RTR exam
What RTR(A) is, how the two parts differ, and the free phraseology and worked calls to prepare with.
RTR(A) is a radio licence rather than one of the DGCA theory papers, and it is sat in two parts: a written paper and a practical in front of an examiner.
A radio licence, not a theory paper.
RTR(A) is the Restricted Radiotelephony Operator certificate for aeronautical use. It is what allows you to operate an aircraft radio, and it sits alongside the DGCA theory papers rather than among them. A CPL candidate sits Air Navigation, Aviation Meteorology, Air Regulation, Technical General and Technical Specific as theory papers; RTR(A) is a separate examination with its own two parts.
Who runs it changed. Under the Radio Telephone Operator (Restricted) Certificate and Licence Rules, 2025, DGCA took over conduct of the examination from the WPC wing of the Ministry of Communications, and the written paper is registered through the Pariksha portal. The transition and what is settled about it are set out in the Part 2 guide, with each point labelled official or reported.
Two different exams, prepared for in two different ways.
| What differs | Part 1 | Part 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Shape | Written, multiple choice | Practical, spoken, in front of an examiner |
| What it tests | Radio theory and the regulations around radiotelephony | Working the radio as the pilot: phraseology, readbacks and abnormal situations |
| How you prepare | Questions, in volume, with the working behind each one | Saying the calls out loud until the standard wording is automatic |
| Where to start here | The Radio Telephony question bank | The phraseology library |
The format detail for Part 2, its reported duration, pass mark and attempt limit, is in the Part 2 guide with each figure labelled. We are not restating those numbers here, because they are reported rather than published and they belong next to the evidence for them.
It is a question paper, so it is answered like one.
Part 1 rewards volume and accuracy rather than insight. Work through the Radio Telephony bank chapter by chapter, read the worked solution on everything you get wrong, and pay particular attention to the rules for how numbers are spoken, which is where marks go quietly missing. Five questions in every chapter are free to read with no account.
Reading phraseology is not the same as saying it.
Start with the phraseology library, which lays the standard wording out by phase of flight. Then read the worked calls, where each exchange is written out in full, your transmission and the controller's reply, in the order the oral asks for them. Reading them silently is the trap: the examiner is listening to you speak under mild pressure, and the gap between recognising a phrase and producing it is the whole exam.
The voice simulator is the part where you say the calls out loud and get them assessed. It is part of a paid plan; the library and the worked calls are free and need no account.
Free unless the row says otherwise.
Five, with the same answers the structured data carries.
What is the RTR exam?
RTR(A) is the Restricted Radiotelephony Operator certificate for aeronautical use. It is the licence that lets you operate an aircraft radio, and it is separate from the DGCA theory papers rather than one of them. It is sat in two parts: a written paper and a practical.
Who conducts the RTR exam now?
DGCA. Under the Radio Telephone Operator (Restricted) Certificate and Licence Rules, 2025, DGCA took over conduct of the examination from the WPC wing of the Ministry of Communications. The written paper is registered through the Pariksha portal.
What is the difference between RTR Part 1 and Part 2?
Part 1 is a written multiple choice paper on radio theory and the regulations around radiotelephony. Part 2 is practical: you work the radio as the pilot in a simulated exchange while the examiner plays Air Traffic Control, and you are judged on standard phraseology, readbacks and how you handle abnormal situations.
Is RTR one of the five DGCA theory papers?
No. A CPL candidate sits Air Navigation, Aviation Meteorology, Air Regulation, Technical General and Technical Specific as theory papers. RTR(A) is a separate radio licence, taken alongside them.
How do I practise for the RTR practical?
Learn the standard phraseology by phase of flight, read worked calls as complete exchanges rather than as isolated phrases, and then say them out loud under time pressure. The phraseology library and the worked calls here are free; the voice simulator is part of a paid plan.
The library and the worked calls need no account and no card. Read a phase, then say every call in it without looking.