If you're searching for "RTR(A) previous year papers," be careful what you download. RTR(A) — Radio Telephony Restricted (Aeronautical) — moved from the Wireless Planning & Coordination Wing (WPC) to DGCA in November 2025, and a lot of the "previous year paper" content still circulating online describes the old WPC process. Some of it is actively wrong about who conducts the exam, how you register, and what the practical looks like. This guide starts from the current, DGCA-governed exam and tells you what's genuinely still useful from the WPC era and what isn't.
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Note: unlike Navigation, Meteorology, Air Regulation, and Technical General, RTR(A) isn't one of the five original CPL ground subjects — it's a separately administered licence exam with its own rules (the Radio Telephone Operator (Restricted) Certificate and Licence Rules, 2025) and its own governing CAR (Section 7, Series 'G', Part VI).
RTR(A) Exam Pattern: Written + Practical
RTR(A) has two components, assessed and passed separately.
Written (Part 1)
| Detail | Value |
|---|---|
| Format | Computer-based MCQ |
| Questions | 50 |
| Passing mark | 70% |
| Validity of a pass | 3 years |
| Registration | Pariksha portal — Regular Session or OLODE |
Practical (Part 2)
| Detail | Value |
|---|---|
| Format | 6 sequential scenario-based RT exercises (~5 min each) |
| Duration | ~30 minutes total |
| Passing mark | 50% |
| Attempts | Up to 3, before the written must be retaken |
| Registration | eGCA portal, appointment-based |
| Current centre(s) | Delhi (more planned — check your admit card for the latest) |
These written figures come from the CAR governing the exam (Section 7, Series 'G', Part VI); this CAR was circulated in draft form with comments invited through 3 October 2025, and RTR(A) has been operating under DGCA per this same CAR since November 2025, so the substance is very likely final — but treat the exact question count and pass mark as the official framework rather than something to bank on down to the letter, and cross-check your admit card and DGCA's own notices closer to your exam date, the same way you would for any other DGCA paper.
Some candidates can skip the written exam entirely and apply directly for the practical via eGCA — this includes Armed Forces/Coast Guard pilots with 1,500+ hours, holders of a valid old WPC RTR licence, and holders of a valid FRTOL or equivalent from Commonwealth nations or the Philippines.
Registration split most articles miss: Part 1 (written) now goes through the same Pariksha portal used for your other CPL subjects — both Regular Session and OLODE. Part 2 (practical) is booked separately, by appointment, through the eGCA portal. You'll need a valid DGCA Computer Number before you can register for either — see our guide to getting your Computer Number if you don't have one yet.
For the full transition story — why DGCA took over, what changed for repeat WPC candidates, and the detailed practical-exam walkthrough — see our dedicated DGCA RTR(A) Exam 2025 guide. This article stays focused on the syllabus and practice-paper side.
📖 Round out your prep with the other DGCA theory papers. DGCA Navigation Previous Year Papers 2026: Full Guide and DGCA Air Regulation Previous Year Papers (2026)
Official Syllabus
Sourced from DGCA CAR Section 7, Series 'G', Part VI:
- Radio wave propagation — how VHF/HF signals behave, range and interference limitations
- Aviation communication equipment — aircraft radio sets, their functions and limitations
- Standard ICAO phraseology — per ICAO Doc 9432 (Manual of Radio Telephony), covering routine calls across all flight phases
- Distress and urgency procedures — MAYDAY and PAN-PAN call structure and handling
- Radio navigation aids — communication aspects of VOR, DME, ADF/NDB
For the practical, the six scenarios cover pre-flight checks and clearance delivery, taxi/takeoff/cruise/approach/landing communication, and emergency/priority situations — using an aerodrome layout, ATS route chart, flight details, METAR, and NOTAMs provided on-screen (no external references allowed).
Which Topics Actually Show Up Most
DGCA hasn't published an official topic-weightage breakdown for RTR(A) — treat the following as commonly-reported patterns from institutes and candidates, not confirmed percentages:
- Standard phraseology for routine phases (clearance, taxi, departure, approach) — the largest share of both written questions and practical scenarios
- MAYDAY/PAN-PAN call structure — consistently tested in both components
- Readback requirements — what must be read back vs acknowledged
- METAR/NOTAM interpretation as applied within a scenario, not standalone decoding
Where to Find Genuine Previous Year Papers — and the WPC-Era Trap
This is the one thing to get right before you download anything:
- Check the source date. Anything published or last-updated before November 2025 was written for the WPC process and may describe the wrong portal, wrong governing rules, or an outdated practical format. Several currently-ranking pages for this exact query still say RTR(A) is "conducted by WPC" — it isn't, since November 2025.
- WPC-era written-paper PDFs (Scribd and similar) still have some value — the underlying phraseology and scenario style (aircraft ID, level, route, situation → correct RT response) hasn't fundamentally changed, so they're reasonable for phraseology drilling. But don't use them to learn the registration process, portal, or current pass marks.
- For the practical, WPC-era material is far less useful — the structured 6-scenario, screen-based format is new under DGCA (from January 2026) and has no real WPC equivalent.
- Prefer practice material from your flying training organisation's ground school, or platforms explicitly built around the current DGCA format.
📖 See how examiners weight this and other papers. DGCA Previous Year Question Analysis 2026: Patterns
Common Mistakes
- Studying from WPC-era guides that describe the old registration process — you'll end up on the wrong portal or with the wrong Computer Number assumption.
- Treating the written and practical as one prep track — they test different skills (recall/theory vs. live communication) and need separate practice.
- Reading silently instead of speaking phraseology aloud — the practical is assessed on spoken clarity and standard phraseology, not written knowledge.
- Not practicing under the 5-minutes-per-scenario constraint — scenarios can't be revisited once skipped or completed.
- Ignoring the on-screen METAR/NOTAM/chart data — examiners expect you to actually reference it, not just deliver generic calls.
Preparation Plan
- Confirm your DGCA Computer Number first — it's required for both Part 1 and Part 2 registration
- Build written-exam knowledge from the CAR syllabus sections above, not question banks alone
- Practice phraseology daily, out loud, ideally against live ATC audio or with a training partner playing controller
- Once comfortable with routine calls, drill emergency (MAYDAY/PAN-PAN) sequences until they're automatic
- Run timed mock practicals: 6 scenarios, 5 minutes each, no going back — this time pressure is the part most candidates underestimate
