Free practice test

Tests

Driving testsCitizenship testsSchool and university admissionsNursing, medicine and healthEnglish and French testsTeachingMoney, law and insuranceTrades and work certification and licensesPilots, drones, boats and radio

Countries

United StatesCanadaUnited KingdomAustraliaNew Zealand

Australia · Theory exams

Private pilot licence cost in Australia: what CASA charges

The Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) lists $217.24 for the private pilot licence (PPL) theory exam (the PPLA). Your flying training is the other part of a private pilot licence cost in Australia. Training operators set their own prices for it, and CASA doesn’t publish them. So the fees here are CASA’s exam fees for the recreational (RPL), private and commercial pilot licence (CPL).

  • $189.53Recreational licence exam
  • $217.24Private licence exam
  • $1,285.21Commercial licence, all seven exams
Free practice test

Updated November 2026 · Written from official sources, listed at the bottom of this page

How much are CASA’s exam fees?

Each fee is an invigilator fee plus a $65 CASA fee. These were the fees on CASA’s exam pages in November 2026:

ItemFee
Recreational licence exam (RPLA)$189.53
Private licence exam (PPLA)$217.24
Human factors (CHUF)$175.69
Navigation (CNAV)$189.53
Meteorology (CMET)$175.69
Aerodynamics (CADA)$175.69
Flight rules and air law (CLWA)$189.53
Flight planning (CFPA)$203.39
Aircraft general knowledge (CSYA)$175.69

The seven CPL exams, from human factors down, add up to $1,285.21.

See the seven CPL exams →

What does a private pilot licence cost in Australia with training?

CASA’s pages give no training prices. Your training will include at least the minimum flying hours for the licence, and those differ between an integrated and a non-integrated course, so ask each operator what its price covers.

The PPL page lists the minimum hours, and the study page explains the two kinds of course.

See the PPL hours →Compare the two courses →

What else you’ll pay for

Besides the exam, a licence takes these steps. Ask your operator which of them its course price includes:

  • Flying lessons, dual and solo, up to at least the minimum hours
  • A medical certificate, or for an RPL a Class 5 self-declaration
  • An English language assessment
  • The flight test
  • An aviation security status check, for a PPL or CPL
See the licence steps →

Recreational and commercial pilot licence costs

The same split applies. CASA’s exam fees are in the table, and training operators set the price of the training. An RPL has one exam and a CPL seven, and the CPL needs far more flying hours than the PPL.

See the RPL →

Booking terms and other CASA fees

CASA’s booking page says to check fees with Aspeq when you book. Aspeq says its rules on change fees and deadlines depend on the exam, so read the terms when you book. If you don’t turn up, your exam fee generally won’t be refunded or credited.

CASA’s RPL and PPL pages also list a $25 fee to reprint a licence.

Read Aspeq’s FAQ ↗
Sources: Civil Aviation Safety Authority · Aspeq and 6 more. Checked November 2026.

Rules and fees can change, so check the official site before your test.

Explore

Everything else, in one place

OverviewPractice testStudy optionsLicence stepsRPLPPLCPL