DGCA Technical General: Syllabus, Study Plan and Practice Questions
How aircraft fly and how their engines, systems and instruments work.
Quick answer
DGCA Technical General is one of five CPL theory papers. It covers principles of flight, aircraft structures, piston and turbine engines, fuel, hydraulic and electrical systems, flight instruments, performance, and weight and balance. You need 70% to pass. It suits students who like physics, and it is the base for the Technical Specific paper.
What is the DGCA Technical General paper?
Technical General covers the science and engineering of aircraft in general, not one particular type.
Students with a good grip on 12th class physics usually find it logical. It still has a wide syllabus to cover.
- It is one of the five DGCA CPL theory papers. You need 70% to pass.
- Papers are taken online through DGCA's PARIKSHA system, in sessions DGCA announces through the year.
- You can sit it only after you register on eGCA and get your DGCA computer number.
See how all five papers fit together in the DGCA exams for CPL guide.
DGCA Technical General syllabus by topic
The table groups the syllabus into the topics ground schools teach. Weightage changes between sessions, so cover every topic.
| Topic | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Principles of flight | Lift, drag, thrust and weight, aerofoils, angle of attack, stalls, stability and control |
| Airframe and structures | Fuselage, wings, empennage, landing gear, flight controls, flaps and slats |
| Piston engines | Four stroke cycle, ignition, carburettor and fuel injection, lubrication, cooling, mixture control |
| Turbine engines | Turbojet, turbofan and turboprop basics, compressors, combustion, turbines |
| Propellers | Fixed and variable pitch, constant speed units |
| Aircraft systems | Fuel, hydraulic, pneumatic, electrical, pressurisation and air conditioning, ice protection |
| Instruments | Pitot static instruments, gyro instruments, engine instruments, compasses |
| Performance | Take-off and landing, climb, cruise, effects of weight, altitude and temperature |
| Weight and balance | Centre of gravity, loading, effects of an out of limit CG |
Source: DGCA CPL ground examination syllabus, as taught by DGCA approved ground schools. Checked on 1 Nov 2026.
Which parts of Technical General need the most work?
The paper is logical, but it is wide. Students usually lose marks here:
- Stability. Longitudinal, lateral and directional stability are easy to confuse.
- Engine systems. Carburettor icing, mixture and magneto questions need clear understanding, not memory.
- Gyro instruments. Each instrument uses a different gyro property and has its own errors.
- Performance. Questions combine several effects, like a hot, high and heavy take-off.
How to prepare: a study plan for Technical General
Most students prepare alongside ground school. This plan assumes about two hours a day.
- Weeks 1 and 2: principles of flight, from lift and drag to stalls and stability.
- Week 3: airframe, controls and high lift devices.
- Week 4: piston engines and propellers.
- Week 5: turbine engines.
- Week 6: aircraft systems.
- Week 7: instruments, performance, and weight and balance.
- Week 8: timed practice papers and revision of wrong answers.
Common study material students use:
- Your ground school notes and question banks
- The Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge by the FAA, free and clearly written
- Oxford ATPL manuals on principles of flight, engines and systems
Booking your training seat? Plan your loan
Find the loan that fits and what you pay each month, before you pay the school.
10 practice questions on Technical General
Try each question before reading the answer. These match the style of the DGCA multiple choice paper.
What are the four forces acting on an aircraft in flight?
Options: Lift, weight, thrust, drag / Lift, mass, power, friction / Lift, gravity, speed, drag / Thrust, torque, lift, weight
Answer: Lift, weight, thrust, drag. Lift opposes weight and thrust opposes drag.
By Bernoulli's principle, as airflow speed increases, what happens to static pressure?
Options: It increases / It decreases / It stays the same / It doubles
Answer: It decreases. Faster flowing air has lower static pressure, which helps produce lift over the wing.
Ailerons control movement about which axis?
Options: Lateral / Longitudinal / Normal / Vertical and lateral
Answer: Longitudinal. Ailerons roll the aircraft about its longitudinal axis.
The elevator controls movement about which axis?
Options: Lateral / Longitudinal / Normal / None
Answer: Lateral. The elevator pitches the nose up and down about the lateral axis.
The rudder controls movement about which axis?
Options: Lateral / Longitudinal / Normal / Pitch
Answer: Normal. The rudder yaws the aircraft about the normal, or vertical, axis.
When does a wing stall?
Options: Below a fixed airspeed / When the critical angle of attack is exceeded / When the engine fails / At high altitude only
Answer: When the critical angle of attack is exceeded. A stall depends on angle of attack. It can happen at any speed or attitude.
What is the order of the four stroke cycle?
Options: Compression, induction, power, exhaust / Induction, compression, power, exhaust / Induction, power, compression, exhaust / Power, exhaust, induction, compression
Answer: Induction, compression, power, exhaust. Suck, squeeze, bang, blow.
Which instrument uses both pitot and static pressure?
Options: Altimeter / Vertical speed indicator / Airspeed indicator / Attitude indicator
Answer: Airspeed indicator. The ASI compares pitot pressure with static pressure. The altimeter and VSI use static only.
What does extending flaps do?
Options: Reduces lift and drag / Increases lift and drag and lowers stall speed / Increases speed / Has no effect on stall speed
Answer: Increases lift and drag and lowers stall speed. Flaps raise the lift coefficient and drag, letting the aircraft fly slower.
Which gyro property does the attitude indicator rely on?
Options: Precession / Rigidity in space / Magnetic dip / Centrifugal force
Answer: Rigidity in space. The gyro holds its orientation in space while the aircraft moves around it.
What this costs
The theory papers are a small part of the total. The flying is where most of the money goes.
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Technical General paper, regular session | ₹2,500 per attempt |
| Technical General paper, on demand | ₹5,000 per attempt |
| All five CPL papers, regular session | ₹12,500 per attempt |
| Full CPL in India, all stages | ₹55 lakh to ₹75 lakh |
Source: DGCA PARIKSHA fee as listed in October 2026. Confirm on the DGCA portal before booking. CPL total from The Flying Engineer, updated 22 Oct 2026. Checked on 1 Nov 2026.
Ground school fees vary by school and are often bundled into the CPL package. Ask each school for an itemised fee sheet before you pay.
The other DGCA CPL papers
How to pay for pilot training
Most families use an education loan. There are three ways to do it, and the right one depends on two things: whether you have property for collateral, and whether a sponsoring airline has given you an LOI.
| Government bankWith property as collateral | NBFC, with an airline LOINo property needed | NBFC, without an LOINo property needed | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Interest rate | Around 9.5%, linked to the RBI repo rate. Around 8.5% if you pay simple interest during the course | Around 11% to 13%, based on income | |
| During training | Nothing to pay (full moratorium), or monthly simple interest for the lower rate | A fixed partial EMI each month | The full EMI on the amount paid out so far |
| After training | Full EMI starts | The same EMI continues | |
| How much is funded | 85% of the fees. You pay 15% yourself (the margin) | 100% of the fees, up to ₹1.5 crore | |
| Processing fee | 1%, refunded later apart from about ₹10,000 | About 1% | |
| Loan insurance | About 1% to 2.5% of the loan | About 2% to 8% of the loan | |
| Co-borrower income | Checked by the bank | A minimum yearly income, set by the loan amount | Monthly income about ₹30,000 more than the EMI |
| Speed | Slow (weeks) | Faster | |
What is an LOI, and why does it matter?
An LOI (Letter of Intent) is a conditional pre-employment letter from a sponsoring airline. It promises you a future role with that airline once you finish training and meet its conditions.
Because a job is lined up, lenders see the loan as low risk. So they offer a partial EMI without collateral: a fixed amount each month during training, with the full EMI only after you finish. Without an LOI, the full EMI starts from the first payment to the school.
Not every government bank gives a full moratorium on pilot training loans, and government banks are usually slow because of property checks. If you need a fast sanction and an easier process, talk to the FundMyCampus team first.
Frequently asked questions
Straight answers to what students and parents ask us about pilot training
Plan your pilot training loan
Tell us where you will train, whether you have property and whether you have an LOI. A counsellor will call you with the loan that fits and what you pay each month.
FundMyCampus is a loan facilitation platform. Loans are sanctioned by the lending bank or NBFC at its discretion. Rates are approximate and change with the RBI repo rate and your profile. We never promise approval or a rate.