How to Pass the EASA & GCAA Part-66 Exams: A Complete Guide

What Part-66 is, and who sits it

Part-66 is the European (EASA) regulation that defines the Aircraft Maintenance Licence (AML) and the basic theoretical knowledge an aircraft maintenance engineer must hold. The UAE's GCAA CAR-66 and the UK CAA Part-66 follow the same structure. The licence is split into categories: A (line mechanic), B1 (mechanical), B2 (avionics) and B3 (piston aeroplanes at or below 2000 kg).

Each category must pass a defined set of the 17 modules at a defined knowledge level (1, 2 or 3). Higher categories study more modules to greater depth, which is why the same module can have a different exam length for a B1 candidate than for a B2.

The exam format, know it before you start

The basic-knowledge exams are multiple-choice. Each question has three options, only one of which is correct, and there is no negative marking, so you should never leave a question blank. The pass mark is 75% for every module.

You are given roughly 75 seconds per question, so a longer module means a longer paper: exam lengths follow the official Appendix II table, from 16 questions on the shortest modules up to well over a hundred on Module 11 or 13. Time pressure is real, so practising against the clock matters as much as knowing the content.

• 3 options per question, one correct, no negative marking, so always answer
• 75% to pass, every module
• About 75 seconds per question; paper length follows Appendix II
• Question and option order are randomised, learn the concept, not the position of the answer

Don't forget the essays

Some modules add a written essay alongside the multiple-choice paper, and the rules differ by authority. Under EASA, Regulation (EU) 2023/989 removed the Module 9 and 10 essays from June 2024, so Module 7 is now the only EASA essay module (two essays, 40 minutes). GCAA CAR-66, however, still examines Modules 7, 9 and 10 by essay. If you are sitting the GCAA exams, budget study time for essay technique on all three.

A study plan that works

• Work module by module in the syllabus order, not at random, later modules build on earlier ones.
• Read the summary notes for a sub-section, then immediately test yourself with a quiz. Recall beats re-reading.
• Use interactive simulations for the abstract topics (electrics, physics, digital), manipulating a circuit or a cycle fixes it in memory far better than a static diagram.
• Build mind maps to link concepts within a module so you can see the whole picture.
• Once a module's topics are solid, sit a full-length timed mock exam at the official question count. Treat it like the real thing.
• Review every wrong answer and its explanation, your mistakes are your syllabus for the next session.

The mistakes that fail candidates

• Memorising answers instead of understanding concepts, randomised options punish this immediately.
• Skipping the maths in Modules 1, 2 and 3 instead of practising it.
• Never practising against the clock, then running out of time in the real exam.
• Leaving questions blank, with no negative marking, a guess is always better than nothing.
• Ignoring the modules you find boring (legislation, human factors), they carry the same 75% bar.

How Certify66 helps

Certify66 is built around exactly this method: concise notes and mind maps on every sub-section, thousands of practice questions with explanations, 81 interactive simulations for the hard-to-picture theory, and timed mock exams drawn at the official Appendix II lengths. It is an independent study aid, used alongside your approved training organisation, not instead of it, and it works for EASA, GCAA and UK CAA candidates alike.