Part-66 Module 2 Physics Questions and Practice Paper

Part-66 Module 2 questions test the physics that every later module leans on: forces and moments for structures, pressure for hydraulics, gas laws for pressurisation and engines, and waves for radio and sound. This page explains the paper size for every category under EASA and UK CAA rules, walks through each sub-module and the traps examiners set, and gives you a plan to get from a first diagnostic to a booked exam.

Part-66 Prep is an independent study aid, not EASA, the UK CAA or a Part-147 organisation. The Module 2 syllabus is in Appendix I and the exam standard in Appendix II of Part-66: see Regulation (EU) No 1321/2014 for the EU text (with the 2024 exam standard from Regulation (EU) 2023/989) and UK Part-66 on legislation.gov.uk for the UK. For how Module 2 fits among the 17 modules, see the Part-66 modules guide.

Part-66 Module 2 exam: paper size by category

Every category sits Module 2, but not at the same length or depth. The question count follows the 75-seconds-per-question rule, so the time is fixed by the size.

Category	EASA questions / minutes	UK CAA questions / minutes	Correct answers needed (75%)
A (A1 to A4)	32 / 40	32 / 40	24
B1.1, B1.2, B1.3	52 / 65	52 / 65	39
B2 and B2L	52 / 65	52 / 65	39
B3	32 / 40	28 / 35	24 (EASA) / 21 (UK)

There are no essays in Module 2 in either system. B3 is the only category where EASA and UK papers differ in length, and the content is the same: the UK simply asks fewer questions.

Key fact: On a 52-question paper you can afford 13 wrong answers. On a 28-question B3 paper under UK rules you can afford 7. There is no negative marking, so never leave a question blank.

What a Module 2 paper feels like

Expect roughly a third to half of the questions to need a number: a moment, a pressure, a temperature conversion, an energy or a gas-law result. The rest test definitions and relationships, for example what happens to density as temperature rises, or which way heat flows in a change of state. Appendix II requires the wrong options in numerical questions to come from procedural mistakes such as a wrong unit conversion or a correction applied the wrong way, so the distractors are the answers you would get by slipping. Checking units is worth more marks in Module 2 than in almost any other paper.

Who sits Module 2 and at what depth

Knowledge levels in Appendix I tell you how deep each topic goes. Level 1 means familiarity with the basic elements; level 2 means you understand the theory and can apply it, including simple calculations; level 3 means detailed knowledge and the ability to combine and apply it.

Sub-module	A	B1	B2 / B2L	B3
2.1 Matter	1	2	2	1
2.2.1 Statics	1	2	2	1
2.2.2 Kinetics	1	2	2	1
2.2.3 Dynamics	1	2	2	1
2.2.4(a) Gravity and density	2	2	2	2
2.2.4(b) Viscosity, pressure, Bernoulli	1	2	2	1
2.3(a) Temperature	2	2	2	2
2.3(b) Heat	1	2	2	1
2.4 Optics	not examined	2	2	not examined
2.5 Wave motion and sound	not examined	2	2	not examined

Two things stand out. First, density, specific gravity and temperature scales are level 2 for everyone, so category A and B3 candidates must still be able to calculate them. Second, B1 and B2 sit the same paper at the same depth, so a Module 2 study plan works for both.

Practise the paper for your category: B1.1 Module 2 paper 1, B3 Module 2 paper 1, or the category A Module 2 hub. B2 candidates can use the B2 Module 2 hub.

Sub-module walkthrough

2.1 Matter

A short, high-scoring section: elements, compounds and mixtures, the structure of the atom (protons, neutrons, electrons, shells), ions and isotopes, chemical bonding, and the states of matter and changes between them.

What examiners like: which particle defines the element (the proton count), how many electrons fit in a shell, which changes of state absorb heat and which release it. A common trap is mixing up sublimation (solid to gas) with deposition (gas to solid). Our free matter note covers all of it with worked examples.

2.2.1 Statics

Forces as vectors, resolving and combining forces, moments and couples, centre of gravity, stress and strain, and pressure and buoyancy in liquids.

What examiners like: moment calculations about a pivot, finding a resultant force, the difference between stress (force per area) and strain (change in length over original length), and the meaning of Young's modulus. Traps: forgetting that a moment arm is the perpendicular distance, and confusing tension, compression, shear and torsion in a described component. The statics note has diagrams of each loading case.

2.2.2 Kinetics

Linear motion (displacement, velocity, acceleration, the equations of uniform acceleration), rotational motion, periodic motion and vibration, resonance, and simple machines: velocity ratio, mechanical advantage and efficiency.

What examiners like: mechanical advantage of a lever or pulley system, the link between angular and linear speed, and what resonance means for a structure. Trap: mechanical advantage is load over effort; velocity ratio is distance moved by effort over distance moved by load. Efficiency is the first divided by the second, and can never exceed 100%.

2.2.3 Dynamics

Mass, force and inertia, work, power and energy (kinetic and potential), heat and efficiency, then momentum, impulse, conservation of momentum, gyroscopic principles and friction. This is one of the two heaviest sub-modules in our bank.

What examiners like: F = ma, the difference between mass and weight, kinetic energy doubling when mass doubles but quadrupling when speed doubles, power in watts, and gyroscopic rigidity and precession. Trap: power is the rate of doing work, so a question that gives a time is usually asking for power, not work. Drill these with the kinetics and dynamics note.

2.2.4 Fluid dynamics

Specific gravity and density, then viscosity, fluid resistance, streamlining, compressibility, static, dynamic and total pressure, Bernoulli's theorem and the venturi.

What examiners like: converting between density and specific gravity, which pressure rises and which falls in a venturi throat, and why liquids are treated as incompressible in hydraulics. Trap: in Bernoulli questions, total pressure stays constant; static pressure falls as speed rises. This sub-module sets up Module 8 basic aerodynamics, where the same principle explains lift. The fluid dynamics note covers the formulas.

2.3 Thermodynamics

Temperature scales and thermometers, heat and heat capacity, specific heat, conduction, convection and radiation, thermal expansion, the laws of thermodynamics, the gas laws, specific heats at constant pressure and volume, isothermal and adiabatic processes, engine cycles and latent heat. This is the other heavy sub-module, and our bank has more Module 2 questions here than anywhere else.

What examiners like: converting °C to K and °F, Boyle's, Charles's and the combined gas law with absolute values, and which heat transfer mode applies in a described situation. Practise the topic with the thermodynamics drill and the thermodynamics note.

Exam tip: Every gas-law calculation needs absolute temperature (kelvin) and absolute pressure. The most common wrong option on a gas-law question is the answer you get by putting °C straight into the formula.

2.4 Optics (B1, B2 and B2L only)

The nature of light and its speed, reflection and refraction, the laws of reflection, plane and curved mirrors, lenses, and fibre optics as a light-guiding principle.

What examiners like: the angle of incidence equals the angle of reflection, which way light bends going into a denser medium, and why total internal reflection makes fibre optics work. That last point returns in Module 5 for data transmission.

2.5 Wave motion and sound (B1, B2 and B2L only)

Mechanical waves, transverse and longitudinal waves, interference, standing waves, the speed of sound, frequency, intensity, pitch and quality, and the Doppler effect.

What examiners like: v = fλ, sound as a longitudinal wave, the speed of sound depending on temperature in a gas, and the direction of the Doppler shift. The optics, waves and sound note covers both sub-modules together.

Units and calculations you must be fast at

Module 2 rewards speed with units. Make sure you can do these without thinking:

Conversion or relationship	What to remember
°C to K	add 273 (273.15 if the options are close)
°C to °F	multiply by 9/5, then add 32
Pressure	1 bar = 100 kPa, about 14.5 psi; standard sea-level pressure is 1013.25 hPa, about 14.7 psi
Absolute vs gauge pressure	absolute = gauge + atmospheric
Density and specific gravity	SG = density of substance / density of water (1,000 kg/m³)
Work and energy	joules; 1 J = 1 N × 1 m
Power	watts; 1 W = 1 J/s
Moments	newton-metres; clockwise moments = anticlockwise moments in balance

A worked example done by hand

A gas cylinder holds gas at 2 bar absolute and 27 °C. It is heated at constant volume to 127 °C. What is the new pressure?

1. Convert to kelvin: 27 °C = 300 K and 127 °C = 400 K.
2. At constant volume, pressure is proportional to absolute temperature: p₂ = p₁ × T₂ / T₁.
3. p₂ = 2 × 400 / 300 = 2.67 bar absolute.

The trap answer is 2 × 127 / 27, about 9.4 bar, from forgetting to convert. Another is 2.67 bar quoted as gauge pressure. On Part-66 Prep, calculation questions get new numbers from the app's generator, so you practise the method rather than memorise an answer.

How to study Module 2

Order of topics

1. Start with units, matter and statics, because they set up everything else.
2. Move to kinetics and dynamics, then fluids.
3. Do thermodynamics as a block, because the gas laws, heat and changes of state connect.
4. If you are B1 or B2, finish with optics and waves; they are self-contained.

If your algebra is weak, spend a week on Module 1 mathematics first. Rearranging a formula and handling powers of ten are the skills Module 2 assumes. Module 3 electrical fundamentals follows naturally afterwards, since it reuses work, power and energy.

Free and Pro practice

You can start without an account:

• The free Module 2 quick practice gives 20 questions with instant explanations.
• Paper 1 for B1.1 is a full timed paper at the real size, free.
• The printable Module 2 sheet has 50 questions with an answer key you can print or save as PDF. Neither EASA nor the CAA publishes past papers, so every sheet and paper here is exam-style material written for the app.

Pro (from £6.99 a week, see pricing) unlocks papers 2 to 10 for every category, sub-module drills such as thermodynamics or dynamics, and all study notes. No pass guarantee comes with it; it is a practice tool.

Exam tip: Read the exam format guide before your first timed paper. Knowing that you have 75 seconds per question, and that hard calculations can be marked and revisited, changes how you pace a 52-question paper. See Part-66 exam format.

When are you ready?

Use the same rule as the app: book the exam when you have scored 85% or more on three different full papers. A single good score can be luck or familiarity; three papers covering different questions show the knowledge holds up.

Booking and retakes

You sit Module 2 at a Part-147 organisation or, in the UK, directly with the CAA. If you fail, you wait 90 days before a resit, or 30 days after a Part-147 retraining course tailored to the subjects you failed. Under EASA rules you get a maximum of three attempts in any 12 months; under UK rules, three consecutive attempts and then a one-year wait. A pass counts towards a licence application for 10 years. The UK CAA explains its exam process on the CAA engineer licensing pages.

For background reading in plain English, the free FAA Aviation Maintenance Technician Handbook – General has a physics chapter. It uses US units and US framing, so use it for explanations, not for Part-66 rules.

Your study plan

1. Take the B1.1 diagnostic (or the one for your category) to see where Module 2 sits against your other modules.
2. Do the free Module 2 quick practice and note which sub-modules you miss.
3. Read the matter note, then work through statics, dynamics and thermodynamics in that order.
4. Sit Module 2 paper 1 under timed conditions, without a calculator, on the EASA or UK setting that matches your exam.
5. Review every wrong answer, especially unit mistakes, and drill your weakest sub-module.
6. Book the exam once you hit 85% on three different papers.