Performance (subject 032) is the EASA ATPL theory exam that tells you whether an aeroplane can actually do what a flight plan asks of it — get airborne within the runway available, out-climb the terrain ahead, cruise to destination and stop again safely, in the real weight, altitude, temperature and wind of the day. This guide breaks the syllabus into its official code groups — 032.01 General, 032.02 Performance Class B and 032.03 Performance Class A — shows how take-off, climb, en-route and landing performance fit together, and sets out a study plan to pass the exam at the 75% mark.
Performance is the subject that turns aerodynamics into numbers you can fly against. It asks a single question in four phases — can this aeroplane, at today's weight, pressure altitude, temperature and wind, get airborne within the runway available, climb to clear the terrain ahead, cruise to destination and land again safely? Where other subjects explain how the aircraft works, Performance decides what it is allowed to do.
EASA structures the 032 syllabus under three code groups — 032.01 General, 032.02 Performance Class B and 032.03 Performance Class A — layered over the cross-cutting concepts of take-off and landing distance, climb gradients and WAT limits, obstacle clearance and the net flight path. The sections below walk through each topic area.
These topic areas map to the official EASA code groups for subject 032. They move from the definitions and general principles, through each phase of flight, to the separate rule sets for Class B and Class A aeroplanes — so working them roughly in sequence keeps the later, class-specific topics grounded in the fundamentals.
Performance is examined as a single multiple-choice paper, one of the 13 EASA ATPL theory subjects. Questions are drawn from the ECQB (the European Central Question Bank) and mix straight recall of definitions and rules with graph- and chart-based calculation — reading a take-off or landing performance chart, applying corrections for weight, altitude, temperature, slope and wind, and finding a limiting weight or a field length. Expect a fair share of Class A obstacle and net-flight-path problems alongside the simpler Class B distance questions.
The pass mark is 75%, the same as every ATPL theory subject, and each subject is passed independently. Because so many questions are chart-based, being fast and accurate at reading the graphs — not just knowing the theory — is what protects your score under time pressure.
Note: Exam rules — the number of questions, the time allowed, 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.
Every EASA ATPL theory subject is passed at a minimum of 75%, and each subject is passed independently. For a calculation- and chart-heavy subject like Performance, the most reliable route to that mark is understand-then-drill:
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 calculation-led subject like Performance, that combination turns the charts and rules into exam marks.
Drill ECQB-aligned 032 questions with worked explanations, track your readiness across every phase from take-off to landing, and rehearse with full mock exams at the real 75% pass mark.
Performance, EASA learning-objective subject code 032, is the ATPL theory exam covering whether an aeroplane can meet the demands of a flight — take-off within the runway available, climb to clear obstacles and terrain, cruise to destination and land safely — in the real weight, altitude, temperature and wind of the day. It is examined as one of the 13 EASA ATPL theory subjects.
The 032 syllabus is organised under three code groups: 032.01 General (definitions, V-speeds and the factors affecting performance), 032.02 Performance Class B (single- and multi-engine light aeroplanes) and 032.03 Performance Class A (large transport aeroplanes). Across these it covers take-off and landing distance, climb gradients and WAT limits, en-route drift-down, obstacle clearance and the net flight path, plus aerodrome and runway factors and cruise/range performance.
Like every EASA ATPL theory subject, Performance 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.
Performance Class A applies to large multi-engine turbine aeroplanes (typically airliners) and uses strict, segmented rules — a net take-off flight path, an obstacle domain and regulated field lengths that assume an engine failure at the worst moment. Performance Class B applies to smaller single- and multi-engine light aeroplanes and uses simpler distance and climb requirements. Knowing which class a question is set in decides which rules and margins apply.
Learn the definitions first — the V-speeds and the factors (weight, altitude, temperature, wind, runway) — then work through take-off, climb, en-route and landing in that order so each phase builds on the last, and finally split Class A from Class B because their rules differ. Performance is calculation- and graph-heavy, so practise reading the CS-25/AFM-style charts and drill ECQB-aligned questions with worked explanations, reviewing every one you get wrong. Spaced repetition keeps the earlier phases and speed definitions fresh.
