Air transport pilot licence (helicopter) exams - AFPH, APLH and AASH

An air transport pilot licence (ATPL) lets you fly in any private or commercial operation.

Doing the exams is part of getting your ATPL.

To test your theory on helicopter (ATPLH), you will do 7 exams on different subjects:

• 4 subjects are common across aircraft category ratings.
• 3 subjects are particular to the category rating you're applying for.

To get a full ATPL exam credit, you need to pass the 7 subject-parts of the ATPL exam in one 'window'.

Do not attempt any subject exam until you have completed aeronautical knowledge training.

Exam timeframe

You must do all the exams within one window. Unless you have an exemption, that means you have 2 years to pass all 7 subjects.

Or, when converting category, you have 2 years to pass the 3 category-specific subjects. This may apply when you already hold an ATPL (A or H) licence or an ATPL (A or H) theory credit.

Before you do the exam

To sit the ATPL exams, you must have either:

• an Australian Commercial Pilot Licence (CPL) for the relevant aircraft category
• a full exam credit in the Australian CPL exam of the relevant aircraft category.

A full exam credit means you passed all 7 subject-part exams within the window.

Air transport pilot licence flight planning (helicopter) exam - AFPH

The exams include multiple-choice questions and questions where you type a whole number in a box.

You have 3 hours to complete the exam.

To pass, you will need to get at least 70% of the marks.

These exams cost $201.98 each ($136.98 invigilator fee and $65 CASA fee).

Preparing for your exam

The exams will test your knowledge on the syllabus in Part 61 Manual of Standards (MOS) schedule 3.

Permitted material

You may use either the Airservices or Jeppesen list of permitted materials. You need to supply these materials.

You cannot use a combination of materials from both the Airservices list and the Jeppesen list.

Your invigilator 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 performed in their AFPH exam.

Year	0 - 54%	55 - 59%	60 - 64%	65 - 69%	70 - 74%	75 - 79%	80+%	Pass rate
2020	5.88	0	5.88	11.76	14.71	5.88	55.88	76.47%
2021	15.00	0.00	0.00	0.00	35.00	10.00	40.00	85.00%
2022	5.41	0.00	5.41	5.41	24.32	13.51	45.95	83.78%
2023	0.00	7.69	7.69	0.00	38.46	15.38	30.77	84.62%

Check the results of candidates from previous years.

Common errors

The following areas have been weak areas for candidates:

• calculation of OEI PNR
• calculation of PNR
• calculation of total fuel required.

Air transport pilot licence performing and loading (helicopter) exam - APLH

The exams include multiple-choice questions and questions where you type a whole number in a box.

You have 2.5 hours to complete the exam.

To pass, you will need to get at least 70% of the marks.

These exams cost $195.45 each ($130.45 invigilator fee and $65 CASA fee).

Preparing for your exam

The exams will test your knowledge on the syllabus in Part 61 Manual of Standards (MOS) schedule 3.

Permitted material

You may use either the Airservices or Jeppesen list of permitted materials. You need to supply these materials.

You cannot use a combination of materials from both the Airservices list and the Jeppesen list.

Your invigilator 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 performed in their APLH exam.

Year	0 - 54%	55 - 59%	60 - 64%	65 - 69%	70 - 74%	75 - 79%	80+%	Pass rate
2020	6.90	0	3.45	10.34	17.24	31.03	31.03	79.31%
2021	8.00	0.00	4.00	8.00	20.00	20.00	40.00	80.00%
2022	7.69	10.26	10.26	10.26	12.82	12.82	35.90	61.54%
2023	7.69	7.69	3.85	19.23	11.54	15.38	34.62	61.54%

Check the results of candidates from previous years.

Common errors

The following areas have been weak areas for candidates:

• CG limits for take-off, cruise and landing
• adjustments required to the payload to permit operations in CG limits
• movement of CG due to fuel consumption in flight.

Air transport pilot licence aerodynamics and aircraft systems (helicopter) exam - AASH

The exams include multiple-choice questions and questions where you type a whole number in a box.

You have 1.5 hours to complete the exam.

To pass, you will need to get at least 70% of the marks.

These exams cost $169.34 each ($104.34 invigilator fee and $65 CASA fee).

Preparing for your exam

The exams will test your knowledge on the syllabus in Part 61 Manual of Standards (MOS) schedule 3.

Permitted material

Your invigilator 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 performed in their AASH exam.

Year	0 - 54%	55 - 59%	60 - 64%	65 - 69%	70 - 74%	75 - 79%	80+%	Pass rate
2020	3.13	3.13	3.13	6.25	18.75	18.75	46.88	84.38%
2021	0.00	0.00	3.57	21.43	10.71	21.43	42.86	75.00%
2022	0.00	0.00	2.78	19.44	11.11	16.67	50.00	77.78%
2023	0.00	4.00	20.00	4.00	16.00	12.00	44.00	72.00%

Check the results of candidates from previous years.

Common errors

The following areas have been weak areas for candidates:

• aerodynamics
• hydraulic systems
• air supply systems
• gas turbine engines – compressors, combustion process and chamber(s), turbines
• turbine temperatures
• FMS.

Fuel policy in ATPL, AFPH and APLH exams

Our Flight Crew Licence exams reference policies related to fuel usage and reserves.

The fuel reserves will be carried in accordance with those specified in the S76 Performance and Operations Handbook.

We recommend you avoid rounding off at intermediate stages of your workings when calculating fuel requirements in your exam.