What are the passing marks of the RTR Exam?

Candidates must score at least 70% in RTR Part 1 exam and 50% in RTR Part 2 exam. Even though DGCA has specified the passing marks for RTR Part 2, there is no criterion provided on how the marking is being done. Even experienced pilots fail the RTR Part 2 exam. Even though passing marks are 50%, the examiners seem to be passing only those candidates that are near to perfection at least. The examiners just tell whether the candidate passed or failed the examination. It becomes hard to tell how the candidate performed and how much improvement is required due to this.

Can I cheat in the RTR Exam?

While giving the RTR Part 1 exam, you will notice several students cheating. The invigilators are also lazy and don't really do anything about it. I myself was surprised to see that. It is unfortunate to see students cheat in an exam which is crucial for the safety of aviation. However, we strictly advise not to even think about cheating. There are cameras installed inside every exam room. If you are caught you can be disbarred from giving the exam for a long duration or in worst case permanently.

Should I pay agents to help me pass the exam?

While it is tempting for a lot of students to pay agents to help them pass the DGCA exam, we strongly advise not to pay any agent. The fingerprints stay forever. If you are caught later, you may lose your Radio Telephony Operator License and eventually your flying career. There has been a case in April 2026 where a DGCA official was arrested by CBI for taking bribes for drone imports. CBI not only arrested the DGCA official for taking bribes but also the person who gave the bribes. If you are caught in the future, you can lose your aviation career. Don't risk your career and the safety of aviation for a few months of studying.

GUIDEDGCA RTR Certification

RTR Exam Guide, Syllabus & Exemption

The RTR exam conducted by DGCA as a requirement for obtaining a Radio Telephony License. The exam tests your capability and knowledge to communicate in aviation scenarios.

Quick Facts

Parts

70%

Part 1 passing

50%

Part 2 passing

RTR (A)

License issued

Overview

The RTR Exam at a glance

It consists of two parts - RTR Part 1 (Computer Based MCQ Test) and Part 2 (Practical Simulated Exam).

The Part 1 of the exam is a Computer Based Test similar to other DGCA exams like Air Navigation and Air Regulations. It contains multiple choice questions. Unlike other DGCA exams, this exam is short and students usually complete within an hour.

Purpose

Why the RTR Exam?

We all can communicate in English then why the RTR exam? Aviation has a different phraseology. Although we communicated in English but there is a specific set of rules and guidelines. For example instead of saying I have heard you we say Roger. Incase there is an emergency, we say Mayday Mayday Mayday in order to get priority for an emergency situation. Every Aircraft has a transponder. Different squawk codes are there for recognition by the air traffic services. There could be situation where you have a radio failure or there is a hijack which are crucial for the air traffic services to know. The RTR exam tests your knowledge and ability to handle these situations which is why the exam is there. These rules and guidelines are there in order to effectively communicate the intentions and avoid confusion.

DGCA Takeover

What has changed?

Earlier WPC used to conduct the RTR exam. DGCA has now taken over and conducts the exam.

Change 1

More exam centres

There were limited exam centres for RTR Part 1 when WPC used to conduct the exam. With DGCA now taking the exam, they have introduced exam centres in most of the major cities of India. However, the RTR Part 2 exam is still has limited centres.

Change 2

RTR Part 1 and Part 2 on different days

That's right! Earlier WPC used to take both RTR Part 1 exam and RTR Part 2 exam on the same day. Now you don't have to worry about preparing for both parts of the exam at the same time. There are plenty of slots available for RTR Part 2.

Change 3

No more RTR (P) And RTR (C) License

DGCA issues only RTR (A) license now even if you apply with RTR Part 1 exemption. This is a good thing for the students as they do not have to give the exam again again every year to renew it. A full aeronautical RTR license is now issued. Airlines give preference to RTR (A) license.

Change 4

More Relevant RTR Part 2 Exam

The new RTR Part 2 exam conducted by DGCA tests the students on real world scenarios under intense pressure.

Question Sources

Where The RTR Exam Questions come from?

Although, most questions come from either RK Bali's new RTR Part 1 book or from RK Kashyap RTR Part 1 book, the exam is still unpredictable. Questions which are not even relevant to Pilots, Aircraft Maintenance Engineers and Air Traffic Controllers are asked sometimes. For example the RTR Part 1 Exam of April 2026 contained questions like what linear block codes are or what is Shannon capacity. Maybe DGCA forgot that they are testing pilots, AMEs for communication and not taking an exam of BSc Physics students.

Part 1 Exemption

RTR Part 1 Exemption

The following may get an exemption from Part 1 of the exam and may directly proceed to give RTR Part 2. However, the candidates must apply for the RTR Part 1 exemption from the eGCA Portal.

A qualified pilot of Indian Army, Indian Navy, Indian Air Force, or Indian coast guard with evidence of 1500+ hours of flying experience. (Logbook can be used as evidence)

A person holding a Radio Telephony Operator Certificate issued by WPC.

A Pilot who did his Commercial Pilot License training from a commonwealth country and now holds a Radio Telephony Operator license of that country.

A word of caution

It is still recommended to not wait for the exemption for RTR Part 1 exam. The RTR exam part 1 is fairly easy for the ones coming from Commonwealth countries and experienced pilots. Experienced pilots take an average of 3 days to prepare for the RTR Part 1 exam. Exemption approval takes 1-3 months usually. You may risk losing your recency waiting for exemption approval.

Candidates who successfully get their RTR Part 1 exemption approved may directly book a slot for RTR Part 2 on the eGCA Portal.

Eligibility & Common Questions

Eligibility Requirements

Honest answers to the questions students ask most about exemption delays, marking, invigilation and agents.

DGCA usually takes 1-3 months for RTR Part 1 exemption. The issue is there is no update from DGCA about the application in this duration. Students usually visit DGCA headquarters located in Jor Bagh, Delhi to get an update on their application. There are various reasons why RTR Part 1 exemption approval gets stuck. A major reason for the delay in RTR part 1 exemption is not getting a license verification letter from original country of training. In this case you have to contact the concerned authority where you did your training and ask them to urgently process your license verification letter. Another common reason for delay in RTR exemption is different name on your passport and high school marks sheet. In this case you can get an affidavit from the court or get a formal letter notarised regarding the case. Prepare these as soon as possible to avoid losing flying recency.

Who takes the RTR Exam

Pilots, AMEs and Air Traffic Controllers

The RTR exam is taken by Pilots, Aircraft Maintenance Engineers and Air Traffic Controllers as part of the requirement for obtaining a Radio Telephony License from DGCA.

Start preparing the right way

Practice DGCA RTR Part 1 with mock tests built from the latest exam pattern, or take the AI-powered RTR Part 2 simulator built by pilots who have taken the exam.