ATPL theory involves a large volume of learning. Your available study hours, work commitments and learning pace all affect how long it takes, so plan around your circumstances rather than a headline completion time.
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How long does ATPL theory normally take?
I don't want to say you cannot do it in six months, but it is extremely hard and requires a lot of dedication. People like quoting numbers such as six months or 18 months. ATPL theory is a large volume of information. The individual concepts are things you can get your head around, although some people will argue with me about how difficult they are. It's the volume that people often struggle with.
There's more to it than asking what the regulations require you to learn. There's also a safety aspect: what should you learn to become a safe, efficient and proficient pilot? Then there's what you can realistically learn in a given time, which also involves wellbeing. Everyone learns slightly differently, and some people have already found the way of learning that suits them.
It comes down to you individually. Generally, studying fairly intensively, I would say nine months is fair. Some people quote six months, but that's intensive. By intensive, I mean around six to eight hours of study a day.
People with part-time jobs who can dedicate a few hours a day, with breaks, will generally take around 14 months. For those in full-time jobs who cannot do as much, there's nothing wrong with accepting that it will probably take about 18 months from start to finish.
You've got 18 months from taking the first exam to getting them all passed. You can pre-study and pre-plan, starting the course ahead of sitting your exams. The exams are then valid for 36 months from passing the last one. You've got space and time to plan.
A lot of people doing ATPL theory don't have a plan and feel lost. The key is to have a plan, and we help you with that.
