PPL Theory Exams: A Complete Study Plan for All 7 CASA Tests (2026)

One of the biggest surprises for student pilots moving from RPL to PPL is that the theory requirement isn't one exam — it's seven. Each subject is a separate CASA test with its own pass mark, question bank, and sitting requirements. Most students who struggle with PPL theory do so not because the content is too hard, but because they didn't have a plan.

This guide gives you that plan. It covers the recommended order to sit the exams, how many weeks to budget per subject, and what to prioritise inside each test.

The 7 PPL theory exams at a glance

CASA requires PPL candidates to pass the following theory exams before undertaking the flight test:

Subject	Questions	Time	Pass mark
Basic Aeronautical Knowledge (BAK)	50	75 min	70%
Air Law	50	75 min	70%
Aircraft General Knowledge (AGK)	50	75 min	70%
Navigation	50	75 min	70%
Meteorology	50	75 min	70%
Human Performance	50	75 min	70%
Performance and Loading	50	75 min	70%

You do not have to sit all seven in one session or even in one week. You can book and sit them in any order, and you can space them across your training. That said, there is a logical sequence that makes each exam easier than the previous one — which is what this study plan is built around.

Recommended exam order

The most common mistake is sitting exams in whatever order your flight school happens to suggest, or simply the order you feel like. A better approach is to sit them in order of subject dependency:

1. BAK — covers the foundations that every other subject builds on. Sit this first.
2. Air Law — mostly standalone and highly memorisable. Good early win.
3. Meteorology — heavy but self-contained. Tackle early while you're fresh.
4. Aircraft General Knowledge — builds on your flying experience, better after some hours.
5. Navigation — requires real mental effort. Better once you've done some cross-country flying.
6. Human Performance — shorter study load, good as a break between heavy subjects.
7. Performance and Loading — involves calculation questions, leave to last once you're comfortable with the aircraft.

The full study plan: 14 weeks to PPL theory

This plan assumes roughly 1–1.5 hours of study per day on weekdays, with longer sessions on weekends. Adjust to your pace — if you have more time, compress. If you're flying frequently and absorbing things organically, you may need less structured study for some subjects.

Weeks 1–2: Basic Aeronautical Knowledge (BAK)

BAK is the gateway exam. It covers aerodynamics, aircraft systems, flight instruments, and the basics of aviation weather — a broad foundation rather than deep expertise in any one area. Many of these concepts will reappear in the other six exams, so investing here pays dividends later.

Week	Day	Focus
1	Mon–Tue	Aerodynamics: four forces, lift, drag, angle of attack, stalls
1	Wed–Thu	Engines: 4-stroke cycle, magnetos, carburettor icing, fuel systems
1	Fri	Practice quiz — aerodynamics + engines (aim 70%+)
1	Sat–Sun	Flight instruments: pitot-static, altimeter, gyroscopic instruments
2	Mon–Tue	Intro weather: atmosphere, pressure, cloud types
2	Wed	Flight operations basics: airspace classes, VFR rules overview
2	Thu–Fri	Full BAK mock exam (timed). Review weak areas.
2	Sat	Second mock exam. If 70%+ consistently — book the BAK.

Study tip: BAK is the broadest exam. Don't try to memorise every detail — focus on understanding principles. The instrument questions are often where students lose marks because they try to memorise without understanding how the instruments actually work.

Weeks 3–4: Air Law

Air Law is the most memorisation-heavy exam in the PPL series. The good news: it's also one of the most predictable. CASA asks the same types of questions repeatedly — right-of-way rules, airspace dimensions, NOTAM formats, radio procedures.

Week	Day	Focus
3	Mon–Tue	Right-of-way rules, collision avoidance, visual signals
3	Wed–Thu	Australian airspace: classes A–G, dimensions, entry requirements
3	Fri	Practice quiz — right-of-way + airspace
3	Sat–Sun	Licences and ratings, maintenance requirements, flight rules (VFR)
4	Mon–Tue	ATC procedures: clearances, transponder codes, ATIS, radio failure
4	Wed–Thu	NOTAMs, AIP, ERSA — where to find what
4	Fri–Sat	Two full Air Law mock exams. Review incorrect answers in depth.

Study tip: For Air Law, make flashcards for airspace dimensions and right-of-way rules. These come up multiple times and are worth memorising precisely — CASA tests on specific altitudes and distances.

Weeks 5–7: Meteorology

Meteorology is the exam most students underestimate. Three weeks is not excessive — this is genuinely one of the hardest PPL subjects, and the questions can be subtle (e.g. distinguishing between different types of fog, or interpreting a METAR for embedded thunderstorm risk). Budget the time.

Week	Day	Focus
5	Mon–Tue	Atmosphere: ICAO standard atmosphere, pressure, temperature lapse rates
5	Wed–Thu	Wind: pressure gradient, Buys Ballot's law, sea breeze, mountain effects
5	Fri	Practice quiz — atmosphere and wind
5	Sat–Sun	Clouds: formation, classification, cloud base calculation
6	Mon–Tue	Precipitation and visibility: rain, fog types (radiation, advection, sea fog)
6	Wed–Thu	Fronts: cold, warm, occluded. Weather sequences. Icing.
6	Fri	Practice quiz — clouds, precipitation, fronts
6	Sat–Sun	Thunderstorms: formation, hazards, avoidance. Turbulence types.
7	Mon–Tue	METAR and TAF decoding: full decode practice
7	Wed–Thu	SIGMET, AIRMET, area forecasts, ARFOR
7	Fri–Sat	Two full Meteorology mock exams. Target 75%+ before booking.

Study tip: Print a blank METAR decode sheet and fill it in from memory. If you can decode a full METAR without looking anything up, you'll handle any weather question CASA can throw at you.

Weeks 8–9: Aircraft General Knowledge (AGK)

AGK covers the mechanical and electrical systems of the aircraft in much more detail than BAK. By weeks 8–9 you should have real flying hours under your belt — this makes the content much more tangible. If you've had an instructor explain the fuel system during pre-flight, you'll remember it far better than if you studied it cold.

Week	Day	Focus
8	Mon–Tue	Engine systems: in depth — carburettor, fuel injection, ignition, oil
8	Wed–Thu	Airframe and flight controls: control surfaces, trim, flaps, undercarriage
8	Fri	Practice quiz — engines and airframe
8	Sat–Sun	Electrical systems: alternator, battery, circuit breakers, avionics
9	Mon–Tue	Instruments (advanced): Heading Indicator errors, compass deviation, HSI
9	Wed–Thu	Fuel systems: grades, contamination, venting, sumping
9	Fri–Sat	Two full AGK mock exams. Review weak systems.

Weeks 10–11: Navigation

Navigation is where many students hit a wall. The calculations aren't mathematically complex, but they require spatial reasoning and comfort with aeronautical charts. By weeks 10–11 you should have done some cross-country flying — this helps enormously.

Week	Day	Focus
10	Mon–Tue	Charts: VNC, WAC, ERC — scale, symbols, airspace depiction
10	Wed–Thu	Direction: true vs magnetic, variation, deviation. Compass swing.
10	Fri	Practice quiz — charts and direction
10	Sat–Sun	Speed, distance, time calculations. Groundspeed problems.
11	Mon–Tue	Wind correction angle: vector triangles, mental drift estimation
11	Wed–Thu	Tracking: 1-in-60 rule, track error angle, opening/closing angle
11	Fri–Sat	Two full Navigation mock exams. Use flight computer (E6B or CRP-1).

Study tip: CASA Navigation questions often involve a flight computer (E6B or electronic equivalent). Practice the calculations until they're automatic — the exam is timed and fumbling with the E6B costs marks.

Week 12: Human Performance

Human Performance has the lightest study load of the seven subjects. Most students with real flight hours find this content intuitive — it covers how the human body responds to flight, decision-making, and crew resource management basics.

Day	Focus
Mon–Tue	Vision: night vision, visual illusions, blind spot
Wed	Hypoxia, hyperventilation, spatial disorientation, G-forces
Thu	Fatigue, stress, decision-making models (FORDEC, IMSAFE)
Fri–Sat	Two full mock exams. Most students pass this on first attempt.

Weeks 13–14: Performance and Loading

The final exam is the most calculation-heavy. It requires you to use performance charts (similar to those in the RPL exam, but more complex), weight and balance calculations, and fuel planning. By week 13 you should have real pre-flight calculation experience — this will make the exam significantly easier.

Week	Day	Focus
13	Mon–Tue	Weight and balance: basic arm/moment calculations, CG limits
13	Wed–Thu	Performance charts: take-off distance, climb, cruise, landing
13	Fri	Practice quiz — weight & balance and performance
13	Sat–Sun	Fuel planning: endurance, reserves, alternate requirements
14	Mon–Tue	Density altitude: pressure altitude, temperature correction
14	Wed–Thu	V-speeds: VX, VY, VNE, VNO, VA — definitions and exam questions
14	Fri–Sat	Two full Performance mock exams. Target 75%+ before booking.

Study tip: Performance charts in the exam are drawn from specific aircraft POHs. Practise reading charts at different density altitudes, not just sea level on a standard day. CASA specifically tests edge cases.

When to book each exam

A common question: when should I book each exam relative to my flying?

• BAK and Air Law: Can be sat early in your training — even before your first solo. These don't depend on flight experience.
• Meteorology: Best sat after 10–15 hours when you've had your first weather cancellations and started thinking about weather seriously.
• AGK: After 20+ hours, when you've done several pre-flights and understand the systems from experience.
• Navigation: After your first cross-country solo or supervised cross-country. The exam questions will make much more sense.
• Human Performance: Whenever — usually sat as a gap-filler between heavier subjects.
• Performance and Loading: After 30+ hours. You'll understand the significance of CG limits and density altitude from real flights.

Total time commitment

Realistically, most students should plan for the following:

• Total study time: 80–120 hours across all 7 subjects
• Clock time: 14–20 weeks if studying consistently (most students stretch this to 6–12 months while flying)
• Average passes needed: Most students pass each exam first or second attempt. First-attempt pass rates are lower for Navigation and Meteorology than for Air Law and Human Performance.

The 14-week plan above is aggressive. Most PPL students interleave theory with flying and take 4–8 months to clear all 7 exams. That's fine — CASA doesn't require them all before you can solo.

Practise with real CASA-format questions

The single best preparation for any CASA theory exam is practising with questions in the same format as the real test. Seek out practice exams that provide questions across all PPL subjects, with timed sessions that match the real CASA format and include interactive performance charts.

Use practice exams in the final week of each subject block — not as a replacement for studying, but as a diagnostic tool that shows exactly which question types need more work.

Summary

Seven exams sounds daunting. With a plan, it's manageable:

1. Sit in order: BAK → Air Law → Meteorology → AGK → Navigation → Human Performance → Performance and Loading
2. Budget 1–3 weeks per subject depending on complexity
3. Align your theory study with your flight training — real experience reinforces the content
4. Mock exam before you book — pass consistently in practice before paying to sit

The PPL theory exams are achievable for any student who takes a systematic approach. The students who fail repeatedly are almost always the ones who tried to wing it without a plan.