Find out what you need when sitting your private IFR rating exam including permitted materials and pass rates.
You have 2 hours to complete the exam and to pass, you will need to get at least 70% of the marks.
These exams cost $189.53 each ($124.53 invigilator fee and $65 CASA fee).
You can take the exam with an approved flying school or through Aspeq. If you sit the exam at a flying school, the invigilator fee might vary.
Pre-qualifications and syllabus
You need to have one of the following to sit the exam:
- Private pilot licence – aeroplane (PPLA) or higher
- Private pilot licence – helicopter (PPLH) or higher
The exam will test your knowledge on the syllabus in Part 61 Manual of Standards (MOS) schedule 3.
Permitted materials
You may use either the Airservices or Jeppesen list of permitted materials.
You cannot use a combination of materials from both the Airservices list and the Jeppesen list.
Airservices list
- CAR 1988
- Part 61 of CASR
- CASR Part 61 Guide for aeroplane category flight crew licensing – Note 1
- CASR Part 61 Guide for helicopter category flight crew licensing – Note 1
- Part 91 of CASR and Part 91 MOS
- CASR Part 91 Plain English guide for general operating and flight rules – Note 1
- AIP Book
- ERSA
- All ERC LOW and TAC
- AUS PCA
- Navigation equipment
- A basic calculator
Jeppesen list
- CAR 1988
- Part 61 of CASR
- CASR Part 61 Guide for aeroplane category flight crew licensing – Note 1
- CASR Part 61 Guide for helicopter category flight crew licensing – Note 1
- Part 91 of CASR and Part 91 MOS
- CASR Part 91 Plain English guide for general operating and flight rules – Note 1
- Jeppesen Airway Manual
- AUS PCA
- Navigation equipment
- A basic calculator
Note 1: The Plain English Guides may not have current information. If you choose to use these documents, make sure you also have other materials to help with current laws and procedures.
These ‘guides’ include the following notice:
Disclaimer: The guide has been prepared by CASA for information purposes only, and while every effort has been made to ensure that the contents accurately conform to the civil aviation legislation, this guide is not the law. CASA accepts no liability for damages or liability of any kind resulting from its use. You should ensure you are using the most current version of the guide, which can be found on the CASA website.
Your invigilator will give you some things before the exam, which you must hand back at the end. These include:
- pen
- pencil
- ruler
- eraser
- VH-PIF aircraft data sheet (PDF 44.37 KB)
- scribble pad.
Pass rates
You can see how candidates performed in their PIFR exam.
| Year | 0 - 54% | 55 - 59% | 60 - 64% | 65 - 69% | 70 - 74% | 75 - 79% | 80+% | Pass rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 5.41 | 2.70 | 5.41 | 18.92 | 21.62 | 16.22 | 29.73 | 67.57% |
| 2021 | 5.66 | 3.77 | 11.32 | 13.21 | 20.75 | 9.43 | 35.85 | 66.04% |
| 2022 | 13.33 | 0.00 | 13.33 | 3.33 | 23.33 | 10.00 | 36.67 | 70.00% |
| 2023 | 14.29 | 2.86 | 14.29 | 11.43 | 17.14 | 17.14 | 22.86 | 57.14% |
| 2024 | 6.67 | 0.00 | 22.22 | 24.44 | 20.00 | 11.11 | 15.56 | 46.67% |
| 2025 | 6.82 | 6.82 | 6.82 | 13.64 | 15.91 | 15.91 | 34.09 | 65.91% |
Check the results of candidates from previous years
Fuel policy in PIFR exams
Our Flight Crew Licence exams reference policies related to fuel usage and reserves.
The fuel reserves shall be carried in accordance with CASR Part 91 MOS, Chapter 19, table 19.02 (2), Item 3. This applies to aeroplanes with MTOW less than 5,700 kg (piston engine or turboprop) under IFR.
We recommend you avoid rounding off at intermediate stages of your workings when calculating fuel requirements in your exam.
Common errors
The following areas have been weak areas for candidates:
- privileges and limitations of PIFR
- aircraft equipment requirements
- IFR navigation procedures
- determination of LSALT
- operations in Class G airspace
- use of NDB and/or VOR equipment.
Flight procedure authorisations
This exam will include the material required to get the Flight Procedure Authorisations (FPA) for en-route navigation using NDB, VOR, GNSS and flight at night.
If you need another FPA, for example for STAR procedures, you should pass either the IREX exam or complete additional training through an approved flying school.