Planning and setting up a schedule

If you are a student enrolled in a distance learning course with a flying school to obtain your EASA private pilot license, planning and setting up a schedule for studying for the private pilot theoretical knowledge exam is crucial. Here are some steps to plan and execute your study schedule.

Understand the requirements.

Before setting up a study schedule, it’s essential to understand the theoretical knowledge requirements for the EASA private pilot license exam. The syllabus covers air law, aircraft general knowledge, flight performance and planning, human performance and limitations, meteorology, navigation, operational procedures, and principles of flight. Reviewing the learning objectives and outcomes can give you a better idea of the knowledge you need to acquire.

Check out this great link to PPL Syllabus and example questions our partner Aircademy offers. We use their question bank to train our students.

Detailed syllabus with learning objectives for all required subject areas.

Training questions to get an impression of the examination.

Time frame PPL theory examination.

Choose your study materials.

Choosing reliable and up-to-date study materials is crucial when studying for the private pilot theoretical knowledge exam. Your distance learning course provider may provide you with study materials, but you can also find additional resources online or from aviation textbooks.

At Skypilot Academy, we have chosen to use the E-books from Padpilot. There are several learning materials providers out there, but we think they are the best for the moment. But you should not limit yourself to the books only. There are plenty of free resources on the web. Just search, and you will find it.

Padpilot PPL(A) books

Padpilot recommends going through each subject twice, with the first read-through being faster and the second being more thorough while also working through all the examples. This approach would require approximately a hundred hours of study time.

This is how Padpilot calculates reading time.

Initial Read in Minutes (180 wpm) 18 hr 40 min
2nd Read in Minutes (180 wpm/difficulty factor) 69 hr 45 min
Total 88:25 rounded up to 89 hours.

Subject	Word Count	Initial Read	Difficulty Factor	2^nd Read
Maths and Physics	19 000	106	2.1	222
Air Law and Ops Procedures	31 000	172	2.1	362
Human Performance	33 000	183	1.6	293
Meteorology	58 000	322	1.8	580
VFR Communications	8500	47	1.3	61
Navigation and Radio Aids	65 000	361	1.8	650
Principles of Flight	52 000	289	2	578
Flight Planning and Performance	41 000	228	1.6	364
AGK1: Systems and Engines	42 000	233	1.6	373
AGK2: Instruments and Electrics	38 000	211	1.6	338
		18 hr 40 min		69 hr 45 min

Table showing suggested reading time for books.

But do not forget that this does not include solving the Padpilot progress tests and final exams. And in addition, you must add time for working with the Aircademy question bank.

Set realistic goals.

Setting realistic goals is essential to stay on track with your studies. Break down the syllabus into manageable chunks, and allocate sufficient time for each topic. Keep in mind that you’ll need to balance your study schedule with other commitments, such as work or flight training.

EASA suggests that distance learning courses should be based on students studying 15 hours per week

So let us consider how much time you should plan for the course. Take the calculated 89 hours and round it up to 100 hours to read the books. Then add another 100 hours to to do the progress test, final exam and the question bank. That makes 200 hours for the course.

Remember you are not ready for the written exam with the aviation authorities until you can do each question from the question bank in less than two minutes, the usual time allocated on the exam.

So 200 hours divided by 15 hours a week gives you approximately 14 weeks, rounded up. Or about 3.5 months. Add some slack to that, and you are looking at four months for the whole course.

We have rounded up the numbers in every step. So obviously, if you can dedicate considerably more time to studying, the course can be completed in less time.

Create a study schedule.

Once you have an understanding of the requirements, set realistic goals, and choose your study materials, it’s time to create a study schedule. You can use a planner or calendar to allocate specific times to study each topic. It’s important to schedule regular study breaks to avoid burnout.

Great tip is to use the free version of ChatGPT to make a schedule for you. Use the calculated reading times and make your own plan.

Day	Time Slot	Activity
Monday	1800 – 2100	Human Performance
Tuesday	1800 – 2100	Human Performance
Wednesday	1800 – 2100	Human Performance
Thursday	1800 – 2100	Progress test
Friday	0900 – 1200	Meteorology
Total	15 hours

A typical schedule for studying

Review and adjust

It’s essential to regularly review your study schedule to assess your progress and make adjustments if necessary. If you find that you’re not meeting your goals, you may need to adjust your study schedule to allocate more time or change your study approach.

Summary

In summary, planning and executing a study schedule for the EASA private pilot theoretical knowledge exam requires careful planning, goal-setting, choosing reliable study materials, creating a schedule, and regularly reviewing and adjusting your progress. By following these steps, you’ll be better prepared to ace the exam and progress towards obtaining your private pilot license.

When it comes to doing the actual exam, read this entry.

Theoretical knowledge course for the private pilot licence

Included in the course

Three years of access to the e-books via the Padpilot e-Reader
One-year access to online progress tests and final exam
One-year access to the examination question database from Aircademy
Instructor support throughout the course
Course completion certificate

How to prepare for the private pilot written exam