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New Zealand · Theory exams

PPL books in NZ, and the syllabus they follow

The six private pilot licence (PPL) theory exams are based on the syllabuses in AC61‑3, the advisory circular the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) publishes for the licence. It’s free on the CAA website. NZ PPL books, such as the Waypoints series, are written for those subjects, so start with the syllabus and pick books to match.

  • Revision 31AC61-3 edition online in November 2026
  • Appendix IIPart of AC61-3 with the six syllabuses
  • 5 April 2025Archive date of the old air law syllabus
Download AC61-3

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

Syllabus, books and a course compared

OptionPriceFree to useLinks
Official
AC61-3, from the CAAThe Civil Aviation Authority’s advisory circular for the private pilot licence, with the syllabus for each theory exam in Appendix IIIt also sets out the flying experience, the flight test syllabus and the medical options for the licence.
Free PDFThe whole document
See AC61-3 on the CAA site ↗
Flight instructor guide, from the CAAThe CAA’s online guide for C-category instructors and those training to be one, with briefings, whiteboard layouts and diagrams, revised 2023Its briefings run through the flight lessons, from taxiing to solo cross-country flying. The CAA’s flight training page offers it to students as well as instructors.
Free online and as a PDF; printed copy $70.50 plus goods and services tax from VertiaAll of it, online or as a PDF
Open the flight instructor guide ↗
Books
Waypoints training manuals, from Pilot ShopNZ manuals for five PPL subjects: aircraft technical knowledge, navigation and flight planning, meteorology, flight radio and air lawPilot Shop says Vol 01 ends each chapter with review questions, answered in an appendix.
$82.95 a volume; flight radio (Vol 04) $72.95Not stated
See the Waypoints PPL books ↗
Notes for the Private Pilot, NZ EditionOne book covering all six PPL subjects, by G Ganesh of Theory CoPilotA revision guide in a question-and-answer style, with over 200 diagrams, sold by Pilot Shop.
$129, including taxNot stated
See Notes for the Private Pilot ↗
Aviation Medicine and other Human Factors for PilotsDr Ross Ewing’s book on aviation medicine and human factors, 6th international editionPilot Shop sells it, and says it’s pitched up to commercial pilot level.
$44.95Not stated
See the human factors book ↗
Courses
PPL Theory course, Nelson Aviation CollegeA theory course taught two subjects at a time, as an 8-week block or spread across three intakesThe college lists intakes for February, April and August 2027. Its fees are indicative, the most it may charge, and textbooks and equipment cost extra.
$6,083 for domestic students, with tuition, course notes and first exam feesNot stated
See the PPL Theory course ↗

Prices and ratings checked November 2026.

What the AC61-3 syllabus gives you

Each subject has a numbered list of topics and items. After every exam, Aspeq gives you a knowledge deficiency report (KDR), and each line on it is one of those numbers: subject, topic and item. So the syllabus is also how you look up exactly what you got wrong.

Air law, subject 4, was changed in revision 31 to match the rules redrafted under the Civil Aviation Act 2023. Older syllabuses stay on the CAA’s pilot syllabus assistance page, for anyone whose KDRs refer to them.

See the archived syllabuses ↗

Are there PPL mock exams in NZ?

The CAA’s and Aspeq’s public pages list no mock exams. Aspeq says its booking sites let you buy “examination material”, but it doesn’t say what that is.

Sample exams appear in textbooks instead. Pilot Shop’s listings say the Waypoints volumes on aircraft technical knowledge, navigation and meteorology each end with one or two full sample exams. During an exam, rule 61.19 bars copying from another person, taking exam material out of the room, and copying that material by any means or device.

Which PPL books do you need in NZ?

Pick by how you like to study:

  • One book per subject: the Waypoints manuals. Pilot Shop lists five for the PPL, and human factors isn’t one of them.
  • All six subjects in one book, in a question-and-answer style: Notes for the Private Pilot, NZ Edition.
  • Human factors on its own: Aviation Medicine and other Human Factors for Pilots, by Dr Ross Ewing.
  • A teacher and set exam dates: a theory course, such as Nelson Aviation College’s.

Air law changes with the rules. Pilot Shop’s listing for the Waypoints air law manual says it needs frequent amendments and that you also need the Civil Aviation Rules and the Aeronautical Information Publication themselves, kept up to date.

A study path with the syllabus

One way to work through it, in our suggested order:

  1. Read your subject’s syllabus in AC61‑3 before you open a textbook, so you know what’s in scope.
  2. Study one or two subjects at a time, with a book or a course.
  3. Use the CAA’s online flight instructor guide for briefings and diagrams that tie the theory to your lessons.
  4. After each exam, look up every KDR reference in AC61‑3 and write out the answers. The CAA calls that the most reliable evidence that you’ve fixed the gaps.
How the exams and the flight test fit together →PPL fees and a school’s price →
Sources: Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand · Aspeq · Pilot Shop and 6 more. Checked November 2026.

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

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