CASA RPL Exam Study Guide: How to Prepare and Pass

The CASA RPL theory exam is the first written test you'll sit as a student pilot in Australia. It's a multiple-choice exam administered by CASA (via PEXO/Aspeq), with a duration of two hours, a 70% pass mark, and ten topic areas that cover everything from the physics of flight to the rules of the air. This guide gives you a structured path from zero to exam-ready.

The exam at a glance

Before you start studying, it helps to understand exactly what you're preparing for. Here's a summary of the key details:

• Format: Multiple-choice, computerised at approved testing centres
• Time allowed: 2 hours
• Pass mark: 70%
• Cost: $189.53 ($124.53 invigilator fee + $65 CASA fee)
• Administered by: CASA via PEXO/Aspeq
• Re-sit waiting period: 7 days if you do not pass
• Validity: Results held by CASA — no expiry on individual topic passes

The source document for every question is the CASA Day VFR Syllabus. Everything in the exam comes from this syllabus — nothing more, nothing less.

The 10 topic areas

Questions are drawn from the ten areas listed below. The table gives a sense of relative difficulty and weighting, though CASA does not publicly specify exact question counts per topic.

Topic	Why it's challenging	Relative weighting
Meteorology	Large body of knowledge; many interacting concepts	High
Regulations	Specific rules to memorise; easy to confuse similar values	High
Aerodynamics	Requires conceptual understanding, not just facts	Medium–High
Performance	Chart-reading method must be learned and practised	Medium
Instruments	Multiple instrument systems with specific failure modes	Medium
Engines	Carburettor icing conditions and fuel systems need memorising	Medium
Navigation	Variation, deviation, and chart work	Medium
Flight Rules	Mostly intuitive but hierarchy must be memorised	Low–Medium
Loading	Weight and balance method is straightforward once learned	Low–Medium
Human Factors	Fewer questions; mostly common sense with specific definitions	Low

The 6-week study schedule

This schedule is designed for someone studying around 45–60 minutes per day, five days a week. Adjust the weeks based on how much time you have before your exam date.

Week	Topics	Key focus
Week 1	Meteorology	Cloud types, pressure systems, stability, wind, icing, thunderstorms, QNH/QFE/QNE
Week 2	Regulations + Flight Rules	Airspace classifications, VFR minima, right-of-way rules, SARTIME, ERSA
Week 3	Aerodynamics + Engines	Four forces, stall, load factor, carb icing conditions, fuel systems, mixture
Week 4	Performance + Loading	Figure 3 takeoff chart, Figure 4 landing chart, weight & balance method, CG limits
Week 5	Instruments + Navigation + Human Factors	Pitot-static system, gyroscopic instruments, magnetic variation, track vs heading
Week 6	Full revision + mock exams	Identify weak spots, take 3–4 full timed mock exams, review every incorrect answer

Topic-by-topic study tips

The sections below highlight the highest-value facts and most commonly tested concepts in each topic area. Use these alongside your primary study materials.

Meteorology

Start here — meteorology has the highest question count and takes the most time to absorb. This is frequently tested in the CASA exam, so allow more time for this topic than any other.

• Pressure altimetry: Know the difference between QNH, QFE, and QNE — and when to use each
• Cloud and visibility: VFR minima vary by airspace class — memorise the table in the Regulations section below
• Stability: Understand why stable air produces stratus cloud and unstable air produces cumulus
• Wind: Gradient wind, surface friction effects, sea breeze cycle. Remember Buys Ballot's Law in the Southern Hemisphere: stand with your back to the wind and low pressure is to your right
• Windsock: A windsock fully extended indicates approximately 25–30 kt; at 45° it indicates approximately 15 kt
• Weather codes: Be familiar with codes such as PO (dust/sand whirls) — these can appear in forecast contexts in the exam

Regulations

Regulations questions reward pure memorisation — they are often the most straightforward questions in the exam once you know the rules. Note that Civil Aviation Safety Regulations (CASR) Part 91 commenced in December 2021 and is the current regulatory framework.

• RPL privileges: Single-engine, non-turbine aircraft ≤1,500 kg Maximum Take-off Weight (MTOW), day VFR only, within 25 NM of the departure aerodrome
• MTOW: The maximum take-off weight for an aircraft is specified in the certificate of airworthiness
• Class A airspace: VFR flight in Class A airspace requires approval under CASR 91.285 — it is not outright prohibited but requires specific approval
• Minimum heights over populous areas (CASR 91.265, MOS 12.01): 1,000 ft above the highest obstacle within a 600 m radius of any point on the ground directly below the aircraft
• Minimum heights over non-populous areas (CASR 91.267, MOS 12.02): 500 ft above the highest obstacle within a 300 m radius of any point on the ground directly below the aircraft
• VFR fuel reserve (day, piston/turboprop ≤5,700 kg): 30 minutes fixed reserve (45 minutes applies to night VFR)
• SARTIME: The time at which SAR action is initiated if you haven't reported
• Maintenance release: Exempt for VFR day flight within 50 NM of departure
• Photo ID: An ASIC is accepted as photographic identification per the VFRG
• Wake turbulence on takeoff: If following a larger aircraft, plan to lift off before the larger aircraft's lift-off point to stay above its wake vortices
• Safety factors: Weight-based per the Part 91 Guide — for example, 1.15 for aircraft ≤2,000 kg, scaling up to 1.43 for landing distances for aircraft ≥4,500 kg. Know which factor applies to the RPL-category aircraft you're studying

VMC minima — memorise this table

Visual meteorological conditions (VMC) minima are one of the most commonly tested areas in the exam. The minima depend on airspace class and altitude. Exam trap: don't confuse the visibility and cloud separation values across different airspace classes and altitude bands.

• Class G below 3,000 ft AMSL or 1,000 ft AGL (whichever is higher): Clear of cloud, in sight of ground or water, flight visibility 5,000 m
• Class G above 3,000 ft AMSL / 1,000 ft AGL (whichever is higher) but below 10,000 ft: 1,500 m horizontal and 1,000 ft vertical from cloud, flight visibility 5,000 m
• Class C/E below 10,000 ft: 1,500 m horizontal and 1,000 ft vertical from cloud, flight visibility 5,000 m
• At or above 10,000 ft (all applicable classes): 1,500 m horizontal and 1,000 ft vertical from cloud, flight visibility 8 km
• Class D (all heights): 600 m horizontal from cloud, 1,000 ft above cloud, 500 ft below cloud, flight visibility 5,000 m

Aerodynamics

The exam tests understanding, not just definitions. Make sure you can explain why something happens, not just what happens. This is frequently tested in the CASA exam.

• Stall: Occurs at the critical angle of attack — independent of speed, weight, or attitude
• Load factor in turns: At 60° of bank, load factor = 2G and stall speed increases by a factor of √2 (approximately 41%)
• Induced vs parasite drag: These trade off — induced drag decreases with speed, parasite drag increases with speed
• Effect of flaps: Increases lift and drag; reduces stall speed; changes pitching moment

Performance charts

Performance chart questions are worth the most investment per question — the method is consistent across every chart question in the exam. Master it once and you'll apply it every time.

1. Enter the chart from the pressure altitude axis
2. Track horizontally to the temperature line
3. Track vertically down through each variable (weight, wind, slope, surface)
4. Apply correction factors in the notes
5. Read the final distance from the horizontal axis

Practise Figure 3 (takeoff) and Figure 4 (landing distance) until the method is automatic. Students who avoid charts because they seem difficult leave marks on the table — the method is learnable and consistent.

Instruments

Focus on the two main instrument systems and their specific failure modes. Exam trap: don't confuse which instruments are driven by each system.

• Pitot-static system: Powers the ASI, altimeter, and VSI. A blocked pitot or static port causes specific failure modes — know each one
• Gyroscopic system: Powers the AI, DI, and turn coordinator. Key gyroscope principles are rigidity in space and precession
• Magnetic compass errors: Acceleration/deceleration errors on east/west headings; turning errors on northerly/southerly headings
• Alternator failure indications: On a left-zero ammeter (loadmeter), an alternator failure shows as a zero reading. On a centre-zero ammeter, it shows as a continuous discharge (needle deflected to the negative side)

Engines

A small number of engine facts are tested repeatedly. Know these cold before your exam.

• Carburettor icing can occur at an OAT of up to 38°C when conditions are right — it does not require cold weather. High humidity and moderate temperatures are the classic danger zone. Use the carburettor icing probability chart (OAT vs dew-point depression) to assess risk
• Symptoms of carb ice: rough running and loss of RPM on a fixed-pitch propeller
• Mixture: lean mixture at altitude for economy; rich mixture for cooling during climb
• Oil system functions: cools, lubricates, seals, and cleans the engine

Navigation

Focus on the relationships between true north, magnetic north, and compass north. Exam trap: don't confuse the direction of variation correction — remember "East is Least, West is Best."

• Variation: The angular difference between true and magnetic north — East is Least, West is Best
• Deviation: Compass error caused by the aircraft's own magnetic fields, corrected by the compass swing card
• Track vs heading: Wind correction angle adjusts heading to achieve the desired track over the ground

Human factors

Although human factors carries fewer questions, the specific definitions matter. Exam trap: don't confuse carbon monoxide poisoning with hypoxia — the symptoms overlap but the key indicators differ.

• Carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning: Symptoms include headache, drowsiness, and characteristically cherry-red lips. Do not confuse this with hypoxia, which causes blue discolouration (cyanosis)
• Hypoxia: Caused by reduced oxygen supply at altitude — symptoms include impaired judgement, euphoria, and blue lips/fingernails (cyanosis)
• Hyperventilation: Caused by stress or anxiety leading to excessive breathing — symptoms overlap with hypoxia but the cause and treatment differ

What to study from

The most effective resources for the RPL theory exam are listed below in order of priority. Use them together rather than relying on any single source.

1. CASA Day VFR Syllabus — the official source document, available free on the CASA website. All exam questions come directly from this material
2. Visual Flight Rules Guide (VFRG) — essential reference for regulations, VMC minima, carburettor icing charts, and operational procedures
3. Practice questions — use exam-style multiple-choice questions that match the real question format. Volume matters: the more questions you do, the more familiar the question styles become
4. Mock exams — full timed tests simulate the real experience. Do at least three full mocks before booking your real exam
5. Flashcards — particularly effective for regulations, cloud types, VMC minima, and instrument failure modes where you need to recall specific values

The week before your exam

Don't try to learn new material in the final week. Your goal is to consolidate what you already know and arrive at the exam confident and well-rested.

• Take two full mock exams (days 1 and 3 of the week)
• Review every question you got wrong — understand why the correct answer is correct, not just what it is
• Revise your weakest topic one more time
• The day before: light review only — no cramming, and sleep well
• Exam day: bring your ARN and photo ID (an ASIC is accepted as photographic identification). Arrive at least 10 minutes early

Common study mistakes to avoid

Students who have to re-sit the RPL exam tend to make the same handful of mistakes. Being aware of these in advance can save you a second sitting fee and several weeks of delay.

• Starting with the easiest topics: Human factors and loading feel satisfying to study but carry fewer questions. Start with meteorology
• Reading without testing: Passive re-reading creates familiarity, not recall. Test yourself with questions from day one
• Skipping performance charts: Students who avoid charts because they seem difficult leave marks on the table. The method is learnable and consistent
• Under-estimating meteorology: This is the most common reason students fail and have to re-sit
• Not doing full mock exams: Timed practice under exam conditions is essential for managing nerves and building speed
• Confusing similar values: VMC minima, minimum heights, and fuel reserves all have similar-looking numbers that differ by airspace class or flight conditions. Use tables and flashcards to keep them straight

Start practising now

The Pilot Exam gives you 1,000+ verified practice questions across all 10 RPL topic areas, interactive Figure 3 and Figure 4 chart practice, full timed mock exams, and topic-by-topic performance tracking. Everything you need to move from this study guide to exam-ready.

Related Resources

• How to Pass the RPL
• RPL Exam Topics
• Practice Exams