ATPL Air Law (010) exam-day guide
ATPL Air Law (010) · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Valid photo ID matching your registration name
Bring the original document, not a photocopy. Acceptable ID types and whether a national ID, passport, or driving licence is accepted vary by authority and test centre, so confirm with the provider which documents are valid and whether the name must match your licence application exactly.
Admission document / appointment confirmation
Carry the confirmation email or admission letter the provider issued, printed or on your phone as the provider allows. Confirm with the provider whether a printed copy is mandatory and whether phone-based documents are accepted at your centre.
Know your candidate/licence number and exam session details
Write down your candidate number, the exam code (010 Air Law), date, time, and centre address on paper so you are not dependent on a phone or network connection at the door.
Approved calculator if permitted
Air Law is largely recall and regulation interpretation, but some centres allow a basic calculator for performance-style items. Confirm with the provider whether calculators are permitted for this paper and which models are banned (typically programmable or graphing models).
Check the current syllabus and applicable regulation version
Air Law questions track the regulation set named in your authority's syllabus (for example the applicable EASA Part-FCL, Part-ORO, Part-SERA, Part-CAT and ICAO Annex material). Confirm with your training organisation which amendment state the exam is based on, since items can be affected by recent rule changes.
Review your own error log, not new material
In the final days, work only from questions you previously got wrong and the regulation text behind them. Bring a one-page summary of recurring traps (e.g. validity periods, minima, and definitions you keep confusing) to read before entry.
Plan travel and arrival time with margin
Confirm the reporting time, which is usually earlier than the start time, with the provider. Check the centre location and transport, and plan to arrive with spare time for security or registration formalities.
Know the centre's personal-item rules
Phones, smart watches, notes, and bags are normally not allowed at the desk. Confirm with the provider what storage is available and what you may keep with you (for example medication or a water bottle), so you are not surprised at the door.
Confirm the resit and waiting rules before you sit
Ask your training organisation how many attempts are allowed, whether a waiting period applies between attempts, and how the result feeds into your licence application. Do not rely on hearsay from other candidates.
Sleep, food, and hydration plan
Air Law is a long multiple-choice paper and fatigue shows in definition-heavy items. Plan a normal night's sleep, a light meal before the session, and water if permitted; avoid last-minute cramming of new topics on the morning of the exam.
Verify the exact exam format and duration
The number of questions, time allowed, and pass mark are set by the examining authority and can differ between states. Confirm with the provider the current question count, duration, and pass standard for 010 rather than assuming a figure.
Check whether a question-review or appeal process exists
If you believe an item is defective, the procedure for flagging or appealing is provider-specific. Ask in advance how to raise a concern and whether it must be done during the session or afterwards.
Plan the day
Stop broad revision. Re-read the syllabus for 010 and tick off each topic against your notes so gaps are visible. Spend the remaining time on your error log and on the regulation articles you repeatedly misapply: definitions, validity and recency periods, minima, and the structure of the rulebooks. Do one timed paper under exam conditions to check pacing, then review every wrong answer against the source text rather than against a memorised answer key.
Do a light pass only: your one-page trap sheet, key definitions, and the list of numbers you confuse. Prepare your ID, admission document, and travel plan, and confirm reporting time and centre address with the provider. Check the provider's rules on phones, calculators, and personal items. Set out clothes and documents, eat normally, and go to bed at your usual time; do not start a new topic or attempt a full mock this late.
Eat a proper breakfast and arrive at the centre with margin before the reporting time. Leave phones and smart watches stored as instructed. Read your trap sheet once, then put it away. During registration, check that your name and candidate number on the screen or paperwork are correct before the paper starts, and raise any discrepancy immediately with the invigilator.
Read the instructions and confirm the question count and time limit. Work at a steady pace, answering the straightforward recall items first and flagging long scenario items to return to. Read each stem for qualifiers such as 'except', 'most limiting', or 'may' before choosing. Eliminate wrong options, then commit. Keep an eye on the clock and reserve the final minutes to revisit flagged items and check that no question is left blank, since unanswered items normally score zero.
Note which topics felt weak while the memory is fresh, and record any item you believe was defective and why. Confirm with the provider how and when results are released and what the resit rules are. If you did not pass, build your next study plan around the weak topics you identified rather than repeating the whole syllabus.
Rules to check
Bring original photo ID that matches your registration; photocopies and expired documents are normally refused. Confirm with the provider which document types are accepted and whether the name must match your licence application exactly.
Arrive before the reporting time. Candidates who arrive after the session has started may be refused entry or given less time; the exact cut-off is set by the centre, so confirm with the provider.
Phones, smart watches, notes, and unauthorised materials must be stored away from the desk. Keep only items the provider explicitly permits, and ask the invigilator before the paper starts if you are unsure about anything you have brought.
Do not communicate with other candidates once the session has begun, and do not attempt to copy, photograph, or remove exam material. Suspected misconduct is handled under the authority's rules and can lead to invalidation of the result.
If you need to leave the room, raise your hand and follow the invigilator's instructions; toilet breaks are usually escorted and the clock keeps running, so confirm the centre's break policy with the provider.
Scoring is normally one mark per question with no penalty for wrong answers, and the pass mark is a percentage set by the examining authority. Confirm the current pass standard, question count, and duration with your training organisation before the exam rather than assuming a figure.
Results and any appeal or item-challenge procedure are governed by the examining authority. Ask in advance how to report a concern about a specific question and whether it must be raised during the session.
If you do not pass, the number of permitted attempts and any waiting period between them are set by the authority and your training organisation. Confirm these rules with the provider before booking a resit.