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About Licences

(updated 18th November 2005)

A complete study and tutorial service for the aircraft engineer


On site training towards the EASA part 66 licence


How to study for your licence


The EASA part 66 licence


The Examinations

BCAR Licence examinations
EASA part 66 Licence examinations
What to do now?
Examination preparation
Study preparation


What we offer

What we offer




A complete study and tutorial service for the aircraft engineer

Why should I study for the CAA examinations with Licence By Post?

  • Cost effective.
  • High pass rate.
  • Tutor system based on the UK Open University.
  • Specialist qualified tutors.
  • Up-to-date study material.
  • Study in comfort wherever you are. No travel or accommodation problems.
  • Study at your own pace using your own personalised time-table.
  • Three levels of student enrolment.
  • Your own course and subject tutors.
  • Fees are competitive and include VAT & part postage.
  • Group discount rates.

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The course

You may enroll in one or more of three student membership grades depending on your requirements.  The course is tailored to your needs in terms of duration - we recommend a time-table, but this you can change.

The course covers the CAA syllabus as laid down in EASA PT 66, and will cover the module(s) you have enrolled for.  Modules offered cover the mechanical and avionic trades.

The study books (and assessments for FS students) are sent out at the beginning of the course in one or more mailings.

For FS and AS students the assessments are completed after studying the appropriate books/modules and sent to the subject tutor for marking (your tutors are shown on your printed timetable).  After marking, the assessment is returned to the student complete with comments.  Marks are confidential.

About 2 months before the end of the study period for the module or modules concerned the student submits an examination application form to the CAA with the appropriate fee.

After passing the first module or modules he/she then starts studying the next module, and so the cycle continues until all the modules are passed.

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The tutors

All specialists in their own subject areas.  Include licensed engineers in the industry and lecturers in aeronautical engineering.  Click here for more information.

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The study material

Compiled and kept up-to-date by the tutors.  The books are designed to be understood by the home-reader with illustrations to support the text.  Copyright clearance has been obtained from many of the world's leading aircraft and component manufacturers.  Books are used by some of the world's airlines as their standard study books.

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Keeping up-to-date

Because of our need to provide a continuing improvement in the service we provide and to cope with the ever changing technology and the continuous changing CAA examination requirements, our study books are always being up-dated/rewritten.  This means that, on average, about 25% of our books are re-written every year.

These re-writes also incorporate any changes to the syllabus such as occurred with the introduction of EASA part 66 and any subsequent amendments.

Note: A word of WARNING about old books. The EASA syllabus is not well defined and is written in very vague terms. This means that to have any idea as to what has to be studied it is important to note how the CAA interpret the syllabus. Their interpretation changes continuously – as technology changes - and the range and depth of their questions also change. What this means, effectively, is that the syllabus is always changing. Every month something is added or expanded on. This means that our books are always changing to keep pace with the “syllabus”.

There are lots of our old study books “out their” and many are used by several people over a period of years. It is almost certain that most of them are now out-of-date. If you are using these do ring or email the office to check on the issue number (bottom right hand corner of the front cover). This is important as using old study material could mean failure on the CAA examination.

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Enrolment levels

Enrolment may be as a Full Student (FS), Associate Student (AS) or as a Study Books Student (SB) and your programme may contain any combination of these depending on your requirements. You may order an FS programme for one module an AS for another and the SB programme for yet another. You may order, say, the SB programme and up-grade later to a FS programme if you wish.

The Full Student (FS) programme includes:

  • Study material (study books) complete with any revision questions we have.
  • In course assessments.
  • Recommended time-table.
  • Course and subject tutors.

The Associate Student (AS) programme is similar to the Full Student programme except that the student finds his/her own study material.  For most people this programme will not be suitable as it is an assessment programme only and there are very few study notes/books available that cover all the material for the EASA modules.  For those people intending to use this programme do contact LBP for advice.

The Study Books (SB) student receives the study books together with any revision questions currently in stock.

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In-course assessments

Our assessments are set and marked by the subject tutors and are sent out with the first mailing.  Each module assessment consists of a multi choice paper/s the size of which depends on the size of the module.

For those studying for the EASA essay exams we provide a study programme together with assessments for the appropriate modules (7, 9 and 10).

This programme, called the EE programme (EASA Essay) gives tuition on the style and content the CAA expects in the essay answers.  It is intended for those who have already passed the multi choice papers in the appropriate modules.  After studying the technique of writing essay answers the student completes the practise essay questions and returns to the tutors for marking. The number and style of the practise questions varies, but currently there are 12 with many additional questions given as examples.

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Career counselling

Available to all students, this service is intended to help should you require any information regarding careers and other matters related to civil aviation engineering, including CAA examinations etc.

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Our Fees

These are competitive and have been held for the 5th consecutive year with some prices actually being reduced. The fees are listed against each module on our ordering page which you can view by clicking on the press-down button against each module (there is no need to order when viewing the prices).

When the click-down button is pressed on the EASA ordering page the fees will show as two groups. The B group is for the B1 and B2 licensed engineer and the A group is for the flight line mechanic.

Three prices will show (FS, AS and SB), and you are recommended to familiarise yourself with these student grades first so you will know what they mean.

At present some of our modules/part modules are offered as Study Books only. FS and AS programmes will be listed as soon as they become available for these modules. Do ring or email LBP for the latest additions.

Books and part modules are available separately – please contact LBP for details.

Some part modules are listed on the ordering page. These are some of the more common parts that are required for conversion from the BCAR licence to the EASA licence.  Those complete modules listed include the appropriate part modules.  For example, module 7 includes 7.7 and 7.4.

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Overseas students

Our programmes are ideal for students overseas; those in the industry and service personnel for example.  Study material is sent by courier (for most packages) direct to the student where he/she can study without the problems of travel associated with more formal courses.

Contact with the tutors can be made by email, fax (in most cases), by letter or by ’phone.  Completed assessments are returned for marking by post or sent by email.  For those tutors not on the ’net the assessments can be sent direct to the LBP office.

Students will have to travel to the UK to take their examinations with the CAA (application form sent to the CAA) or at any EASA part 147 company (application form sent to that company).  CAA venues are Gatwick, Oxford, Silsoe (Bedford), Macclesfield and Glasgow.  There are “147” companies at Cardiff, Norwich, Perth and other locations.

The Gatwick venue at Aviation House is a 5 minute bus ride from the airport terminals of London Gatwick Airport.

For those who will be landing at London Heathrow there is a choice of venues – Gatwick Airport (about 25 miles) or Oxford Airport (about 45 miles).  Both can be reached by bus from the airport bus terminal. For Oxford Airport take the bus to Oxford then take a bus to Kidlington village (about 5 miles out of Oxford centre). The airport is a 10 minute walk from the village.

For overnight accommodation at Oxford or Gatwick check our Contacts Page or contact the office direct.

For students requiring entry visa applications, forms may be obtained from the Home Office Immigration Directorate.  Visa application forms should be sent (together with all supporting documentation, as stated on the form) to the Immigration Office.  Remember to include a copy of the letter from the CAA specifying your exam date and venue.

Further contact details and information can be found in our contacts section.

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English

A good command of the English language is essential for a successful outcome when taking the CAA examinations.  All examinations are held in the UK and in English.  If any LBP student requires assistance with English he/she should contact the LBP office.

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Management controlled distance learning courses

Conceived by LBP, this system utilises the advantages of a comprehensive, proved, distance learning programme combined with the disciplined approach of class-room teaching.

The study material is provided by LBP and the group is controlled by local management.  The students do most, if not all, of their studying in their own time and are brought together for examination purposes and tutorials.

Home study books are sent out by LBP at the beginning of the course with an agreed time table.

Students are brought together for tutorials at management discretion and for assessment purposes.

Assessments are sent out by LBP and returned for marking after completion.

Students have access to their LBP tutors by letter, telephone, fax, or e-mail.

LBP staff liase directly with management on all aspects of the course.  All materials and assessment results are sent to management, enhancing the student's perception of an integrated management / training provider approach.

With strict management control pass rates can be very high, and the cost is minute compared to any other form of training.

This system is used by several operators both in the UK and Overseas.

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How to study for your licence

By yourself

You would be well advised to take some form of study programme from a provider but if you wish to study "by yourself" you will need to purchase (or get hold of) a copy of the syllabus.  Of course, you will need to study as many technical books as you can lay your hands on related to the subject matter of the licence you are going for.  There is no data available on the success rate of this method but it is generally considered to be poor.

Note our warning on using our old books. Most are out-of-date now and would not be appropriate for today's examinations.

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Part-time courses at local colleges or schools

Some colleges/schools provide evening only courses/day release courses for people living within reasonable travel distances.

These courses are economic with quite good pass rates but few colleges offer them.

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Distance learning (home study)

These are the most environmentally friendly learning systems available.  There is no travel involved, congestion, traffic jams etc.  There are no accommodation costs, nor the problems of living away from home.  For some people studying at home/domestic accommodation is the best way, for some it can be difficult and the only option is a classroom based learning system.

Some distance learning providers offer the study material only, whilst others (like ourselves) provide a full tutorial service as well with tutor marked examinations, tutor contact etc.

Success rates for students that complete a structured study programme are high.

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On-line based courses

These can be very expensive and poor value for money.

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Short full-time courses at local colleges or schools

Duration from 1 week to about 6 weeks depending on subject(s) covered.  Costs can be very high when accommodation, travel, loss of income (for self employed) etc is taken into account.  Success rates are high particularly if the student does pre-course study before the commencement of the course.  There are probably about 3 or 4 schools/colleges in the UK that provide these sort of courses.

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2 or 4 year full-time courses at local colleges or schools

These are usually designed for the school leaver but not exclusively so.  They normally have an academic base with the successful student obtaining an OND/HND.  If the course is "approved" by the CAA, part exemption to the experience requirements and some of the examinations will be given to the successful student.  These courses tend to be very expensive.

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On-site courses arranged by your company

Costs etc are irrelevant (to the student) as these are usually free to company employees. The warning on pre-course study applies, however, as mentioned in Short full-time courses above.

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Which one?

Before deciding which provider to use check on the cost of the course and the reputation of the provider.  For some people the course will have to be classroom based, for others the convenience and economy of home study is what they want.

For a list of training providers contact the CAA at Aviation House, Gatwick Airport South, West Sussex, RH6 0YR, UK.  Tel: 01293 573700 or visit www.caa.co.uk.

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The EASA part 66 licence

The Licence Without Type Rating

The BCAR (British Civil Aviation Requirements) Licence Without Type Rating (LWTR) came into being in the early 1970s and was phased out as an examination for aircraft above 5700kg June 2001. After this date the BCAR LWTR only applies to aircraft below 5700kg (BCAR section L issue 14).

The JAR (Joint Airworthiness Requirements) 66 licence was introduced late 1999 and ran parallel with the BCAR licence until June 2001. After that date it “stood alone” for aircraft over 5700kg.

The JAA (Joint Airworthiness Authority) (a collection of 19 European countries) had no legal standing and no authority to ensure that every country followed the rules. So, in 2003 the EASA (European Aviation Safety Agency) was set up, which has the authority and it took over from the JAA.

The CAA are still “in charge” of UK civil aviation but act as an agent of the EASA.

In September 2003 the JAR66 syllabus was replaced by the EASA part 66 syllabus and all conversion examinations from the BCAR licence to the EASA licence must have been completed by November 2005.

All current JAR licences will remain in force and when renewed will be replaced by an EASA part 66 licence.

The EASA part 66 licence has no weight limit so covers all sizes of aircraft except for some special categories such as old war time aircraft, balloons etc.

We will still offer the BCAR licence study material because of the on-going requirement of some countries for the BCAR licence. Those available from LBP are:

Licence Category Modules
Category A
     Aeroplanes 1 (with an engine) 1, 2, 3, 4, 13
Category C
     Piston engines (with Aeroplanes 1) 1, 2, 6, 7, 13
     Turbine engines (with Aeroplanes 1) 1, 2, 7, 8, 13
Category A & C
     Rotorcraft piston 1, 2, 3, 6, 9, 13
     Rotorcraft turbine 1, 2, 3, 8, 9, 13
Category X
     Electrical 1, 2, 13, 21
     Instruments 1, 2, 13, 22, 23
     Autopilots aeroplanes 1, 2, 13, 23, 24, 25
     Autopilots rotorcraft 1, 2, 13, 23, 25, 26
Category R
     Radio com & nav 1, 2, 13, 31
     Radar 32 (for holders of R, Radio)

For price details please contact LBP.

Warning

All BCAR licence holders MUST convert their present licences to an EASA licence by 2008 or lose them.  In general terms the options are:

  1. If you have a “Full Set” of licences (all the “Xs” and “Rs” for the avionic person) then convert for payment only.
  2. If you have “A” and “C” and “X” then convert by passing a few of the EASA modules.
  3. If you hold the “A” and “C” then you have more EASA modules to pass.
  4. For those not holding any licences there is only one option – the EASA licence.

Important

DO NOT WAIT.  DO YOUR CONVERSIONS NOW.  For conversion details see the CAA website or contact the LBP office.

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EASA part 66 licences

These are listed below:

Category A Line Mechanic
A1  Aeroplane Jet Engines 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11A, 15, 17
A2  Aeroplane Piston Engines 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11B 16, 17
A3  Helicopter Jet Engines 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 15
A4  Helicopter Piston Engines 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 16
Category B1 Mechanical Technician
B1.1  Aeroplane Jet Engines 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11A, 15, 17
B1.2  Aeroplane Piston Engines 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11B, 16, 17
B1.3  Helicopter Jet Engines 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 15
B1.4  Helicopter Piston Engines 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 16
Category B2 Avionic Technician  
B2  1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 13, 14

Please note:

  1. In very general terms the A aircraft maintenance licence allows a limited number of tasks to be performed on aircraft as specifically authorised.  An A licence holder will have to re-take all the modules previously passed at the A level if a B licence is required.  IT IS NOT A "STEPPING STONE" TO THE B LICENCE.
  2. The B licence allows maintenance of all the appropriate systems and is a prerequisite to Type ratings/approvals.
  3. There is also a Category C licence.  This is a base maintenance engineer qualified to the B1/B2 standard.
  4. The first 10 modules are common to all (except module 4 which the A person does not have to take). However, the exact content of each module for a particular exam will vary depending on what licence the engineer is aiming for. This means that for the A person some very large parts are missed out of some of the modules and most of the other parts are taken to a lower level than the B level. For the B person (in very general terms) the differences in the level of difficulty in those modules where there are differences are:
    Module    Higher level
    2   B1
    4   B2
    5   B2
    6   B1
    7   B1
    The above is not significant (assuming you take the examination at the correct level for the licence you are aiming for) – unless you intend taking the other licence after getting the first one. In other words if you are now going for the B1 and intend going for the B2 at a later date – or vice-versa – then it would be prudent to take the above module exams at the higher of the two levels (informing the CAA on the application form). Modules 1, 3, 8, 9 & 10 are all the same level for the B1/B2 person.
  5. Our modules 6 and 7 can be split into those books suitable for the B1 engineer and those suitable for the B2 engineer. This means that when ordering you should specify which set you require taking note of what has just been said. At present our modules 2, 4 and 5 will not split between the B1 and the B2 person and are written to the higher level.
  6. For CAA examination purposes the modules (including the essay paper) can be taken in any order, separately or together (though there are too many to be taken all in one day – and unless you have to travel a long way it would be better to take the larger/more difficult ones separately anyway). There is no fee advantage in taking the modules together.

    The CAA exam day is 6 hours long so no more than 6 hours worth of modules can be taken in any one day.


The syllabus is laid down in EASA part 66 and the modules are:

Modules Title
1    Mathematics
2    Physics
3    Electrical Fundamentals
4    Electronic Fundamentals
5    Digital Techniques / Electronic Instrument Systems
6    Materials & Hardware
7    Maintenance Practices
8    Basic Aerodynamics
9    Human Factors
10    Aviation Legislation
11A  Turbine Aeroplane Aerodynamics, Structures & Systems
11B  Piston Aeroplane Aerodynamics, Structures & Systems
12    Helicopter Aerodynamics, Structures & Systems
13    Aircraft Aerodynamics, Structures & Systems (Avionic systems)
14    Propulsion (Engine instrumentation)
15    Gas Turbine engine
16    Piston Engine
17    Propellor

Please note:

Modules 13 and 14 are both avionic modules.  Module 13 includes all the avionic systems such as Instruments, Autopilots, Radio, Radar, Electrics etc.


There is no aircraft engineering experience requirement to be allowed to take the CAA examinations but there is a requirement before application is made for the licence.

In general terms this requirement is 5 years for the B category and 3 years for the A category. These times may be reduced for previous apprenticeships passed, approved ab-initio courses passed (ab-initio course are normally 2 years full time for school levers) etc.  All qualifying experience must be within the previous 7 years when licence application is made.

The times above must include 12 months recent experience when application for the licence is made.

Those in the UK services are allowed to use 4 years of their service experience (if appropriate to the licence being sort) and will need one year recent experience with a civil firm.

In general all the above experience should be on a representative cross section of tasks on aircraft.

Once the first module examination is passed a 5 year clock is set during which time all the experience must be obtained and all the modules passed. If they are not you will start to loose the first modules passed.

Almost no exemptions are allowed to any of the examinations but holders of certain degrees may get exemptions to some of the modules – check with the CAA.

More details are given in the EASA syllabus which can be down-loaded (or viewed) via the net (www.easa.eu.int)

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The Examinations

BCAR Licence examinations

Response sheet - Click to enlarge

Each written examination may be taken separately.  Check The Licence Without Type Rating section in this website.

The multi-choice paper is made up of questions or statements with three possible answers/responses.  One of which is correct the other two being plausible but incorrect.  75% is the pass mark for each module with a credit mark being given for each correct answer/response and no marks deducted for incorrect answers.  Click on the image if you would like to have a closer look.

Note:

  • Calculators are not allowed in any examination.
  • The time allowed is 1 minute per question.

CAA examinations are held monthly at four or five centres throughout the UK.  The CAA does not conduct UK licence examinations outside the UK.

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EASA part 66 Licence examinations

The examination consists of a multi-choice paper for each module with a four question essay paper. There is no oral examination.

The pass marks are the same as for the BCAR licences and the format of the questions are similar.

The number of multiple choice questions are:

Modules Title Number of Qs
(these may vary)
A B1.1 B1.2 B1.3 B1.4 B2
1    Mathematics 16 30 30 30 30 30
2    Physics 30 50 50 50 50 50
3    Electrical fundamentals 20 50 50 50 50 50
4    Electronic fundamentals nil 20 20 20 20 40
5    Digital techniques 16 40 20 40 20 70
6    Materials & hardware 50 70 70 70 70 60
7    Maintenance practices 70 80 80 80 80 60
8    Basic aerodynamics 20 20 20 20 20 20
9    Human factors 20 20 20 20 20 20
10    Aviation legislation 30 40 40 40 40 40
11A   Airframe & systems (jet aircraft) 100 130 nil nil nil nil
11B   Airframe & systems (piston) 70 nil 100 nil nil nil
12    Helicopter airframe & systems 90 nil nil 115 115 nil
13    All aircraft avionic systems nil nil nil nil nil 130
14    Engine instruments (avionics) nil nil nil nil nil 25
15    Gas turbine engine 60 90 nil 90 nil nil
16    Piston engine 50 nil 70 nil 70 nil
17    Propellers 20 30 30 nil nil nil

Note:

  • Calculators are not allowed in the examination.
  • Time allowed is approximately 1.3 minutes per question.

There will be four essay questions to do; one from module 7, one from module 9 and one from module 10.  The essay paper may be taken separately or with any other licence multi choice examinations.  These essay questions may be taken together in one sitting (one fee) or taken separately in three sittings (three fees), that is, module 7 (2Qs), module 9 (1Q) and module 10 (1Q).

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What to do now?

What-ever aircraft you are working on at the moment there are some things that you should consider doing straight away. If you are currently not working on aircraft and intend going for a licence then you should try to change jobs so to get your aircraft experience. The actions you should consider are:

1. The first and most important task is to start a Record of Work. It matters little what work you are actually doing so long as it is maintenance on operating aircraft (in the hangar or on the line) and does not matter if you have not decided yet to take the licence. You never know, it might come in handy in the future anyway.

You should include the tasks carried out on the aircraft, the serial numbers of the aircraft worked on and the date. Each page of your logbook should be countersigned as being a true record. This counter-signature should be by your quality control department or a CAA designated person (if with a civil company). For those in the services an engineering officer must sign.

Any work in bays (hydraulic bays, instrument bays etc) is not considered as “operating aircraft” experience. Nor is “single task” specialist work such as being a member of an airframe repair team.

You should try and get a representative cross section of tasks experience and if you are a “mechanical man” you should try and get involved with as many “avionic” tasks as possible. If you can help with any avionic equipment changes, tests etc then this will help – both with your studies and with your log book when being submitted to the CAA.

This log book is important, as when you apply for the licence you will need to show confirmed experience within the last 7 years of 5 years (for the B licences) and 3 years (for the A licence). The serviceman/woman must show experience of 12 months (effectively the last 12 months of the 5 year period) with a civil aircraft operator.

Log books (with completion instructions) can be obtained from the Association of Licensed Aircraft Engineers telephone (+44) 01276 474888. Their website is www.alae.org

2. Become a member of the Association of Licensed Aircraft Engineers (ALAE). Membership is open to all engineers whether licensed or not.

The ALAE has been in the forefront of protecting the rights and privileges of the licensed engineer. Without them our position in the industry would be less secure and the industry less safe. They have played a significant part in establishing the position of the licensed engineer at all levels of management, to include on-going meetings with the CAA, EASA and committees at all levels in the industry including at government level.

If you have any problems regarding licences they are the only people that can take them up with the CAA, so being a member is important.

Besides the above, members receive a monthly magazine which includes job vacancy listings, details of ALAE services, articles and up-to-the-minute information on all matters concerning the aircraft engineer.

3. Take the CAA examinations sooner rather than later. Ever-since I have been involved with teaching the licence (in the early 70’s) the CAA examinations have got progressively more difficult. There have been quantum leaps when-ever the syllabus has changed, but even without these changes the level of difficulty of the questions has got progressively higher.

So it is almost certainly true to say that the CAA exams are easier now than they will ever be. It is also true that our brain’s capacity to learn is better now than it will ever be (unless you are under the age of 10). So taking these two points together, in general terms, means the sooner you start the better – provided you are in the process of gaining the right experience and will not take the exams too early and run into the “module life” problem (see below).

About the relationship between the CAA examinations and the experience. The modules, once passed, have a life of 5 years. If you have not converted them into a licence by then you will loose them and they will have to be re-taken. This means if you are going for a B licence you should not start passing the modules until you are working and gaining the correct experience. For the A licence you do have a 2 year period before you must start getting the right experience. For UK service personnel you should not start passing the modules until you have 4 years or less left to do (for the B licence).

4. Starting your exams sooner rather than later means starting your studies sooner rather than later, and, of course we would hope you use us as your course provider.

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Examination preparation

There is no substitute for it - a program of regular disciplined study.  This is the recipe for success with any examination and it is true for the EASA part 66 exams.

This will take time, but you must be in a position, when ready for the examination, to have at your finger tips the knowledge level required by the CAA.  What level is this?  In particular it is specified in the syllabus of course, but in general what is it?

You must be in a position to satisfy the CAA that you are a safe and competent engineer to work on aircraft.  You must know your systems well enough to rectify any fault.

You must know the facts about how they work and you should be able to explain (in writing) these to the CAA.  Your essay answers should be "impressive", logical (if system testing, fault finding etc) and written in a way that explains exactly what you are doing.

A programme of regular disciplined study will mean (usually) the reading of study material.  Read it carefully - understand it, and if possible test yourself on it by taking mock examinations such as essay exams and multi-choice exam papers.  In this way you will be exercising the brain's capacity for information storage (memory) and retrieval (recall).

A word of friendly warning from some-one who has been in the business of study provision for many years.  Comments are sometimes heard like:

"I'm a xxxx rank in the airforce ....
"I've been working on aircraft for xxxx years ....
"I've done a manufactures type course ....
"I already have a licence from .... (another country) ....

.... so therefore I do not need to study much for the EASA examination".

This does not happen often, but when it does I say to the person "Beware.  I do not know of anyone who has passed the CAA examinations without a considerable amount of studying - whether that person has been in aviation for 4 years or 40 years and irrespective of how well licensed he/she is".

Of course it does help if the person has a lot of experience and if he/she is already licensed.

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Study Preparation

It is important to consider all the implications involved when embarking on a course of study.  It is going to take time and money, and both these need to be looked at so that you can prepare yourself psychologically beforehand.  In most cases it is not just yourself that you need to consider.  It would be wise to talk to those "nearest and dearest" to you (wife, husband, partner etc).  You might even consider talking to your employer (he/she might help by allowing you some study time at work and there may even be some financial assistance).

If you live with your parents or share accommodation with others it would be a good idea to talk to them also.

Budgetary planning for your studies would depend very much on your present financial position.  For the smaller modules study costs are not high and for many, strict budgetary planning is not necessary.  For some modules study costs are higher and these may need to be taken into consideration in your financial planning.  So talking to others who share your financial interest - marriage partners, partners, parents etc may be important.

The financial implications affect people differently depending on how "well off" they are, but the study implications are common to all.

You will need time to study.  You will need time to yourself to sit and read.  One hour a day.  Two hours a day.  Three hours a day.  It will depend on your learning abilities.  The location needs to be quiet, well lit and comfortable.  It can be in the sitting room; in bed; in the bath; on the train; on the plane.  Anywhere, provided you are comfortable and your concentration is not interrupted.  Those living with you need to understand your requirement for this period of self-imposed daily solitude.  It is important therefore to discuss your planned programme of studies with them.  Their support will make a considerable contribution to your psychological approach.

For the EASA modules the time scale can range from 1 week (module 8 - common) to about 9 months (module 13 – for the avionic person).  To complete all the modules for the EASA category B licence you should allow between 2 to 3 years, and for the A licence you could allow for a slightly shorter period.  It is important to prepare yourself and those around you for a time scale of this length.

NOTE: Help with fee payment might be available from your local education authority and in some countries there might be a national fee assistance scheme.  Some employers might also help and with UK service personnel there is the ELCAS scheme.  We are approved by the MOD as a learning provider and our provider number is 1128.

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What we offer

We offer world-wide coverage distance learning programmes designed to allow you to study for the CAA Licence Without Type Rating and the EASA part 66 examinations.  These follow the syllabus as laid down in BCARs section L or EASA part 66, published by the UK CAA/EASA.

The programmes are cost-effective, allowing progress through the course at your own pace in the comfort of your own home, without the problems of travel, accommodation, etc.

A personalised timetable is provided, but can be changed to suit your requirements.

You can enrol as a Full Student (FS), or an Associate Student (AS), or you can purchase the Study Books by themselves (SB).  The following table illustrates what each grade will include:

  FS AS SB
Study material  
In-course assessments  
Personal time-table  
Allocation of subject and course tutors  
Course completion letter  
Counselling service

Legend:  FS = Full Student; AS = Associate Student; SB = Study Books Student.

The FS programme includes all the study books, an assessment timetable, assessments (to be marked by the tutors), and tutor contact (phone, email etc).

The AS programme has all of the above except that you provide your own study books.

Tutors can be contacted by letter, phone (or fax and email in some cases).

Completed assessments are sent to the subject tutors where they are marked and returned.  All marking is confidential - unless agreed otherwise.

Assessments, to CAA standards, comprise multiple choice papers and essay questions for the EE programme.

Course and subject tutors are all experienced aircraft maintenance engineers either involved in teaching aeronautical engineering or licensed.  The books, compiled and kept up to date by the tutors, are in a form to be understood by the home reader.  Text is supported by illustrations, many of which are copyright cleared from aircraft and systems manufacturers.

Our services are used by many airlines/operators who use our books and study programmes for their licence training requirements.

For more detailed information on the Licence you are advised to read BCARs section L/EASA PT 66.

CAA publications may be obtained from The Stationery Office (TSO) who has bookshops throughout the UK (London, Birmingham and, Edinburgh to name a few).  For more details contact www.tso.co.uk

In very general terms, the experience requirements for applications to be considered for the EASA licence are:

  • 5 years engineering experience in the last 7 on operating aircraft for the B licence to include the recent year on the type for which application is made, e.g. for a B1-1 licence this year should be working on fixed wing jet engined aircraft. For UK service personnel four of those years can be gained whilst in the services, with the last year in civil aviation.
  • The same applies to the A licence person except that the total experience requirement is 3 years.

NOTE: The experience, as far as possible, should be on a representative cross section of tasks on the aircraft appropriate to the licence being sort and experience in engine bays, hydraulic bays, instrument bays etc is not considered eligible.

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