, Muir, James, Gradwell and Green

• UK AIP (UK Aeronautical Information Publication)

• The UK AIM (Published by AFE)

• AOPA PPL (A) Syllabus

• CAP 393 Air Navigation Order

• CAP 413 Radiotelephony Manual

• CAP 567 Aviation Medicine Handbook

• CAP 637 Visual Aids Handbook

• The PPL Confuser by Neung Somying - JAR edition

• General Aviation Safety Sense Leaflets (Published by the CAA)

• Aeronautical Informational Circulars (AIC) (Published by the CAA)

• Standards Document 19 - Notes for Guidance of Applicants taking the Skill Test for the PPL (A) (Published by the CAA)

• Aircraft Flight Manual or Pilots Operating Handbook

• Aircraft Checklist

Recommended pilot accessories for the PPL:

• 1:500 000 VFR Navigation Chart

• 1:500 000 Navigation Rule

• Protractor

• Flight Computer (ARC-1 recommended)

• VFR Flight Log

• Stopwatch

• Chinagraph or Lumocolour Felt Pens (Red and black only)

• Bulldog Clip (To keep your chart tidy in cockpit)

• Expandable Bracelet Style Pen Clip (To attach to map to keep pens/pencils tidy in cockpit)

• Pilot's Flying Logbook

• Sunglasses

• Headset - (use that provided by the flying school to keep costs down)

• Suitable Bag (To keep all your valuable equipment together)

When should you take the ground examinations?

A student may take all the examinations before commencing flying training. This is recommended if you intend to go to the USA to complete your PPL

If you are training in the UK, it is recommended that you spread the ground examinations throughout the PPL course. In order to do this the examinations should be completed by certain critical points (CP) as indicated below:

CP 1 - Before exercise 14 (first solo) pass:-

• Aviation Law & Operational Procedures Aeroplanes

• Human Performance & Limitations

• Communications - PPL (theory paper)

CP 2 - Before exercise 18 (navigation) pass:-

• Meteorology

• Navigation and Radio Navigation

• Flight Performance and Planning

CP 3 - Before flying the 150 nm cross country pass:-

• Communications - PPL (practical test)

CP 4 - Before attempting the PPL Skill Test pass:-

• Aircraft General & Principles of Flight