RPL Written Exam Tips: 12 Strategies to Pass the CASA Theory Test (2026)

The CASA RPL theory exam catches many students off guard — not because the material is impossibly hard, but because most people don't prepare strategically. They read the study guide once, feel confident, then get 65% on the real thing. Here are 12 tips that change outcomes.

1. Know the format before you walk in

The RPL written exam (formally the BAK — Basic Aeronautical Knowledge exam) is a multiple-choice paper administered by CASA through its PEXO system (currently via Aspeq). You have a 2-hour time limit, and the pass mark is 70%. CASA does not publicly specify the exact number of questions, so don't rely on second-hand claims about question counts — focus on knowing the material broadly and thoroughly. You can bring a non-programmable calculator, a ruler, and a navigation computer (E6B). There are no trick questions, but there are questions that require calculation steps you can't do in your head.

The exam costs $189.53 ($124.53 invigilator fee + $65 CASA fee), so you want to pass the first time. Knowing the format upfront changes how you prepare: you need speed and accuracy across a broad topic range, not deep mastery of one area.

2. Don't skip performance charts

Performance chart questions — including takeoff distance charts (Figure 3), landing distance charts (Figure 4), and takeoff weight charts (Figure 5) from the CASA workbook — appear in almost every RPL exam. They're worth multiple marks and students who practise them get them right every time. Students who don't practise them panic on exam day and waste precious minutes.

The method is systematic: locate the temperature column, find your weight row, read off the distance, apply corrections for headwind/tailwind and slope. You just need to do it 10–15 times to make it automatic. Interactive chart practice is the fastest way to build this skill.

3. Learn the pass mark, then aim higher

70% is the pass mark. But that's a narrow buffer — getting a handful of extra questions wrong can drop you below the line quickly. Aim to consistently score 80% or above in practice. If you're hitting 80% in mock exams, a slightly below-average exam day still results in a pass.

4. Prioritise high-frequency topics

The RPL exam draws from a defined syllabus, and some topics appear more frequently than others. Based on the syllabus distribution, the highest-frequency areas are:

• Meteorology — pressure systems, fronts, cloud types, METAR/TAF reading
• Air Law — VFR rules, right-of-way rules, airspace classes, minimum heights, communication failure procedures
• Navigation — chart reading, track/heading, fuel calculations
• Aircraft General Knowledge (AGK) — engine systems, instruments, fuel types, carburettor icing
• Performance — chart reading, density altitude, weight and balance

Aerodynamics, human factors, and radio procedures make up the remaining questions. Don't ignore them, but don't let them crowd out your meteorology and air law study time.

5. Use practice exams as diagnostic tools

Most students use practice exams to check if they're ready. Smart students use them to find gaps. Take your first practice exam before you've studied anything — it establishes a baseline and immediately shows which topics you need most. Then take another after each study block to measure improvement.

The goal isn't to pass the practice exam. It's to understand why you get each question wrong and not get it wrong again.

6. Know the VMC minima cold

Air law questions about visual meteorological conditions (VMC) weather minima trip up many students because the rules have multiple conditions depending on altitude and airspace class. Under Civil Aviation Safety Regulations (CASR) Part 91, here are the VMC minima you must memorise:

Class G airspace

• Below 3,000 ft AMSL or 1,000 ft AGL (whichever is higher): 5,000 m visibility, clear of cloud, and in sight of ground or water
• At or above 3,000 ft AMSL or 1,000 ft AGL (whichever is higher), but below 10,000 ft: 5,000 m visibility, 1,500 m horizontal and 1,000 ft vertical from cloud
• At or above 10,000 ft: 8 km visibility, 1,500 m horizontal and 1,000 ft vertical from cloud

Class D airspace (all altitudes)

• 5,000 m visibility, 600 m horizontal from cloud, 1,000 ft above cloud, 500 ft below cloud

Class C and E airspace (above 3,000 ft or 1,000 ft AGL, but below 10,000 ft)

• 5,000 m visibility, 1,500 m horizontal and 1,000 ft vertical from cloud

Note that VFR flight in Class A airspace is not outright prohibited — it requires specific approval under CASR 91.285. But for the RPL exam, the practical answer is that RPL holders won't be flying in Class A.

Right-of-way rules: converging aircraft with the other on your right must give way. Overtaking aircraft keep the one being overtaken on the left. Head-on aircraft each turn right. Aircraft on approach have right of way over other aircraft in flight.

7. Don't confuse magnetic and true

Navigation calculations involve converting between true bearings and magnetic bearings by applying magnetic variation. The mnemonic is: "East is least, West is best" — easterly variation is subtracted, westerly variation is added (when converting true to magnetic). Most of Australia has easterly magnetic variation (10°–12°E near major cities), so the conversion is almost always a subtraction.

8. Read every question twice

The most common cause of preventable errors is misreading the question. Exam questions often include qualifiers like "except", "NOT", "minimum", or "maximum" that flip the answer. Underline these words as you read. Then check your selected answer makes sense in the context of the full question.

9. Manage your 2 hours wisely

With a 2-hour time limit, you have more breathing room than many students expect — but performance chart and fuel calculation questions can eat up time if you're not practised. The recommended strategy is:

1. First pass: answer every question you're confident about immediately — work through the entire paper without getting stuck on any single question
2. Second pass: tackle the calculation and chart-reading questions you skipped
3. Final review: re-check any answers you're uncertain about and verify you haven't left anything blank

Never leave a question blank — there's no negative marking, so a guess is better than nothing.

10. Understand density altitude

Density altitude appears in performance questions and confuses many students. Remember: density altitude is pressure altitude corrected for temperature. High temperature equals higher density altitude, which means worse aircraft performance and longer takeoff and landing distances. Hot, high, and humid conditions represent the worst case. This is tested directly (calculate density altitude given QNH and temperature) and indirectly (effect on performance charts).

11. Memorise the must-know facts

Certain specific facts come up repeatedly in RPL exams. Commit these to memory:

• Fuel colour: AVGAS 100LL is blue. Jet A-1 is colourless or straw-coloured.
• Carburettor icing: can occur at outside air temperatures up to 38°C (per the VFRG) — much higher than most students guess.
• Windsock: a fully extended windsock indicates approximately 25–30 kt. A windsock at roughly 45° indicates approximately 15 kt.
• Maximum Take-off Weight (MTOW): the MTOW for a specific aircraft is specified in its certificate of airworthiness.
• Minimum height over a populous area: 1,000 ft above the highest obstacle within a 600 m radius of any point on the ground below the aircraft (CASR 91.265, MOS 12.01).
• Minimum height over non-populous areas: 500 ft above any obstacle within a 300 m radius of any point on the ground below the aircraft (CASR 91.267, MOS 12.02).
• VFR fuel reserve (day): 30 minutes for piston/turboprop aircraft ≤5,700 kg. Night VFR requires 45 minutes.
• Alternator failure indication: a zero reading on a left-zero ammeter (loadmeter), or a continuous discharge on a centre-zero ammeter.
• CO poisoning symptom: cherry-red lips. Don't confuse this with blue lips, which indicates hypoxia.
• Buys Ballot's Law (Southern Hemisphere): stand with your back to the wind and low pressure is to your right.
• Wake turbulence on takeoff: lift off before the larger aircraft's lift-off point and climb above its flight path.
• RPL privileges: aircraft ≤1,500 kg MTOW, single engine, non-turbine, day VFR only.

These facts are easy marks — but only if you've locked them in before exam day.

12. Take the exam when you're ready, not when you're pressured

Many students book the exam too early because their instructor or school creates time pressure. Remember: the exam is administered by CASA (through its PEXO/Aspeq system), not by your flight school — you book it when you're ready. A failed exam means rebooking, paying the $189.53 fee again, and a delay to your licence. Wait until you're genuinely ready.

The benchmark: three consecutive practice exams scoring 80% or above. If you hit that, you're ready. If you're at 75% and feeling nervous, take two more practice exams first.

Start practising now

The Pilot Exam provides 1,000+ CASA RPL theory questions in timed, exam-format practice sessions designed to mirror the real BAK exam. Each question includes a worked explanation so you understand not just whether you got it right, but why.

Take your first practice exam free — no sign-up required. Use your results to build your personalised study plan around the 12 tips above.