Overview
In India, pilot licences such as the Commercial Pilot Licence (CPL) and the Airline Transport Pilot Licence (ATPL) are issued by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the civil aviation regulator under the Ministry of Civil Aviation. Alongside flying training, candidates must pass DGCA's written ground examinations.
These exams are run by DGCA's Central Examination Organisation (CEO), which conducts the licence examinations for both flight crew (FC) and aircraft maintenance engineers (AME).
Note
DGCA publishes few details about the pilot exams on its open website; most exam information sits behind candidate logins. Subjects, pass marks, fees and eligibility are not covered here because they could not be confirmed from openly available official pages. Check the latest notices on the Pariksha portal and the DGCA website before you apply.
How the exams are run
Portal: all CEO exams for flight crew and AME candidates are handled through DGCA's online registration and examination portal, pariksha.dgca.gov.in. It replaced DGCA's earlier VIMAN and UDAAN systems.
Computer number: candidates need a DGCA computer number. Anyone who has one must register on the Pariksha portal before they can sit any exam.
Mode: the exams are held online at DGCA regional exam centres.
Sessions: exams are held in regular sessions announced by public notice. For each session, the Pariksha portal opens for applications for a short, fixed window (7 days for the first 2024 session), and applications with the fee must be submitted online by 2200 hours on the closing date.
Subjects
DGCA's Civil Aviation Requirement (CAR), Section 7, lays down the written and oral examination syllabus for each licence. For the ATPL (Aeroplanes), the written syllabus covers these subject areas:
| ATPL written subjects |
|---|
| Air Law and Operational Procedures |
| Aircraft General Knowledge |
| Principles of Flight |
| Meteorology |
| Navigation |
| Flight Performance and Planning |
| Human Performance and Limitations |
Candidates must clear each subject on its own; DGCA does not average marks across subjects into a single aggregate. An oral examination follows the written papers. The CPL syllabus is laid down separately in the same CAR, Section 7 series, and eligibility for the CPL, ATPL and related written examinations requires a pass in Physics and Mathematics at the 10+2 level (or an equivalent qualification recognised by a state or central education board).
Exam centres
DGCA's 2024 notice for the first regular session of that year listed centres in five regions:
| Region | Centres |
|---|---|
| Eastern | Kolkata, Guwahati, Bhubaneswar, Patna |
| Western | Mumbai, Bhopal, Ahmedabad, Pune |
| Northern | New Delhi, Lucknow, Chandigarh |
| Southern | Chennai, Hyderabad |
| Bengaluru | Bengaluru, Kochi |
Centres can change from session to session, so check the notice for the session you are applying for.
How to apply
Get your DGCA computer number, then register on pariksha.dgca.gov.in.
Watch the DGCA website and the notice board on the Pariksha portal for the next session's public notice and application window.
Read the current user manual on the portal, which sets out the application steps and fee requirements.
Submit your application and fee online before the portal closes.
Preparation tips
Check the Pariksha portal notice board regularly; DGCA uses it to announce session dates and instructions.
Keep your portal registration and computer number details up to date well before an application window opens, since each window is short.
FAQs
Who conducts the CPL and ATPL ground exams?
DGCA's Central Examination Organisation, which runs the licence exams for flight crew and aircraft maintenance engineers.
Where do I apply for DGCA pilot exams?
Online, through the Pariksha portal at pariksha.dgca.gov.in. You need a DGCA computer number and must register on the portal first.
Are DGCA exams online?
Yes. DGCA's notices describe them as online exams held at its regional exam centres.