EASA ATPL Radio Navigation (062)
Radio Navigation (subject 062) is the EASA ATPL(A) exam covering the ground- and satellite-based systems that let an aircraft fix its position and fly a precise path — from NDB, VOR and DME to ILS, radar, RNAV and GNSS. This guide breaks the syllabus into its 11 official topic areas, explains how each system works and where it fails, and links straight to free practice questions filtered to Radio Navigation.
What Radio Navigation covers
Radio Navigation is the subject that ties radio physics to the practical job of knowing where you are and flying an accurate track. It explains how a radio wave travels, how each ground aid — NDB, VOR, DME, ILS — turns that wave into a bearing, distance or approach guidance, and where every one of those systems loses accuracy. It then moves on to radar, area navigation and the satellite systems that dominate modern flight decks.
EASA structures the 062 syllabus into eleven topic areas, progressing from the physics of radio propagation, through the individual navigation aids and radar, to area navigation (RNAV/PBN) and GNSS. The sections below walk through each one.
The 11 Radio Navigation topics
These are the official EASA topic areas for subject 062, in syllabus order. Each aid has its own principle, indications and characteristic errors, so learn them one at a time and always tie the theory to how the system fails.
How to study and pass 062 at 75%
Every EASA ATPL(A) theory subject is passed at a minimum of 75%, and each subject is passed independently. For a systems-heavy subject like Radio Navigation, the most reliable route to that mark is understand-then-drill:
- Take one system at a time. Learn the propagation basics first, then work through NDB, VOR, DME, ILS and the rest in syllabus order — later aids assume the physics from the earlier topics.
- Always link principle to error. For each aid, know how it produces its bearing, distance or guidance and the errors that degrade it — night effect and coastal refraction for the NDB, slant range for DME, false glide paths for the ILS.
- Drill ECQB-aligned questions on each topic and read every explanation, especially for the answers you got wrong.
- Use spaced repetition so earlier aids stay fresh while you add new ones, then rehearse with full mock exams at the real 75% pass mark before you sit the official paper.
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.
How ATPL Training helps
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-heavy subject like Radio Navigation, that combination turns each aid's theory and errors into exam marks.
The rules behind the exam
Every ATPL paper is scored under the same Part-FCL rules: a 75% pass mark, four attempts per subject, six sittings, an 18-month completion window, and seven years of theory validity. See each figure with its Part-FCL reference and EUR-Lex source.
Frequently asked questions
What is EASA ATPL Radio Navigation (062)?
Radio Navigation, EASA learning-objective subject code 062, is the ATPL(A) theory exam covering the ground- and satellite-based navigation and radar systems an aircraft uses to fix its position and fly a precise track — including NDB/ADF, VOR, DME, ILS, MLS, radar, SSR, RNAV/PBN and GNSS. It is examined as one of the 13 EASA ATPL theory subjects.
What topics are in the Radio Navigation syllabus?
The 062 syllabus is built around eleven topic areas: radio propagation and frequency bands, ground D/F (VDF), NDB & ADF, VOR, DME, ILS, MLS, radar principles, SSR and airborne weather radar, area navigation (RNAV) and PBN, and GNSS/GPS. Together they progress from the physics of radio waves through individual navigation aids to modern area navigation and satellite systems.
What is the pass mark for the ATPL Radio Navigation exam?
Like every EASA ATPL(A) theory subject, Radio Navigation 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.
Is Radio Navigation a hard ATPL exam?
Many students find 062 demanding because it combines the physics of radio propagation with a long list of systems, each with its own principle, indications and characteristic errors. The most reliable way to pass is to understand how each aid works and then drill exam-style questions that test its errors, coverage and accuracy.
How should I study for ATPL Radio Navigation?
Learn one system at a time and always tie the principle to its errors: for example, understand how a VOR generates radials before drilling its accuracy and error questions, and know why an NDB suffers night effect and coastal refraction. Practise ECQB-aligned questions per topic, review every explanation, and use spaced repetition so earlier systems stay fresh as you add new ones.
Master Radio Navigation the smart way
Drill ECQB-aligned 062 questions with worked explanations, track your readiness across all eleven topics, and rehearse with full mock exams at the real 75% pass mark.