ICAA CPL Theory study guide
ICAA CPL Theory · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The Commercial Pilot Licence (CPL) theory examination is the ground-school hurdle a candidate must clear before progressing toward a licence that permits flying for remuneration. It is aimed at pilots who already hold, or are completing, a private licence and now need the deeper technical and regulatory knowledge that commercial operations demand. The ICAA CPL Theory study guide has 9 sections and about 2,221 words.
01Air Law
Air law questions test precise recall of definitions, privileges and rules rather than reasoning. Start with the regulatory hierarchy: ICAO Annexes set standards, while national rules (in Europe, EASA regulations; elsewhere the local CAA) set the binding requirements.
306 words, about 2 min02Aircraft General Knowledge
This domain covers the aircraft as a machine: structure, flight controls, hydraulics, electrical, fuel, ice protection, pressurisation and the piston or turbine engine. You need to know what each system does, what powers it, and what happens when it fails.
270 words, about 1 min03Flight Performance and Planning
Performance questions ask you to apply data, not memorise it. Know the definitions of take-off and landing distances (ground roll versus to 50 ft), the factors affecting them - mass, density altitude, wind, slope, surface condition - and how each factor moves the numbers.
276 words, about 1 min04Human Performance and Limitations
This domain examines how the pilot's body and mind behave in flight. Understand hypoxia (hypoxic, hypemic, stagnant, histotoxic), its symptoms and the time of useful consciousness at altitude; hyperventilation and how it mimics hypoxia; decompression sickness; and the effects of acceleration and spatial disorientation.
234 words, about 1 min05Meteorology
Meteorology questions test your ability to interpret reported and forecast conditions and to anticipate hazards. Know the standard atmosphere, pressure and its reduction to sea level, QNH/QFE/QNE, and how pressure systems and fronts produce weather.
259 words, about 1 min06Navigation
Navigation questions combine chart work, dead reckoning, radio navigation and flight planning. Know the Earth's coordinate system, magnetic variation and deviation, and the relationship between true, magnetic and compass headings.
215 words, about 1 min07Operational Procedures
Operational procedures cover how flights are conducted safely and legally: pre-flight planning, mass and balance, fuel, aerodrome operations, emergencies, and the use of checklists. Know the standard emergency procedures - engine failure, fire, depressurisation, forced landing - and the associated memory items versus checklist items.
195 words, under 1 min08Principles of Flight
Principles of flight questions test the physics of lift, drag, thrust and weight, and how the aircraft behaves as a result. Understand the four forces, the lift equation (lift depends on density, speed squared, wing area and lift coefficient), and the drag curve: parasite drag rises with speed squared, induced drag falls as speed increases, and total drag has a minimum at the best glide speed.
261 words, about 1 min09Communications
Communications questions test standard phraseology, radio technique and the correct readback. Know the standard call sequence: who you are calling, who you are, where you are, and what you want.
205 words, about 1 min