The beyond visual line-of-sight (BVLOS) exam is an alternate pathway for remote pilots sitting the Instrument Rating Exam (IREX). The exam is for RePL holders wanting to fly BVLOS outside of controlled airspace (OCTA).
The requirements
- Entry requirements: Remote pilot licence (RePL)
- Cost: $174.34 per exam, made up of:
- $104.34 examiner fee
- $70 CASA regulatory fee
- Duration: 90 minutes
- No permitted materials: we provide all information to candidates digitally
- Pass rate: 70%.
Preparing for your exam
Learn more about how to book your exam, what you’ll need, and the exam software we use.
If you don’t have a crewed aviation background, we advise you read through either the standards guide or a training course before booking the exam:
How to book
We have authorised Aspeq to conduct the exam on behalf of us.
To book your exam:
- go to the exam website
- select 'Exam schedule'
- under specialisation click 'RePL examinations' and select 'ReB1'
- find your preferred time and location.
What you’ll need
Before sitting the exam, you must show a current photographic identification document (ID).
Exam software
We use the exam software called Pilot Examination Office (PEXO). A PEXO exam has questions that test you on your BVLOS knowledge.
Answer all or as many questions as possible.
If 2 questions or more appear to be similar, you should answer all of them. Our exams have 2 types of questions: multi-choice and 'fill-in-the-box' answers.
Permitted materials
There are no permitted materials. The exam will digitally provide you with all materials like charts.
Your examiner will give you some things before the exam, which you must hand back at the end. These include:
- pen
- pencil
- ruler
- eraser
- scribble pad.
Pass rates
You can see how candidates perform in the BVLOS exam. The first year results are encouraging. They show a strong uptake from RePL holders wanting to take the exam as an alternate pathway to further their flight credentials. Participants who do not achieve a pass rate of 70% can re-sit the exam.
| Year | Number of exams | 0 - 54% | 55 - 59% | 60 - 64% | 65 - 69% | 70 - 74% | 75 - 79% | 80+% | Pass rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 117 | 1.71% | 0.85% | 3.42% | 5.98% | 10.26% | 22.22% | 55.56% | 88.03% |
| 2024 | 212 | 0.94 | 1.42 | 2.83 | 9.91 | 12.74 | 19.81 | 52.36 | 84.91%
|
After an exam
When you finish the exam, the examiner will give you your Result Advice (RA) and your Knowledge Deficiency Report (KDR).
A KDR lists items that you answered incorrectly.
You will get a KDR when your result is less than 100% and more than 50%. If you score 50% or less in your exam, we will refer you to the entire syllabus.
Once you have passed the exam, the examiner will give you a printed copy of your result.
You will need to:
- keep the result advice safe - this is your proof of passing the exam
- provide a copy of your result advice to the chief remote pilot of the Remotely Piloted Aircraft Operator’s Certificate (ReOC) holder you are flying under.
If you lose your result advice, you can request a reprint from us for a small fee.