Exam Policy

Detailed requirements you will have to fulfil to apply for IVAO ratings are detailed on the ATC ratings and Pilot ratings pages.

Note that the following limitations also apply:

• A minimum number of logged hours is required to apply for an exam (see tables) ; logged time on IVAN as a controller is used for ATC exams (pilot hours are not taken into account) while logged time on IVAN as pilot is used for pilot exams
• You must complete the units in the order required by the controller and pilot rating requirements
• A waiting period is sometimes required between 2 exams:
  • No delay between theoretical and practical parts of the same level, as far as the theoretical exam is marked as success,
  • 15 days for practical exams evaluated and validated between 51/100 and 74/100 (50/100 to 70/100 for theoretical exams),
  • 30 days for practical exams evaluated and validated between 1/100 and 50/100 (5/100 to 45/100 for theoretical exams),
  • 90 days for exams evaluated and validated with 0/100,
  • 60 days, after a successful exam, and starting the next higher level.

Theoretical exams

Making a request for a theoretical exam is easily done after checking your status.

Whether or not you can apply for a theoretical exam will be indicated at the bottom of your status page.

All theoretical exams from Private Pilot up to Airline Transport Pilot (pilots) and from Aerodrome Controller up to Senior Controller (ATC) consist of 20 randomly selected multiple-choice questions (MCQ). All questions are based on ICAO/JAR OPS Rules and Regulations if not stated otherwise in the question. Each question includes 3 to 5 proposed answers among which only one is correct. You have a maximum of 45 minutes to fill in the examination paper, and should you exceed this limit, the exam will be automatically recorded as failed. These MCQ exams are automatically corrected (each question will be marked 0 or 5). The pass-mark for the exam is 75/100 (corresponding to at least 15 correct answers).

Note that you can submit your answers as often as you want during the 45 minutes of the exam. Only the last submission will be taken into account. We greatly recommend you submit your examination paper on a regular basis in order to avoid to be marked 0 if you are disconnected or if you exceed the 45 minutes limit.

Our system does not allow the resetting of theoretical exams, as in this case the same exam will appear again. Consequently, the Training department will always refuse to reset unfilled or timed out exams. In order to shorten the time for applying again, members should save their answers on a regular basis so as to avoid the exam being marked 0 if a disconnection or a time out happen.

All exam information (i.e. applicant answers, marks, and references) will be available for consultation (from the exam number) as long as your exam is marked 50/100 or higher.

Practical exams

1 – General points

Requesting a practical exam is done in a similar way than asking for a theoretical exam via your status page.

Note that in some cases (especially if your exam has been cancelled), the system will reject your request since the exam you are asking for is already “Created”. In such a case, you will need to:

• Go to your personal page,
• Click on Exam at the top of this page,
• Then click on the exam number whose status is marked as “Created” to assess the Take exam submit button.

If your exam was cancelled and is not yet created, send an Email with your VID, the exam number and your request to td@ivao.aero and tad@ivao.aero

You must be a member of an active IVAO (mini)Division in order to request a practical exam. If you are member of an inactive division, you may change the division in order of R&R M.3.

Your exam will be assigned to an examiner of your division (DIR, ADIR, TC, TAC and Training Advisors) if his rating is equal or higher than the one you request.

ATC or Pilot training as well as practical exams are only provided within active divisions. If your division is not active, consider moving to an active division to obtain training and exams. When all examiners of a member of an active division do not have the required rating for an exam to take place, the TD/TAD will assign it manually to an HQ examiner, normally a Senior Training Advisor (SRTA), or to an examiner of a foreign division who has a rating equal or higher than the required rating.

Be careful to check your IVAO registered email since it will be the only one your examiner will use to contact you and arrange the practical details. You can check this information on your personal details page. If your email address needs to be changed, you shall mail the MD/MAD before requesting your exam (a link is provided on your page).

Feel free to specify in the “comments” part of the exam form everything that could be important, such as availability or preferred position for ATC exams.

Since practical exams should be done at the latest 1 month after applying for it, refrain from asking for an exam if you know you will be unavailable for a long time (vacation, school or professional obligations, Internet unavailability, etc). Limited availability could result in exam cancellation.

Before requesting an exam, visit your division training department website for further information. Divisions may have additional requirements for allowing exams. These requirements were reviewed and agreed by the division mentor (SRTA) on behalf of TD/TAD.

2 – ATC and Pilot exam briefing guides

Before you apply for an ATC or pilot examination, carefully read our Practical exam briefing guides. These guides provide the necessary information with regard to exam requirements and progress.

3 – Evaluation and validation

Your practical exam will be assessed by your examiner in accordance with the published IVAO HQ criteria.

Fulfillment of exam tasks will be explained in detail during the debriefing part of the exam and summarized in the exam remarks field. Some details and comments will also be added by your examiner for the attention of the validator.

After evaluation, the exam is sent to the HQ T-Staff department and registered into a list of exams pending for validation. One of the member of the HQ-Training Staff department will be assigned for assessing and validating your exam. Note that some delay may occur between exam completion and final result in case examiner and validator have to share some information and/or discuss some marks. Avoid posting on the forum, contacting the validator by mail or online chat, or the HQ Training Staff in such a case. Do not trust validator last connection date also (he may work without connecting). If your exam is not validated within 1 month, ask your examiner (he may know the reason and/or could mail the validator).

Be also aware that exam result is not set before it has been validated. As soon as your exam is validated, it is registered as “Success” or “Failed”. You will be able to take it again (if failed) or take the next (if success) according to the general rules indicated above. Rating is automatically updated, within 24 hours, when a successful practical exam has been validated.

4 – Special procedure for exams of Staff members

For all exams in which a staff member is to be examined, the presence of an observer in addition to the scheduled examiner is required. The observer may be any member of the same or another division staff, and is required to hold at least the rating of the planned exam.

The HQ Training Department reserves the right to assign a different examiner and/or to dispatch an additional observer of their choice.

The planned date and time of the exam of any staff member shall be announced to the HQ Training Department not less than seven days prior to the exam. Shorter reporting times can be accepted if reasonable circumstances are present.

The HQ Training Department will then assign an approval number which has to mentioned in the exam report by the examiner. Exam reports without that approval number may be rejected during validation.

5 – Observation of practical exams

The presence of observers on TeamSpeak channels during practical exams is submitted to the following rules:

1. All members or divisional staffs who wish to listen to exams on dedicated (“private”) TeamSpeak- or other communication channels must be authorized by the examiner and the examinee. The examiner and examinee may accept or deny the presence of one or several observers at his/her discretion.
2. An exam can only be observed if both, examiner and examinee approve.
3. If a required observer or 2nd examiner is taking part, his/her approval is required as well.
4. Observation by non T-Staff members, who are rated lower than the tested rating, is not allowed.
5. Observation by T-Staff members of other divisions have to be requested beforehand and will usually be welcomed.
6. Observation of non T-Staff members of other divisions is not allowed.
7. An observer must not interfere with the exam in any way and be quiet. Unapproved communication between the observer(s) and the examinee without the knowledge and approval of the examiner can be considered exam cheating and will be reviewed by TD and TAD, see rule 7.
8. A required (appointed) observer is allowed to interfere. Required observers are usually taking part in staff exams or to monitor new examiners, gaining their approved examiner status.
9. The high level exams, SEC and ATP, can only be observed by TD, TAD and Senior Training Advisors. Exceptions can be made by the respective examiners.
10. The primary examiner is in charge of the exam at any time. He/she is allowed to end any observations even during an exam, except the required observation stated in 5.3.
11. The rules above do not apply to HQ examiners. TD, TAD, SRTA and members of the Executive Council are allowed to observe any exam at any time. They will normally inform the examiner and the applicant of their presence. Examiners must grant access to them and, in case they restrict TeamSpeak channel access for whatever reason, must ensure they can be contacted by chat for giving them the possibility to enter the exam channel.
12. If an observer disturbs an exam and/or tries to interfere, HQ Training Department reserves the right to block the observer from doing any exam for a specific amount of time and/or issue a temporary suspension.
13. Except 5.2 and 5.7, the above rules don’t apply to public TeamSpeak channels where normal control is provided in addition to exam monitoring.

6 – ATC/Pilots rating transfer

The procedure for a rating transfer from real-world licences or rating on other networks may be viewed at the page Rating Transfer.

7 – Cheating during an exam

You have to do your exam alone without any help, except for the IVAO- or your personal documentation. If you are helped by another person in any type of exam, HQ will consider this exam cheating and therefore the exam will be counted as failed with 0 points. Additionally, HQ will block you from doing any exam for a period of 12 months, as well as issue a suspension of 6 months, as stated in the suspension table.

When any doubt with the examinee occurs, TD/TAD reserves the right to invite the candidate for an oral interview, about his/her exam.

8 – Exams for user with disabilities

As no one should be excluded from doing exams on IVAO, the HQ Training Department offers to make special exceptions for users with disabilities, like deafness or muteness. To be eligible to make a special exam, contact your division Director and Assistant Director, as well as Training Director and Training Assistant Director.

It may be required to send us medical documents to proof your disability. If requested, send them only to TD and TAD.

1. Data Protection: The HQ Training department will handle the personal data of the requester highly confidential and according to GDPR compliance. After the medical document(s) are reviewed by TD and TAD, the items submitted, will be deleted permanently.