DGCA exam preparation
You can prepare for the DGCA CPL exams online without coaching. Learn each chapter from the textbook, practise it in a question bank, then sit past papers and timed mock tests before you book.
Ready Aviator · Updated 24 October 2026
- DGCA question bank. 14,356 questions in 9 subjects, chapter by chapter, each with a worked solution. Free with an account.
- DGCA previous year question papers. 51 papers by subject and sitting. The first five questions of each are free to read.
- DGCA mock tests. A timed paper per subject, with a report on where your marks went. Your first timed mock in each subject is free with an account.
- Free DGCA mock exam. Five questions under a clock, with no account.
- Seen in exams. The questions that come up most often in the DGCA exams. The top 10 in each subject are free, and the full list comes with Pro.
How do the DGCA CPL exams work?
A CPL needs five theory papers: Air Navigation, Aviation Meteorology, Air Regulation, Technical General and Technical Specific. You book each one on the Pariksha portal with your Computer Number.
The radio licence, RTR(A), is a separate exam with a written paper and a practical. The DGCA exam syllabus lists the topics inside each paper, and the RTR exam page covers both parts of the radio licence.
Fees change by notice, so confirm the amount on the portal before you pay.
Which paper should I study first?
Air Navigation passes 30 papers in 100, the lowest of the five. Start it first and give it the most hours. Technical Specific passes 77 in 100 and can take the smallest block.
Papers passed per 100 written, counted from every DGCA CPL result sheet published from 2024 to early 2026. A booked paper nobody sat is not counted.
How do I prepare for the DGCA exam?
- 1Learn a chapter, then answer its questions
Read the chapter in the textbook, then practise it in the DGCA question bank. Read the worked solution of every question you get wrong, not only the answer.
- 2Sit past papers once the chapters are done
Sit one of the DGCA previous year question papers timed and closed book, and send every miss back to its chapter. Keep the newest sittings for the last weeks.
- 3Sit a timed mock before you book
Sit a DGCA mock test for each paper under the clock. Book a paper once your timed scores sit clear of 70 per cent, not on it.
- 4Clear what you got wrong
In the last two weeks before the exam, answer every question you missed again, then sit one more timed paper.
How long does DGCA exam preparation take?
Plan about twelve weeks for each regular session. Each session's notice on Pariksha gives the dates to apply, which usually stay open five to seven weeks and close two to four weeks before the exam.
Book only the papers you are ready for. 17 of every 100 Air Navigation papers booked were never written, and the fee is gone either way.
- Weeks 1 to 7. Chapters, hardest paper first.
- Week 8. One timed paper a subject. Apply for what clears 70.
- Weeks 9 to 11. Full papers against a clock.
- Week 12. Sit the papers.
Do I need coaching, or is self study enough?
Self study works if you have the textbooks, a question bank with worked solutions, timed papers and a schedule you keep. Ground classes help if you come from a non-technical background, need someone to hold you to a timetable, or want a teacher to ask.
Ready Aviator is self-paced practice. There are no live classes and no teacher here. Weigh DGCA ground classes and online classes against self study before you pay for coaching.
Common questions
Is the DGCA exam very hard?
It is hard to pass every paper first time. Each paper needs 70 per cent on its own, and Air Navigation, the toughest, passes 30 papers in 100. Attempts are not capped, so a paper you fail can be sat again at a later session.
Is the DGCA exam tougher than JEE or NEET?
They test different things. JEE and NEET rank you against everyone else for a fixed number of seats. A DGCA paper has a pass mark, 70 per cent, and everyone who reaches it passes. The syllabus is narrower, but most of it is aviation you did not study at school.
Which DGCA exam is the easiest?
Technical Specific: 77 papers in 100 pass, the most of the five CPL papers. Air Navigation passes the fewest, so give it the most hours.
What are the 5 subjects in the DGCA exam?
Air Navigation, Aviation Meteorology, Air Regulation, Technical General and Technical Specific. Performance is added only for aeroplanes heavier than 5,700 kg. RTR(A), the radio licence, is a separate exam.
How can I clear the DGCA exam without coaching?
Learn each chapter from the textbook, practise it in a question bank and read the worked solution of every question you miss. Then sit past papers and timed mocks, and book a paper once your timed scores sit clear of 70 per cent. What coaching adds is a teacher and a timetable, so keep a weekly schedule of your own.
Can I take DGCA classes online?
Online ground classes give you a teacher and a timetable without moving city. Ready Aviator is not a class: it is self-paced practice, with a worked solution behind every question, past papers and timed mocks, and no live teaching.
Which app is best for DGCA exam preparation?
Pick one that covers every CPL paper, explains every answer with a worked solution, and lets you sit past papers and timed mocks. Ready Aviator does all of that, free to start, and runs in your phone's browser with nothing to install. Read the comparison of DGCA question banks before you pay for any of them.
Is Ready Aviator free?
Free to start, with no card. A free account opens every question with its worked solution. Your first timed mock in each subject is free with an account. The first five questions of every past paper need no account. Pro adds the animated solutions, more mock papers and past papers under the clock.
Can I resit a failed paper before the next regular session?
Yes. About eight on-demand sessions run through the year, and a paper costs ₹5,000 there. Each session's notice on Pariksha gives its dates.
Start with the DGCA question bank
Every question with its worked solution, free with an account.
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Practise by subject
Sources: CAR 7-B-I, paras 5.1(e), 5.6 and 6.7; Pariksha user manual, Issue IV, ch. 7; Pariksha notice, 22 Sep 2026.