Instrumentation (subject 022) is the EASA ATPL theory exam that explains how an aircraft measures, displays and automates flight — from the sensors behind the air-data and gyroscopic instruments to the autoflight, flight-management and electronic-display systems that fly a modern flight deck. This guide breaks the syllabus into its 14 official topic areas, shows how the systems connect, and sets out a study plan to pass the exam at the 75% mark.
Instrumentation is the subject that explains the flight deck itself. It starts with how raw quantities — pressure, temperature, magnetic heading, rates of rotation — are sensed and turned into the readings on an instrument, then builds up to the automated systems that fly the aircraft: the autopilot, the autothrust, the flight-management system and the electronic displays that tie everything together. It is more about understanding systems than calculation, so the reward comes from knowing how each component works and how it can fail.
EASA structures the 022 syllabus into fourteen topic areas, progressing from individual sensors and instruments, through compasses, gyros and inertial systems, to the autoflight, flight-management, alerting and recording systems of a modern aircraft. The sections below walk through each one.
These are the official EASA topic areas for subject 022, in syllabus order. They broadly move from sensing a parameter to the systems that use it, so working them roughly in sequence helps the later automation topics make sense.
Every EASA ATPL theory subject is passed at a minimum of 75%, and each subject is passed independently. For a broad, systems-heavy subject like Instrumentation, the most reliable route to that mark is understand-then-drill:
Note: Exam rules — the pass mark, sittings and attempt limits — are set by EASA Part-FCL and applied by your national authority (NAA). Always confirm the current figures with your ATO/NAA before you plan, as they are periodically updated.
ATPL Training is an all-in-one platform for the theory phase: an ECQB-aligned question bank with worked explanations, structured lessons, built-in spaced-repetition review, and an AI tutor that explains the reasoning behind every answer — at around half the price of the established providers. For a systems-led subject like Instrumentation, that combination turns the theory into exam marks.
Instrumentation, EASA learning-objective subject code 022, is the ATPL theory exam covering how an aircraft measures, displays and automates flight — air-data and gyroscopic instruments, compasses, inertial navigation, autoflight and autothrust, flight-management systems, electronic displays, alerting and recording systems. It is examined as one of the 13 EASA ATPL theory subjects.
The 022 syllabus is built around 14 topic areas: Sensors and Instruments; Measurement of Air Data Parameters; Magnetism, Direct-Reading Compass and Flux Valve; Gyroscopic Instruments; Inertial Navigation; Automatic Flight Control Systems; Autothrust; Trims, Yaw Damper and Flight Envelope Protection; Flight Management Systems (FMS/FMGS); Alerting and Proximity Systems; Integrated Instruments and Electronic Displays; Communication Systems; Digital Circuits and Computers; and Maintenance, Monitoring and Recording Systems.
Like every EASA ATPL theory subject, Instrumentation is passed at a minimum of 75%. Each subject is passed independently, so you only re-sit the exams you do not pass. Exam rules are applied by your national authority (NAA), so confirm the current figures with your ATO/NAA.
Many students find 022 demanding because it is broad and systems-heavy — it asks you to understand how a wide range of instruments and automated systems work and interact, from basic sensors to the FMS. Working a large bank of exam-style questions with worked explanations, system by system, is the most reliable way to turn the theory into exam marks.
Learn each system in context, then drill questions on it: start with how a parameter is sensed (air data, magnetism, gyros) before moving to the systems that use it (autoflight, FMS, displays), make sure you understand the failure modes and errors of each, then practise ECQB-aligned questions and review every explanation. Spaced repetition keeps earlier systems fresh while you add new ones.
Drill ECQB-aligned 022 questions with worked explanations, track your readiness across all fourteen topics, and rehearse with full mock exams at the real 75% pass mark.
