The rules governing EASA ATPL(A) theory exams come from Part-FCL, point FCL.025. Every figure on this page is rendered from the same records the platform itself uses, and each one carries its Part-FCL reference, a link to the consolidated regulation on EUR-Lex, and the date we last verified it.
Figures verified
The pass mark for every EASA ATPL(A) theoretical knowledge examination is 75%. It is the same in all 13 subjects, and it is an absolute threshold rather than a curve. No penalty marking is applied, so an incorrect answer costs you nothing beyond the mark you did not gain — leave nothing blank.
No penalty marking shall be applied.
Source: Regulation (EU) No 1178/2011, Annex I (Part-FCL), FCL.025(b)(1) · verified 2026-08-17
You may attempt any single ATPL theory paper a maximum of 4 times. That limit is per subject, not across the whole set, so failing one paper four times ends the attempt for that subject specifically. Exhausting it means retaking the complete course of theoretical knowledge instruction before sitting again.
Source: Regulation (EU) No 1178/2011, Annex I (Part-FCL), FCL.025(b)(3) · verified 2026-08-17
You must complete all 13 ATPL(A) theory examinations within a maximum of 6 sittings. A sitting is a discrete examination session at your authority, and you choose how many subjects to take in each — which is why how you group the papers matters as much as how you study them.
Applies to ATPL/CPL/IR only — LAPL/PPL get 4 attempts and the 18-month window without the sitting cap (FCL.025(b)(4)).
Source: Regulation (EU) No 1178/2011, Annex I (Part-FCL), FCL.025(b)(3) · verified 2026-08-17
All 13 papers must be passed within 18 months, counted from the end of the calendar month in which you first attempted an examination. Not from the exam date itself — from the end of that month, which quietly gives you a few extra days. Miss it and passed subjects are lost.
From the END of the calendar month of the first attempt. The provision opens with "Unless otherwise determined in this Part" — do not model as absolute.
Source: Regulation (EU) No 1178/2011, Annex I (Part-FCL), FCL.025(b)(2) · verified 2026-08-17
A completed ATPL(A) theoretical knowledge pass remains valid for 7 years, counted from the last validity date of the instrument rating entered in your licence. That is the longest validity in Part-FCL: CPL, MPL and IR theory lasts 36 months, and LAPL or PPL theory 24 months.
ATPL theory valid 7 years from the last validity date of the IR (helicopters: type rating). CPL/MPL/IR: 36 months. BIR: unlimited. LAPL/PPL: 24 months.
Source: Regulation (EU) No 1178/2011, Annex I (Part-FCL), FCL.025(c)(2) · verified 2026-08-17
These are the common EASA rules. National aviation authorities administer the exams themselves and may apply additional local conditions — booking windows, resit intervals, and how a sitting is defined in practice can differ between, for example, Austro Control, the IAA and the UK CAA. Always confirm against your own authority before planning around a deadline.
