The theory course you choose should support your long-term flying goals. If you are considering airline flying, discuss the ATPL theory route before choosing CPL theory in isolation.
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CPL theory or ATPL theory—which should I choose?
That one is surprisingly clear-cut. If you have an ambition to fly large airliners—777s, 737s or A320s—and want to become a captain, you're going to need an ATPL: an Airline Transport Pilot Licence. We're talking about aircraft over 5,700 kg or nine seats.
The problem is that you can't get an ATPL straight away. You go through the CPL stage and gain experience before getting the ATPL. So should you do CPL theory for the CPL licence? Not necessarily.
CPL theory is more geared towards people who know they don't want to become a captain on those large aircraft. They may want to stay on smaller aeroplanes; flight instruction is a common route. A CPL allows you to earn money from flying. There is a 5,700 kg restriction, and most large aircraft are substantially heavier than that.
That doesn't mean you can't fly large aeroplanes. The distinction I'm making is about being the captain. Since many people eventually want to move into the left seat, that matters when planning the theory route.
The simple way of looking at it is: who wants to go down the ATPL theory route? People who want to fly for airlines. Who chooses the CPL theory route? Often people aiming for instruction, or people who don't plan to fly those larger aeroplanes.
If you need either theory course, the link is below.
