ATPL 022 Instrumentation exam-day guide
ATPL 022 Instrumentation · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Valid photo ID matching your registration name
Bring the original government-issued photo ID whose name matches your exam booking exactly. If your name differs (for example, a maiden name or a shortened first name), confirm with the provider in advance which additional documentation is accepted; do not assume a second document will be allowed.
Admission confirmation / appointment letter
Print or save offline a copy of your booking confirmation showing date, time, centre address and candidate number. Some centres ask to see it at reception; if you are unsure whether it is required, confirm with the provider.
Know your candidate/licence number
Have your ATPL candidate number or authority-issued reference available on paper as well as in your phone. You may be asked to write it on the answer sheet or login screen.
Approved calculator (if permitted)
Instrumentation questions involving pressure altitude, temperature error, or instrument correction may need arithmetic. Confirm with the provider whether a calculator is allowed and which models are approved; many aviation authorities restrict calculators to non-programmable types. If calculators are not permitted, practise the sums by hand.
No smart devices on your person
Phones, smart watches, earbuds and fitness bands are normally prohibited at the desk. Plan to leave them in a locker or with the invigilator. Confirm with the provider what storage is available.
Timing device that is not a smart watch
A simple analogue or basic digital watch helps you pace sections. If the test is computer-delivered, a clock is usually displayed; confirm with the provider whether a wristwatch is permitted.
Review the official syllabus and learning objectives
Re-read the ATPL Instrumentation (022) syllabus headings so you know exactly which systems are examinable: pitot-static and pressure instruments, gyroscopic instruments, magnetic compass, air data computers, EFIS/electronic displays, autopilot/FD, warning systems, and engine/other indications. Use this to spot gaps rather than re-reading everything.
Practise diagram-free recall of key numbers
Be able to state typical values from memory: standard sea-level pressure and temperature, ISA lapse rate, the approximate altitude error from a pressure-setting mistake, gyro rigidity/precession relationships, and compass turning/acceleration errors. Write them on one page and test yourself without notes.
Plan the journey and arrive early
Check travel time, parking and public transport for the confirmed start time. Aim to arrive well before the reporting time; the exact reporting time and late-arrival policy must be confirmed with the provider.
Sleep and nutrition plan
Instrumentation is detail-heavy; fatigue causes misreading of units and signs. Protect sleep for the two nights before the exam and eat a normal breakfast rather than relying on caffeine.
Confirm test format and duration
Ask the provider or check the authority's current documentation for the number of questions, time allowed, pass mark and whether negative marking applies. Do not rely on forum posts; these details change.
Confirm resit and result policy
Understand how and when results are issued and what the resit rules are for your authority. This is authority-specific; confirm with the provider.
Plan the day
Do a full timed mock under exam conditions: no notes, no phone, single sitting. Mark it and list every wrong answer by syllabus topic, not by question. Spend the remaining time only on the two or three weakest topics.
Rebuild your one-page formula and numbers sheet from memory, then check it against your notes. Typical content: ISA values and lapse rate, relationship between indicated, calibrated, true and pressure altitude, position error and instrument error, lag and hysteresis, gyro rigidity and precession, apparent wander and real wander, compass deviation and the causes of turning and acceleration errors, and the purpose of each EFIS display.
Practise explaining systems aloud in short sentences, for example how a Machmeter derives Mach from pitot and static pressure, or why an altimeter lags in a climb. Teaching the mechanism to yourself exposes gaps that recognition alone hides.
Stop learning new material at the end of this period. Consolidation beats new content in the last three days.
Do a light review of your one-page sheet and the topics you got wrong in the mock. Do not attempt a new full mock; a poor late result damages confidence without adding knowledge.
Prepare and lay out everything for the morning: ID, confirmation, candidate number, approved calculator, spare pen or pencil, watch, water. Check the centre address and route, including any planned engineering works or traffic restrictions.
Set two alarms, aim for a normal night's sleep, and avoid alcohol and heavy late meals. If you cannot sleep, rest quietly rather than studying.
Eat a normal breakfast, arrive at the centre with time to spare, and avoid last-minute cramming of new facts. A brief glance at your one-page sheet is fine; intensive study in the waiting room tends to increase anxiety.
Follow the centre's registration and security procedure, store devices as instructed, and listen carefully to the invigilator's briefing on timing, breaks and how to ask questions.
Read each question twice and identify what is being asked: a definition, a cause-and-effect relationship, a numerical result, or the 'most correct' of several plausible statements. Instrumentation questions often hinge on one word such as indicated versus true, or static versus total pressure.
Work in passes. Answer the questions you know, mark uncertain ones, and return to them. Do not let a single numerical question consume a disproportionate share of the time; leave it, finish the paper, then return.
For numerical items, write the given values and the unit required before calculating, and sanity-check the answer: an altimeter error from a pressure-setting mistake is of the order of tens of feet per hectopascal, not thousands; a temperature above ISA means true altitude is higher than indicated, not lower.
Use elimination on two-option distractors by asking which statement is physically impossible. Reserve the last few minutes to check that every question has an answer and that your answer numbering matches the answer sheet or screen.
Rules to check
Bring the original photo ID required by the provider and present it on request. The exact accepted documents and the procedure if ID is missing are provider-specific; confirm with the provider before exam day.
Devices that can store or transmit information are normally not permitted at the desk. Switch off and store your phone and smart watch as instructed, and confirm with the provider what is allowed in the test room.
Ask the invigilator before the test starts about permitted materials: calculator, formula sheet, scrap paper, and whether rough work must be handed in. Do not assume any of these are provided or allowed.
Raise your hand if you need to leave the room, feel unwell, or have a problem with your equipment. The rules on breaks, and whether the clock stops, are set by the provider; confirm them in the briefing.
Do not communicate with other candidates during the test and do not attempt to copy or share questions. Suspected misconduct is handled under the authority's or provider's regulations.
Scoring, pass marks and whether unanswered questions are penalised are set by the licensing authority. Confirm the current scheme with the provider rather than relying on second-hand information.
If you believe a question is defective, note it and continue; report it through the official channel afterwards. Do not spend exam time arguing the point with the invigilator.
Follow the provider's instructions on what may be taken from the room and how results will be communicated. These administrative details vary and should be confirmed with the provider.