The requirements at a glance

If you have passed the EASA ATPL theoretical knowledge exam, you receive credit for the theory requirements of the LAPL, PPL, CPL and (except for helicopters) the IR and BIR in the same aircraft category. An MCC certificate is a prerequisite for the first type rating on a multi-pilot aeroplane, unless the type rating course is combined with an MCC course. On the modular route there are three theory courses: IR, CPL and ATPL. IR theory covers seven of the thirteen ATPL subjects, of which only two give credit for the CPL theory. Under EASA rules you must pass all ATPL theory papers within 18 months, counted from the end of the calendar month of your first attempt, within six sittings and with at most four attempts per paper. Once passed, the theory counts for the issue of a CPL, MPL or IR for 36 months, and for the issue of an ATPL for 7 years from the last validity date of the IR in your licence. The validity of the theory is also described in FCL.035(b)(1) of the Easy Access Rules for Aircrew. On the modular route, VFR CPL theory can hardly be reused for the IR or ATPL, but the other way round it can. The courses for the modular route differ little in price. For the issue of the ATPL licence itself (not the theory), FCL.510.A requires an MPL, or a CPL(A) with a multi-engine IR and MCC instruction, and at least 1,500 hours of flight time in aeroplanes, including 500 hours in multi-pilot operations.138

Exam recommendation and prior knowledge

For a theory exam, such as PPL or ATPL, a recommendation by a DTO or ATO is required, which must confirm that the candidate is 'exam ready'. Mathematics and physics at upper secondary level also help with the theory course.1011

What candidates experienced

For the ATPL theory there is a maximum of 4 attempts per subject; after 4 failed attempts you must retake all exams. Some airlines filter on the ATPL theory score, and a limit of at most 1 fail is mentioned. The pass mark for the ATPL theory is 75%. At the Austro Control exams (at Orbit), nobody checked the exact type of flight computer or pre-printed tables, according to a student in 2024. A digital flight computer was, however, explicitly prohibited. In the ATPL Meteorology exam, which has 84 questions and a pass mark of 75%, many questions are ambiguous. Question banks such as Bristol and ATPLQ sometimes give different answers to the same question, so practising with question banks is indispensable, but watch out for variants of questions with slightly different numbers.139