On this page
- Papers
- 5
- Mode
- Computer-based, Pariksha
- Pass mark
- 70% per paper
- Negative marking
- None
- Subject validity
- 5 years
- Re-sit
- Only the failed paper
The DGCA CPL ground exam is five separate computer-based papers, each passed or failed on its own. This guide sets out the papers, how they are marked, what each one covers, and the two administrative rules, the 70% pass mark and the 5-year validity, that shape how you should plan the whole thing.
The five papers
| Paper | Scope | Also needed for |
|---|---|---|
| Air Navigation | General navigation, flight planning, and the navigation instruments | ATPL |
| Aviation Meteorology | Atmosphere, pressure systems, cloud and precipitation, Indian climatology, METAR/TAF, hazards | ATPL |
| Air Regulations | ICAO Annexes, the Aircraft Act and Rules, CARs, rules of the air, airspace and ATS, licensing | ATPL |
| Technical General | Principles of flight, airframes and systems, powerplant, instruments, performance, mass and balance | CPL only |
| Technical Specific | The specific aircraft type you train on, from its Pilot's Operating Handbook / Flight Manual | CPL only |
The ATPL set is larger and includes Radio Aids and Instruments as a separate paper and a different technical split. This guide is about the CPL five.
Question format and marking
- Multiple choice, delivered on screen at a DGCA-designated centre.
- 70% to pass, calculated per paper.
- No negative marking: answer every question, never leave a blank.
- Independent papers: a fail in one does not touch your passes in the others; you re-book only the failed paper.
- Duration is commonly around two hours per paper, with the exact question count set per session. Treat the figure on your admit card as authoritative.
Navigation and Technical Specific carry numerical work, so time management inside the paper matters more there than in Air Regulations or Meteorology.
What each paper covers
Air Navigation
The wind triangle, headings, drift and groundspeed; the 1-in-60 rule; time and distance; critical point and point of no return; chart projections (Mercator, Lambert); the navigation computer (CRP-5 or electronic); basic flight planning; and the navigation instruments. It is application, not recall, worked practice is the only way to prepare it. Drill it in the General Navigation question bank.
Aviation Meteorology
The standard atmosphere, pressure and wind, air masses and fronts, cloud and precipitation, thunderstorms, icing and turbulence, visibility phenomena, Indian seasonal weather (the monsoon, western disturbances, norwesters) and decoding METAR and TAF. Practise in the Meteorology question bank.
Air Regulations
Built directly from documents: the Chicago Convention, the ICAO Annexes, the Aircraft Act 1934 and Aircraft Rules 1937, and the Civil Aviation Requirements. Read the Air Regulation study notes, then work the Air Regulations question bank.
Technical General
Principles of flight, airframe structures and flight controls, hydraulics, electrics, fuel, pressurisation and ice protection, piston and gas-turbine powerplants, propellers, flight instruments, performance, and mass and balance. Practise in the Technical General question bank.
Technical Specific
Systems, limitations, emergency and normal procedures and performance for the exact type you train on, taken from that aircraft's POH or Flight Manual, typically a Cessna 172, Diamond DA40 or DA42, or similar. There is no generic syllabus; the aircraft document is the syllabus.
The 5-year validity rule
A pass in any paper is valid for five years. If your CPL is not issued within that window, the paper lapses and you re-sit it. Because most students clear the five papers over one to two years while also flying, the risk is real for anyone who starts the exams early, stalls on one subject, or has a gap in training. The 5-year validity guide works through a scenario where a pass expires and how to sequence the papers so it does not happen to you.
Sessions, OLOD and registration
- Regular sessions run several times a year, commonly in March, June, September and December. Registration opens a few weeks before each session and closes well ahead of it.
- On-demand (OLOD) slots let you sit an individual paper between sessions, at a higher fee.
- Fees are on the order of a couple of thousand rupees per paper in a regular session and higher for OLOD. Confirm the current amount on Pariksha at the time of booking.
Plan backwards from the session you want: give yourself 10 to 12 weeks of preparation per paper, and register the moment the window opens because centres and dates fill.
Before you can book a paper
- A valid DGCA Computer Number from the Pariksha portal, see the Computer Number guide.
- Your 10+2 with Physics and Mathematics on record (or the NIOS route completed).
- Registration and fee payment for the specific paper and session on Pariksha.
A suggested order
There is no compulsory order, but a common sequence is Air Regulations → Aviation Meteorology → Air Navigation → Technical General → Technical Specific: start with the memory-heavy papers while your validity clock has the most room, leave Technical Specific until you are settled on a type, and keep Navigation for when you can commit to daily numerical practice. The 5-year validity guide sets out the calendar reasoning behind this order.
FAQ
How many papers are there for the DGCA CPL?
Is there negative marking?
If I fail one paper, do I lose the others?
Can I sit all five in one session?
Do CPL passes count towards the ATPL?
We build the DGCA question banks these guides link to, from the same syllabus and source documents. Corrections welcome and credited.
Sources & references
- DGCA, Programme of Examinations, pariksha.dgca.gov.in
- CAR Section 7, Series B, Flight Crew Licensing (CPL requirements)
- Aircraft Rules 1937, licensing schedule
- DGCA session notifications and fee schedule
Question counts, durations, fees and the session calendar are set by the DGCA and change. Confirm every figure on pariksha.dgca.gov.in and your admit card before you rely on it. Spotted something out of date? Tell us and we will fix it.