A failed exam suggests a lack of knowledge on a particular subject.
If you have failed an exam, you must re-train before re-attempting the failed exam.
To help you study and prepare to re-sit the exam, we have set mandatory re-training periods.
Check with your instructor to see if the training period is long enough to re-train in that area.
The re-training periods for all pilot theory exams are:
- 1st fail of a specific subject examination – no minimum re-training period specified.
- 2nd fail of that same subject examination – no minimum re-training period specified.
- 3rd fail of that same subject examination – a minimum re-training period of 3 months applies. No exceptions.
- 4th and subsequent fails of that same subject examination - as required by CASR Part 61.225 (4), applicant must satisfy CASA that they have completed appropriate training.
To make sure you have completed appropriate training, you will need to send us proof of completing training from:
- a theory provider
- the Head of Operations (HOO) or Head of Flying Operations (HOFO) of the flying school where you completed the training.
A failure in a subject is still counted as a failure. This is regardless of how long ago it occurred. It will be used for the purpose of re-training periods.
Remedial training letters or emails are to be forwarded to Flight Crew Licensing.
Re-training
A person or organisation that is skilled enough should do your re-training.
There are no specific rules for what appropriate re-training is, but we trust that theory providers conduct retraining responsibly.
As a minimum, theory providers should go through:
- each of the Knowledge Deficiency Report (KDR) items mentioned in the failed exam
- the key elements in that particular subject, especially those that are safety related.
Generally, you won’t need to re-sit a complete classroom course.
Re-training after 4 or more fails
If you fail an exam 4 or more times, you must send us a detailed report, signed by your theory provider detailing:
- your name
- your ARN
- the subject name or exam code
- a statement or description about the training you received
- the name of the person or organisation who did your training and their contact details.
Once we have the evidence from your theory provider or Head of Operations (HOO) that you’ve completed retraining you can re-book that subject.
You are responsible for planning and managing:
- the re-training period
- personal travel plans
- a booked flight test date that conflicts with an unsuccessful exam attempt.
Without a detailed report of what re-training you completed, you will not be able to re-book that particular subject.
Once we have received the report, we will ‘unlock’ the subject for another try in PEXO.
If you fail the next attempt, you must repeat the above process to re-sit the exam.
Re-training after five (5) or more fails
There have been some instances where candidates have failed a subject five or more times. Repeated failures of the same subject, demonstrates a lack of application by the candidate and/or their theory provider to ensure the candidate has the required aeronautical knowledge for that particular subject.
CASR Part 61.225(4) states:
If on 4 occasions a person attempts, but fails to pass, an aeronautical knowledge examination, or a part of an examination, the person is not permitted to attempt the examination or part again until CASA is satisfied that the person has completed appropriate training.
Candidates who fail the same subject five or more times are required to provide CASA with a detailed report, signed by their theory provider, showing:
- what training they have undertaken since their last exam attempt of that subject
- how their theory provider addressed each of their knowledge deficiencies in that subject.
Without a detailed report of what re-training has been completed, and CASA considers that re-training appropriate, candidates will not be authorised to re-book that particular subject.