DGCA Technical Specific: Syllabus, Study Plan and Cessna 172 Questions
The paper on the aircraft you actually fly. For most Indian students, that is the Cessna 172.
Quick answer
DGCA Technical Specific is one of five CPL theory papers. It tests the aircraft type you train on, its systems, limitations, performance and emergency procedures. Many Indian flying schools use the Cessna 172, so the paper is often on that aircraft. You need 70% to pass. The aircraft's Pilot's Operating Handbook is your main study source.
What is the DGCA Technical Specific paper?
Technical Specific tests one aircraft in depth. The questions come from that aircraft's systems, limitations and procedures.
Your flying school tells you which type you will be examined on. Common trainers include the Cessna 152 and 172, and Diamond and Tecnam aircraft.
- 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 Specific 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 |
|---|---|
| Aircraft general | Dimensions, layout, seating, structure, doors and windows |
| Engine | Engine model, horsepower, ignition, lubrication, induction, carburettor heat or fuel injection |
| Propeller | Type and pitch, limitations |
| Fuel system | Tanks, capacity, usable fuel, selector, vents, fuel grade |
| Electrical system | Battery, alternator, bus bars, circuit breakers, warning lights |
| Flight controls and flaps | Control surfaces, trim, flap operation and limits |
| Landing gear and brakes | Gear type, nose wheel steering, brakes |
| Instruments and avionics | Pitot static system, vacuum system, radios and navigation equipment fitted |
| Limitations and performance | V speeds, weight limits, CG range, take-off and landing distances |
| Emergency procedures | Engine failure, fire, electrical failure, forced landing checklists |
Source: DGCA CPL ground examination syllabus, as taught by DGCA approved ground schools. Checked on 1 Nov 2026.
Use the Pilot's Operating Handbook for your exact aircraft model. Figures differ between variants, such as the 172N, 172R and 172S.
What makes Technical Specific tricky?
The paper is narrow but precise. Marks are lost on exact figures:
- Numbers. V speeds, fuel capacities and weight limits must be exact for your model.
- Variants. Notes written for one variant of the aircraft can give wrong figures for yours.
- Emergency procedures. The order of checklist items matters.
- Systems diagrams. Questions on fuel and electrical systems expect you to trace the flow.
How to prepare: a study plan for Technical Specific
Most students prepare alongside ground school. This plan assumes about two hours a day.
- Week 1: read the Pilot's Operating Handbook end to end once.
- Week 2: engine, propeller and fuel system. Draw the fuel system from memory.
- Week 3: electrical system, instruments and avionics.
- Week 4: limitations. Make flash cards for every V speed and weight limit.
- Week 5: performance charts and emergency procedures.
- Week 6: timed practice papers and revision of wrong answers.
Common study material students use:
- The Pilot's Operating Handbook for your exact aircraft model
- Your ground school notes and question banks
- The checklist your flying school uses on the aircraft
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 Specific
Try each question before reading the answer. These match the style of the DGCA multiple choice paper.
What wing configuration does the Cessna 172 have?
Options: Low wing / Mid wing / High wing, strut braced / Biplane
Answer: High wing, strut braced. The 172 has a high wing supported by a strut on each side.
What landing gear does the Cessna 172 use?
Options: Retractable tricycle / Fixed tricycle / Tailwheel / Floats only
Answer: Fixed tricycle. The 172 has fixed gear with a nose wheel.
What type of engine powers the Cessna 172?
Options: Turboprop / Radial piston / Horizontally opposed four cylinder piston / V8 piston
Answer: Horizontally opposed four cylinder piston. The 172 uses an air cooled, horizontally opposed four cylinder Lycoming engine. The model depends on the variant.
How many seats does a Cessna 172 have?
Options: Two / Four / Six / Eight
Answer: Four. The 172 is a four seat aircraft.
How is ignition provided on the 172's engine?
Options: A single magneto / Dual magnetos / Battery coil ignition / Glow plugs
Answer: Dual magnetos. Two independent magnetos give redundancy and better combustion.
What fuel does the Cessna 172 normally use?
Options: Jet A1 / 100LL avgas / Automotive diesel / Kerosene
Answer: 100LL avgas. The piston engine runs on aviation gasoline, usually 100LL. Check the approved grades in your POH.
Where are the fuel tanks on a Cessna 172?
Options: In the fuselage / One in each wing / Under the seats / In the tail
Answer: One in each wing. The 172 carries fuel in two wing tanks.
What type of propeller do the 172R and 172S use?
Options: Constant speed three blade / Fixed pitch two blade / Variable pitch four blade / Contra rotating
Answer: Fixed pitch two blade. These trainers use a fixed pitch two blade propeller.
How is the stall warning given on the Cessna 172?
Options: A stick shaker / A pneumatic horn driven by airflow at the wing leading edge / A voice alert only / There is no stall warning
Answer: A pneumatic horn driven by airflow at the wing leading edge. The 172 uses a pneumatic stall warning horn fed from an opening in the left wing leading edge.
What colour is the mixture control knob in a Cessna 172?
Options: Black / Blue / Red / Yellow
Answer: Red. By convention the mixture control is red, the throttle black and the propeller control blue.
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 Specific paper, regular session | ₹2,500 per attempt |
| Technical Specific 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.