EASA ATPL(A) theoretical knowledge is examined across 13 subjects. Together they cover everything an airline pilot must know on the ground — from international air law to the aerodynamics of flight. Here is what each subject covers, why it matters, and how to approach it.
The EASA ATPL(A) theoretical-knowledge syllabus is split into 13 subjects, each with its own written exam and a 75% pass mark. They span four broad areas — air law and procedures, aircraft knowledge, navigation, and the human and physical sciences of flight. Below is a plain-English breakdown of every subject: what it covers, why it matters, and where to start studying. Each links straight into the structured lessons and ATPL question bank for that subject.
010 — Air Law
International and European aviation regulations: ICAO annexes, airspace classification, the rules of the air, licensing, air traffic services, aerodromes, and search & rescue.
Why it matters: The rulebook every flight operates under — the legal framework behind every clearance and procedure.
Study Air Law →021 — Aircraft General Knowledge: Airframe, Systems, Electrics & Powerplant
How the aircraft is built and powered: structures, hydraulics, landing gear, fuel and electrical systems, pressurisation, ice and rain protection, fire protection, and piston & turbine engines.
Why it matters: Understanding the machine you fly is the foundation for handling abnormal and emergency situations.
Study Airframe & Systems →022 — Aircraft General Knowledge: Instrumentation
The sensors and displays pilots rely on: pitot-static instruments, gyroscopes, compasses, EFIS, autoflight systems, and warning & recording systems.
Why it matters: Every decision in the flight deck starts with trusting — and cross-checking — the instruments.
Study Instrumentation →031 — Mass & Balance
Keeping the aircraft within weight and centre-of-gravity limits: aircraft weighing, load sheets, CG calculations, and forward & aft limits for safe, efficient flight.
Why it matters: A correctly loaded aircraft handles predictably; a mis-loaded one can be unflyable.
Study Mass & Balance →032 — Performance
Take-off, climb, cruise and landing performance: runway requirements, engine-failure cases, obstacle clearance, and the margins that keep flight safe.
Why it matters: Performance planning is what guarantees the aircraft can stop, climb, and clear obstacles on the day.
Study Performance →033 — Flight Planning & Monitoring
Building and monitoring a flight plan: fuel planning, route selection, alternate selection, ATC flight plans, ETOPS, and in-flight progress checks.
Why it matters: Good planning turns a long-haul flight into a series of checkpoints rather than surprises.
Study Flight Planning & Monitoring →040 — Human Performance & Limitations
The pilot as a system: physiology, hypoxia, vision and perception, stress, fatigue, decision-making, and crew resource management.
Why it matters: Most accidents are human-factors driven — knowing your own limits is a safety skill, not theory.
Study Human Performance →050 — Meteorology
The atmosphere and weather: pressure systems, wind, clouds, precipitation, icing, thunderstorms, and reading aviation reports (METAR, TAF) and significant-weather charts.
Why it matters: Weather is the single biggest variable in any flight — and one of the most exam-heavy subjects.
Study Meteorology →061 — General Navigation
Finding the way without radio aids: the Earth and map projections, great-circle and rhumb-line navigation, time, compasses, dead reckoning, and the navigation computer (CRP-5).
Why it matters: The fundamentals behind every modern navigation system — and consistently one of the hardest exams.
Study General Navigation →062 — Radio Navigation
Navigating with avionics: VOR, DME, ADF/NDB, ILS, GNSS, area navigation (RNAV), radar, and collision-avoidance systems (TCAS/ACAS).
Why it matters: How real-world airline navigation actually works, from departure to the ILS on final.
Study Radio Navigation →070 — Operational Procedures
Real-world operations and safety: dangerous goods, wake turbulence, low-visibility operations, windshear, security, and emergency & abnormal procedures.
Why it matters: The procedural glue that connects every other subject into a safe daily operation.
Study Operational Procedures →081 — Principles of Flight
Why aircraft fly: aerofoil theory, lift and drag, the stall and spin, stability and control, high-speed flight, and propellers.
Why it matters: The aerodynamics that explain how every other handling and performance topic behaves.
Study Principles of Flight →090 — Communications (VFR & IFR)
Standard radiotelephony: VHF communication, phraseology, clearances and read-backs, frequency management, and emergency procedures for talking to ATC.
Why it matters: Clear, standard R/T is what keeps a busy, shared airspace safe and unambiguous.
Study Communications →Note: EASA formally examines Communications as two papers — 091 (VFR) and 092 (IFR) — which are commonly grouped together as subject 090. Always confirm the exact exam list and attempt limits with your national authority and approved training organisation (ATO).
Depth beats cramming. One subject truly mastered is worth more than two half-learned. With 13 exams to pass at 75%, the winning strategy is consistency: study the theory, drill questions, and let spaced repetition resurface your weak topics before you forget them.
Pair the structured lessons with the question bank for each subject, then rehearse the real exam conditions with full, timed mock exams so the 75% pass standard feels routine by exam day. Use your per-topic readiness scores to decide where the next hour of study should go — not your gut feeling.
There are 13 EASA ATPL(A) theory subjects, each with its own written exam: Air Law (010), Airframe & Systems (021), Instrumentation (022), Mass & Balance (031), Performance (032), Flight Planning & Monitoring (033), Human Performance & Limitations (040), Meteorology (050), General Navigation (061), Radio Navigation (062), Operational Procedures (070), Principles of Flight (081), and Communications (090). EASA formally splits Communications into VFR (091) and IFR (092) Communications.
The minimum pass mark is 75% in each of the 13 subject exams. Candidates generally have up to 6 attempts per subject and must complete all exams within an 18-month exam window, with the full theory credit valid for several years afterwards. Always confirm the current limits with your national authority and ATO.
It varies by student, but General Navigation (061) consistently has one of the lowest pass rates and is widely considered the hardest, followed by Meteorology (050) and Flight Planning & Monitoring (033) for their volume and calculation. Air Law (010) and Human Performance (040) are often cited as the most approachable. Treat this as a general consensus rather than a rule.
A common approach is to start with foundational subjects such as Principles of Flight (081) and Air Law (010), then build toward calculation-heavy subjects like General Navigation (061), Meteorology (050), and Flight Planning (033). Many candidates group related subjects together — for example studying General Navigation before Radio Navigation. Your ATO will usually recommend a sequence; the key is depth over speed.
Yes. Many candidates pass all 13 EASA ATPL theory exams through distance learning and self-study, supported by an approved training organisation (ATO) for the formal requirements. A modern question bank, structured lessons for every subject, spaced repetition, and full mock exams give you the same toolkit as a traditional ground school from any device.
Drill thousands of ECQB 2026-aligned questions across all 13 subjects, with a written explanation on every answer, spaced repetition, and a real-conditions exam simulator.
