Part-66 Module Exams: How They Work in 2026

Part-66 exams are the basic knowledge examinations you must pass, module by module, before you can apply for an aircraft maintenance licence. This hub explains who runs them, what the papers look like, how essays and resits work under EASA and UK CAA rules, what you receive when you pass, what to bring on the day and what it costs. Each section links to a detailed guide.

Part-66 Prep is an independent study aid, not EASA, the UK CAA or a Part-147 organisation. The exam rules are 66.A.25, 66.B.200 and Appendix II to Part-66: in Regulation (EU) No 1321/2014 as amended by Regulation (EU) 2023/989 for EASA licences, and in the retained UK Part-66 for UK licences.

The Part-66 exam guides

Guide	What it answers
EASA vs UK CAA Part-66	Every difference in essays, attempts, paper sizes and syllabus
Part-66 exam format	Question rules, timing, pass marks and partial exams
Part-66 essay questions	Which modules have essays, how they are marked and how to write them
Part-66 resit rules	Waiting periods and attempt limits, with worked examples
How to book CAA module exams	The CAA portal, venues, fees and the day itself
Part-66 modules	What each module covers and how long each paper is
Part-66 past papers	Why there are none, and what to use instead

Who runs Part-66 exams

Three kinds of organisation can examine you:

• Part-147 approved maintenance training organisations. They examine their own students as part of a basic course, and many also accept external candidates for individual modules. A Part-147 can hold UK approval, EASA approval or both, and its approval decides which certificates it can issue.
• Competent authorities. National authorities can run exams themselves. In the EU, practice varies by member state: some run their own exams, others leave it to Part-147 organisations.
• The UK CAA. The CAA runs computer-based module exams for anyone applying for a UK licence, booked through its Customer Portal and taken at approved venues.

If you are in Ireland or another EU state, your route to an EASA licence runs through that state's authority and the Part-147 organisations approved to examine there; check their websites for external candidate exams. If you are in the UK, the CAA booking guide explains the CAA route step by step.

Key fact: The exam centre's approval decides which licence your pass counts towards. UK exams count for a UK licence; EASA exams count for an EASA licence. Since 1 January 2023 the UK does not accept EASA certificates of recognition dated after 31 December 2022.

Part-66 exam format in brief

Both systems share the core format:

Rule	EASA and UK CAA
Question type	Multiple choice, three options, one correct
Time	About 75 seconds per question
Pass mark	75% for each module or sub-module
Negative marking	None, so answer every question
Essays	20 minutes each, pass with 75% of the key points and no significant error
Partial retakes	Only the failed part (multiple choice or essay) is retaken

Paper sizes depend on the module, your category and your system. Module 1 is 16 questions for category A and 32 for B1; Module 13 for B2 is 188 under EASA rules and 180 under UK rules. Under EASA rules a paper over 90 minutes may be split into two partial exams and one over 180 minutes into three. The exam format guide covers the detail, and the modules guide lists every paper.

The way questions are written matters as much as their number. Appendix II requires the wrong options to look equally plausible to someone who doesn't know the subject, and in calculation questions the wrong answers must come from common procedural mistakes, such as a unit conversion done the wrong way or a correction applied in the wrong direction. So a quick guess based on what looks sensible rarely works: if your answer appears among the options, that doesn't prove it is right. Practising with three-option questions written the same way is the best preparation for this.

EASA now has 18 modules: Regulation (EU) 2025/111, applicable from 13 February 2026, added Module 18 Electric power plant for the new B1.E subcategory. Module 18 paper sizes are not confirmed, and this site covers Modules 1 to 17 with no Module 18 questions yet. The UK has consulted on adopting the revised syllabus (RMT 0201), with the law planned for 2027 and most of it in force in 2029.

Essays: EASA and UK CAA

Module	EASA (from 12 June 2024)	UK CAA
7 Maintenance practices	2 essays	2 essays (7A, or 7B for B3)
9 Human factors	none	1 essay (9A, or 9B for B3)
10 Aviation legislation	none	1 essay

Under UK rules an essay passed at category A level counts at category B level. How essays are marked and how to plan 20 minutes are covered in the essay questions guide.

Attempts and resits

Both systems require you to wait 90 days after a failed exam before retaking that module, or 30 days if a Part-147 organisation gives you a retraining course tailored to the subjects you failed. The attempt limits differ:

	EASA	UK CAA
Limit	3 attempts per module in any 12-month period	3 consecutive attempts
After the limit	Wait until the oldest attempt is more than 12 months old	A 1-year wait, then a new set of 3
Declaration	You state your attempts in the previous 12 months before each exam	You confirm your attempts in the last year

A candidate proven to have cheated is barred from all exams for 12 months in both systems. The resit rules guide has worked examples of both attempt rules.

Exam tip: Because every fail costs at least 90 days, and attempts are limited, it pays to book only when you are ready. A practical test is scoring 85% or more on three different full papers at the real size, which leaves a margin above the 75% pass mark.

Certificates of recognition and the 10-year rule

Each module you pass is recorded on a certificate of recognition from the organisation that examined you. Keep every one: you send them with your licence application.

• 10-year validity. Under 66.A.25, module passes must fall within the 10 years before your licence application. The CAA can extend this period on application in extenuating circumstances; the exam credit extension costs £183 as of October 2026.
• Credits. Some older passes and qualifications can be credited under 66.A.25; your authority decides.
• Which certificates count. For a UK licence, the CAA accepts exams from a UK Part-147 or the CAA itself. The EASA Part-66 FAQs explain the EASA position on credits and validity.

Sitting exams with or without a course

You can reach the exams by two routes, and the rules of the exam itself are the same on both.

With a Part-147 basic course, the school schedules your module exams as part of the course, usually after each block of teaching. You sit them at the school, it issues your certificates, and its retraining course can shorten the resit wait to 30 days if you fail. The approved course also shortens the experience you need for the licence, for example from five years to two for B1.1 or B2.

Without a course, you choose your own order and book each module yourself, with the CAA for a UK licence or with an exam centre that accepts external candidates. Nobody sets the pace, which suits people working full time on aircraft, but you need the longer experience period. The self-study guide covers planning this route.

Planning your exam calendar

Because of the waiting periods and attempt limits, it helps to plan months ahead. A simple approach:

1. List your modules and their paper sizes for your category and system.
2. Group them into short papers (such as Modules 8, 9 and 10) and long ones (Modules 7, 11A, 13, 15).
3. Space your bookings so a fail doesn't stall everything. If you fail a module, its earliest retake is 90 days later, so carry on with a different module in the meantime.
4. Watch the 10-year window. Each pass counts for 10 years, so your oldest pass must still be inside that window when you apply. That is generous, but long breaks add up.
5. Leave the longest papers until your basics are solid. Modules 11A, 12 and 13 draw on everything before them.

Exams after your first licence

Exams don't stop once you are licensed. To add a category you sit the modules or higher-level papers you are missing. To remove a limitation on your licence you may need to pass specific modules or part-modules; the CAA offers part-module exams for some common limitation removals, so ask it which applies to you. Type ratings have their own type training exams, run by Part-147 organisations as part of the course.

Part-66 exam fees

As of October 2026, from the CAA's exam pages and scheme of charges:

Item	UK CAA fee
Module exam, per attempt	£60
Full review of a result (refunded if an error is found)	£169 on the CAA exam page; £177 in the scheme of charges
Exam credit extension	£183
Licence grant, per category	£455

Part-147 organisations set their own exam prices, and EU authorities set their own fees. Check the CAA examinations page before you book, because charges change each April.

Exam-day checklist

These points apply in most centres; your booking confirmation has the exact rules for yours.

1. Book with the right organisation for the licence you want: a Part-147 organisation, your national authority or the UK CAA.
2. Bring photo ID and any booking confirmation. At CAA venues only a valid passport or UK photo driving licence is accepted, and it must match the ID you registered; changes need at least 7 days' notice.
3. Arrive early. The CAA asks for at least 30 minutes before the exam.
4. Confirm your attempts in writing when asked: how many times you have sat that module in the last 12 months.
5. Check what you may take in. CAA venues allow one clear plastic pen and an eraser-tipped pencil with a sharpener, and provide rough paper. Phones, watches, notes and talking are not allowed; proven cheating means a 12-month ban.
6. Manage your time. About 75 seconds a question; mark hard ones and come back. There is no negative marking, so never leave a question blank.
7. Plan essays. About 3 minutes planning, 15 writing and 2 checking for each 20-minute essay.
8. Keep your certificate of recognition safe once you pass.

Practise calculations without a calculator if your centre doesn't allow one; the CAA's permitted-items list doesn't include one.

After the exam: results and reviews

At the CAA, results appear in your e-Exam portal, and you can request a full review of a result within 14 calendar days; the CAA aims to finish a review within 10 working days. The CAA page doesn't give a fixed time for results. Part-147 organisations set their own turnaround and appeal process. Our free EASA exam guide and UK CAA exam guide summarise each system's rules on one page.

Your study plan

1. Decide which licence you need, EASA or UK, and so which exams you will sit.
2. Take the free diagnostic for your category, such as the B1.1 diagnostic, to see where you stand across all your modules.
3. Plan your module order with the modules guide, starting with Modules 1 to 3 or a short paper such as Module 9.
4. Practise each module with the free quick practice and paper 1 at your system's size.
5. Book each exam when you score 85% on three different papers, and keep track of your attempts and certificates.