MCAA CPL Theory Exam study guide
MCAA CPL Theory Exam · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The MCAA CPL Theory Examination is the set of written knowledge tests a candidate must pass to progress toward a Commercial Pilot Licence issued under Maltese Civil Aviation Directorate (CAD/MCAA) oversight, following the EASA Part-FCL syllabus. It is aimed at aspiring commercial pilots - typically holders of a PPL who are building hours and completing an approved theoretical knowledge course - who need to demonstrate ground-school competence before the CPL skill test. The MCAA CPL Theory Exam study guide has 10 sections and about 2,555 words.
01Air Law
The Chicago Convention (1944) established ICAO; its Annexes are Standards and Recommended Practices that contracting states transpose into national law. Annex 1 covers personnel licensing, Annex 2 rules of the air, Annex 6 operation of aircraft, Annex 8 airworthiness, Annex 11 air traffic services and Annex 14 aerodromes.
322 words, about 2 min02Aircraft General Knowledge - Airframe, Systems, Electrics, Power Plant and Emergency Equipment
Most light aircraft use semi-monocoque stressed-skin construction: the skin carries part of the load, stringers and frames stabilise it, and spars and ribs form the wing box. Longerons and bulkheads carry concentrated loads.
321 words, about 2 min03Flight Performance and Planning
Every load has a mass and an arm measured from the datum; moment = mass × arm. Total mass and total moment give the CG position.
285 words, about 1 min04Human Performance and Limitations
Hypoxia produces euphoria, tingling, cyanosis and impaired judgement. Time of useful consciousness at FL350 is roughly 30–60 seconds; at FL400 about 15–20 seconds.
245 words, about 1 min05Meteorology
QNH is set to read elevation; QFE reads height above the aerodrome; standard 1013.25 hPa is used above the transition altitude. Roughly 1 hPa ≈ 30 ft near the surface (about 27 ft at low level).
244 words, about 1 min06Navigation
Mercator preserves shape and rhumb lines but distorts scale with latitude; Lambert conformal conic is common on topographical charts. Variation is the angle between true and magnetic north (isogonals join equal variation); deviation is the aircraft compass error.
221 words, about 1 min07Operational Procedures
ICAO Annex 6 sets operational standards; state rules and the operator's operations manual add detail. The MEL allows dispatch with specified defects; anything not listed must be serviceable.
244 words, about 1 min08Principles of Flight
At a given configuration and altitude the wing always stalls at the same critical angle of attack, regardless of speed, mass or bank. Induced drag decreases with speed; parasite drag increases with V².
240 words, about 1 min09Communications (VFR and IFR)
Use standard ICAO phraseology and the phonetic alphabet. Read back runway instructions, hold-short, altitude, heading, frequency and squawk.
211 words, about 1 min10Radio Navigation
VOR transmits 108.0–117.95 MHz, radials are magnetic and reception is line-of-sight. DME gives slant range, over-reading most overhead the station.
222 words, about 1 min