RPL Exam Study Schedule: A 4-Week Day-by-Day Plan

Most RPL students know they should study — but without a structured schedule, it's easy to spend three weeks on aerodynamics and then rush through regulations the week before the exam. This 4-week plan allocates time by topic weight and builds toward full mock exams in the final stretch.

This plan assumes roughly 1.5–2 hours of study per day. Adjust based on your available time. If you have 6 weeks, slow the pace. If you have 2 weeks, double up on daily sessions.

Before you start: get your baseline

Before week 1, take a full diagnostic mock exam under timed conditions (37 questions, 90 minutes). Don't worry about your score — this baseline tells you which topics need the most work. Record your scores by topic:

• Aerodynamics
• Engines
• Instruments
• Meteorology
• Navigation
• Regulations
• Performance and loading
• Human factors
• Flight rules

Any topic below 60% on the diagnostic should get extra time in weeks 2–3.

Week 1: foundation topics

Start with the topics that underpin everything else — aerodynamics and engines. These concepts come up across multiple exam areas.

Day	Topic	Focus
Monday	Aerodynamics (Part 1)	Four forces, lift and drag, angle of attack, camber
Tuesday	Aerodynamics (Part 2)	Stalls, spins, load factor, turn stall speed, ground effect
Wednesday	Engines	4-stroke cycle, magnetos, carburettor icing, mixture control, oil systems
Thursday	Instruments	Pitot-static system, ASI, altimeter, VSI, gyroscopic instruments
Friday	Review and quiz	Practice questions on all four topics. Aim for 70%+
Saturday	Human factors	Hypoxia, hyperventilation, G-effects, fatigue, decision-making, IMSAFE
Sunday	Rest or light review	Flashcard review only. No new material.

Week 2: weather and navigation

Meteorology is one of the most heavily tested areas and also one where students lose the most marks. Give it two full days.

Day	Topic	Focus
Monday	Meteorology (Part 1)	ICAO standard atmosphere, pressure systems, fronts, clouds, fog
Tuesday	Meteorology (Part 2)	Wind shear, thunderstorms, icing, turbulence, TAF/METAR reading
Wednesday	Navigation (Part 1)	VNC/WAC charts, latitude/longitude, magnetic variation, compass
Thursday	Navigation (Part 2)	Track and heading, wind correction angle, track error
Friday	Review and quiz	Mixed questions across meteorology and navigation
Saturday	Catch-up session	Revisit any topic scoring below 70% from week 1 diagnostic
Sunday	Rest	—

Week 3: regulations, performance, and flight rules

Regulations and flight rules are pure knowledge — memorisation with application. Performance charts need hands-on practice, not just reading.

Day	Topic	Focus
Monday	Regulations (Part 1)	Airspace classification, controlled vs uncontrolled, transponder requirements
Tuesday	Regulations (Part 2)	CASR Part 61, RPL privileges and limitations, endorsements, medical requirements
Wednesday	Flight rules	VFR minima, right-of-way rules, formation flying, aerobatics rules
Thursday	Performance charts (Part 1)	Density altitude, take-off distance, climb performance — work through 10+ chart problems
Friday	Performance charts (Part 2)	Landing distance, loading (W&B), centre of gravity calculations
Saturday	Full mock exam #1	37 questions, 90 minutes, closed notes. Score and review every wrong answer.
Sunday	Mock exam review	Research every wrong answer. Understand why, not just what.

Week 4: consolidation and exam simulation

The last week is about building exam-day confidence. No new topics — only practice, review, and simulation.

Day	Topic	Focus
Monday	Weak areas only	Revisit your two lowest-scoring topics from mock exam #1
Tuesday	Full mock exam #2	New question set, timed. Track improvement from mock #1.
Wednesday	Mock exam #2 review	Analyse errors. Are they the same topics as mock #1? Go deeper if so.
Thursday	Full mock exam #3	Aim for 80%+ before exam day.
Friday	Light review only	Flashcards, regulations mnemonics. No new material. Rest your brain.
Exam day	EXAM	Eat well, sleep well the night before. Arrive 15 minutes early. Read every question twice.

Key study principles for this plan

Active recall over passive reading

Close the book after each section and write down what you just learned from memory. This is far more effective than highlighting or re-reading. Use practice questions as the primary learning tool, not a test of whether you already know it.

Performance charts: volume matters

Performance charts are a practised skill, not a knowledge topic. You need to do 20–30 chart problems before they feel comfortable. The more you practise the physical act of tracing lines and reading axes, the faster and more accurate you get on exam day.

Regulations: use mnemonics

For airspace transponder requirements, VFR minima, and right-of-way rules, create simple mnemonics. These are pure recall questions — there's no "understanding" that helps you remember which airspace requires Mode C; you just have to know it.

If you miss a day

Don't panic and don't try to catch up by doubling the next day. Just continue from where you left off. Compressing content leads to poor retention. The schedule is a guide, not a contract.

Starting the plan

The best time to start is now. The Pilot Exam provides timed mock exams in the same 37-question, 90-minute format as the real CASA RPL test — use these for your week 3 and week 4 mock exams. The performance chart practice sessions also give you the hands-on chart reading practice you need for week 3.