CPL Flight Performance and Planning exam-day guide
CPL Flight Performance and Planning · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Photo ID and admission confirmation
Bring the same government-issued photo ID you used when booking, plus any confirmation email or candidate number the provider issued. Name on the ID must match the booking. If you are unsure which documents are accepted or whether a printed confirmation is required, confirm with the provider before test day.
Approved calculator (and a spare)
Most performance and planning questions need multiplication, division and occasionally trig or unit conversion. Use a non-programmable calculator you have practised with; bring a second identical or similar unit with fresh batteries. Check the provider's permitted-device list, since some centres restrict programmable or graphing models.
Plotting and measuring tools
A scale ruler or protractor, sharp pencils, an eraser and a fine-tip pen are standard for chart-based work. If the exam is computer-based, confirm with the provider whether physical plotting tools are allowed at the workstation or whether an on-screen tool is supplied.
Printed formula and conversion sheet you built yourself
Write out your own one-page summary: density altitude, true airspeed and Mach relations, climb gradient versus rate, fuel flow and endurance, balance-arm moments, crosswind and headwind components, and common unit conversions. Personal notes are for the final revision hours only; confirm with the provider whether any reference material may be taken into the test room, as most centres allow none.
Fuel, weight and balance practice set completed under time
In the last days, work at least two full practice papers against the clock, including at least one load sheet and one take-off or landing performance chart. Mark every question you got wrong and re-derive the correct method by hand rather than just reading the answer.
Know your chart-reading conventions cold
Be able to state, without notes, how to interpolate between chart gridlines, how to read a wind component diagram, and how to handle the reference lines for flap setting, pressure altitude and temperature. Ambiguity here costs the most time on exam day.
Rest, hydration and travel plan
Plan the route to the test centre and arrive with margin for traffic and security checks. Performance questions reward clear arithmetic, and fatigue is the main cause of sign and unit errors. Sleep normally the night before rather than cramming.
Confirm exam format, duration and permitted aids
Ask the provider in advance whether the paper is computer-based or on paper, how many questions and how long, whether rough paper is supplied, whether you may bring your own, and how chart extracts or data tables are presented. Do not assume; confirm with the provider.
Confirm the pass mark and retake policy
Scoring rules, the pass mark and any waiting period before a retake are set by the examining body. Confirm with the provider so you know what you are aiming for and what happens if you narrowly miss.
Medical, access or special-arrangement needs
If you need extra time, a larger print paper, a separate room or medication breaks, arrangements are usually made in advance and not on the day. Confirm with the provider well before the test.
Plan the day
Do one full timed mock under exam conditions: no phone, no notes, single sitting. Mark it strictly and list every error by topic, for example density altitude, climb gradient, fuel planning, mass and balance, or crosswind. Spend the remaining days on your two weakest topics only.
Re-derive each formula from first principles on blank paper, then check against your own summary sheet. Practise unit handling deliberately: litres versus gallons, kilograms versus pounds, feet versus metres, knots versus km/h. Most lost marks in this subject are unit and sign errors, not conceptual ones.
Light revision only: your one-page summary, chart-reading conventions and a handful of load-sheet questions. Pack your ID, confirmation, calculators, pencils, eraser, ruler and any permitted items. Check the start time, address and arrival instructions. Stop studying early enough to sleep properly.
Eat a normal breakfast, arrive early, and re-read only your summary sheet in the waiting area. Do not attempt a new topic. Confirm at reception what is permitted in the room and where to leave bags and phones.
Read the instructions and note the time budget per question. Write down your key formulas and conversions on the rough paper immediately, while your memory is fresh, so you are not reconstructing them mid-question.
Work in two passes. First answer everything you can do cleanly, flagging long chart or load-sheet questions. Then return to the flagged items with the remaining time. For each calculation, write the units beside the numbers and do a sanity check: does this take-off distance, fuel figure or centre of gravity position look plausible?
Check that every question has an answer, that you have not mis-keyed an option, and that units match what was asked. Only change an answer if you can point to a concrete reason; second-guessing correct arithmetic usually loses marks.
Rules to check
Bring the ID specified by the provider and present it on request. If your ID has changed since booking, or you are unsure what counts as acceptable identification, contact the provider before test day rather than at the desk.
Follow the centre's rules on personal items. Phones, smart watches and notes normally stay outside the room, and possession of an unauthorised device can invalidate a sitting. Confirm with the provider what you may keep at your desk.
Use only the calculators, charts and reference material the provider permits. If a question depends on a chart extract supplied in the paper, use that extract, not your own remembered version.
Show your working on rough paper where it is allowed. It makes unit and arithmetic errors easy to find when you review, and some providers may ask to see rough work if a result is queried.
Breaks are usually limited and may be supervised; leaving the room may not stop the clock. Ask the invigilator before the test begins what the procedure is, and confirm with the provider in advance if you have a medical need for breaks.
Scoring, the pass mark and any negative marking are set by the examining body, not by the test centre staff. Do not rely on rumour; confirm the scoring rules with the provider before you sit.
If equipment fails or a question appears to contain an error, raise it with the invigilator immediately and note the question number. Do not silently guess and move on, as you may be entitled to have the item reviewed.
If you are unwell or badly prepared, ask about withdrawal, deferral or retake conditions before starting. Policies differ and some fees are non-refundable; confirm with the provider rather than assuming.