UK CAA Part-66 module exams: format, essays, booking and retakes
1,002 words · checked 2026-10-03 · Free
Since the UK left the EU, UK Part-66 is UK-retained law. The UK did not adopt Regulation (EU) 2023/989, so UK exams still follow the older Appendix I syllabus and Appendix II exam standard. The CAA consulted on an update to UK Regulation 1321/2014 (January to April 2026, including a revised Part-66 syllabus with new technologies such as electric powerplants), but at the time of writing no new UK rules are in force. Always check the CAA pages before you book.
What is the same as EASA
| Rule | UK CAA |
|---|---|
| Question type | Multiple choice, 3 options, one correct |
| Time | 75 seconds per question |
| Pass mark | 75 % per module or sub-module |
| Negative marking | None |
| Essay length | 20 minutes per essay; pass = 75 % of key points with no significant error |
| Retake wait | 90 days after a fail, or 30 days after a tailored Part-147 retraining course |
| Validity | Exams and experience must fall within the 10 years before the licence application |
| Cheating | 12-month ban from all exams |
What is different from EASA
| Point | UK CAA | EASA |
|---|---|---|
| Essay modules | 7A/7B (2 essays), 9A/9B (1 essay), 10 (1 essay) | Module 7 only (2 essays) |
| Attempt limit | 3 consecutive attempts, then a 1-year wait before the next set of 3 | 3 attempts in any 12 months |
| Split modules | 7A/7B, 9A/9B, 11A/11B/11C, 17A/17B | single Modules 7, 9, 11, 17 |
| Module 9 content | ends with 9.9 Hazards in the workplace | adds 9.9 Safety management and 9.10 Dirty Dozen |
| Module 10 content | 10.1-10.7 (UK rules) | 10.1-10.10 incl. cybersecurity |
| Module 7 content | still has 7.4 Avionic general test equipment and 7.15 Welding, brazing, soldering and bonding | 7.4 and 7.15 reserved; adds 7.14.3 Additive manufacturing and 7.21 Documentation and communication |
Key fact: The CAA states that "an essay pass at Category A level is considered equivalent to a pass at Category B", so a Module 7A/9A/10 essay passed for category A does not have to be repeated for B1 or B2.
Questions and time per module (UK)
Number of multiple-choice questions / minutes; "+1E" = one 20-minute essay.
| Module | A | B1 | B2 / B2L | B3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Mathematics | 16 / 20 | 32 / 40 | 32 / 40 | 28 / 35 |
| 2 Physics | 32 / 40 | 52 / 65 | 52 / 65 | 28 / 35 |
| 3 Electrical fundamentals | 20 / 25 | 52 / 65 | 52 / 65 | 24 / 30 |
| 4 Electronic fundamentals | — | 20 / 25 | 40 / 50 | 8 / 10 |
| 5 Digital techniques / EIS | 16 / 20 | B1.1, B1.3: 40 / 50; B1.2, B1.4: 20 / 25 | 72 / 90 | 16 / 20 |
| 6 Materials and hardware | 52 / 65 | 72 / 90 | 60 / 75 | 60 / 75 |
| 7A Maintenance practices | 72 / 90 +2E | 80 / 100 +2E | 60 / 75 +2E | — |
| 7B Maintenance practices | — | — | — | 60 / 75 +2E |
| 8 Basic aerodynamics | 20 / 25 | 20 / 25 | 20 / 25 | 20 / 25 |
| 9A Human factors | 20 / 25 +1E | 20 / 25 +1E | 20 / 25 +1E | — |
| 9B Human factors | — | — | — | 16 / 20 +1E |
| 10 Aviation legislation | 32 / 40 +1E | 40 / 50 +1E | 40 / 50 +1E | 32 / 40 +1E |
| 11A Turbine aeroplane | 108 / 135 | 140 / 175 | — | — |
| 11B Piston aeroplane | 72 / 90 | 100 / 125 | — | — |
| 11C Piston aeroplane (B3) | — | — | — | 60 / 75 |
| 12 Helicopter | 100 / 125 | 128 / 160 | — | — |
| 13 Aircraft aerodynamics, structures and systems | — | — | B2: 180 / 225 (may be split into two exams) | — |
| 14 Propulsion | — | — | 24 / 30 | — |
| 15 Gas turbine engine | 60 / 75 | 92 / 115 | — | — |
| 16 Piston engine | 52 / 65 | 72 / 90 | — | 68 / 85 |
| 17A Propeller | 20 / 25 | 32 / 40 | — | — |
| 17B Propeller | — | — | — | 28 / 35 |
UK Module 13 for B2L (per system rating): Basic 28 / 35; Com/Nav 24 / 30; Instruments 20 / 25; Autoflight 28 / 35; Surveillance 8 / 10; Airframe systems 32 / 40.
Retakes under UK rules
- Wait 90 days after a failed module (30 days with tailored Part-147 retraining).
- You may make 3 consecutive attempts at a module. If all three fail, you must wait 1 year before starting a new set of three.
- You confirm in writing how many attempts you made in the last year.
- If you pass the multiple-choice part but fail the essay (or the other way round), only the failed part is retaken.
Booking a CAA exam
Exams are taken either at a UK Part-147 organisation (for its own students) or directly with the CAA:
- Register on the CAA Customer Portal and ask for access to the e-exam service.
- Book the module at one of the CAA's approved examination venues. CAA exams are computer-based (Quadrant e-exam platform).
- Fees on the CAA page in October 2026: £60 per AML examination; a Full Review of a result costs £169 (refunded if an error is found) and must be requested within 14 calendar days; an exam credit extension costs £183. Check the current CAA scheme of charges.
- Results appear in your candidate portal.
Key fact: At CAA venues you may bring only a clear plastic pen, an eraser-tipped pencil and a sharpener. Electronic devices and watches are not allowed, and rough paper is provided. Practise Module 1 to 3 calculations without a calculator.
Essays: what the UK examiner wants
- Each essay has a model answer broken into key points; you pass with 75 % of them and no significant error.
- Write in full sentences, in a logical order (before, during, after the task), and use correct terms.
- Typical UK subjects: Module 7 (e.g. torque loading, crimping, fuel tank entry, lightning-strike inspection), Module 9 (e.g. fatigue, communication at shift handover, the Dirty Dozen), Module 10 (e.g. certificate of release to service, privileges of certifying staff, occurrence reporting).
- See the note "Module 7 - essay writing" for a step-by-step method.
Official sample questions
The CAA does not currently publish Part-66 sample or past questions on its website. The papers in this app are exam-style practice papers written for the app; switch the app to the UK CAA profile so mock exams use the UK question counts above.