120+ Free RePL Practice Questions

The Remote Pilot Licence (RePL) is the Australian credential issued under CASR Part 101 that authorises remote pilots to operate drones for commercial work beyond the excluded categories - generally RPA over 2 kg, operations outside the standard operating conditions, or work conducted under a Remote Operator's Certificate (ReOC).

You need a RePL for commercial operations of an RPA over 2 kg outside the sub-2 kg excluded category, for operations beyond the standard operating conditions, and to operate under a ReOC. Sub-2 kg commercial work and certain own-land operations can be flown under the excluded category with operator accreditation instead.

CASR 101.238 requires the RPA to be flown only in Australian territory, within visual line of sight, and no higher than 400 ft (120 m) AGL, and not closer than 30 m to people not associated with the flight, not in a prohibited or restricted area, not over a populous area, not within 3 NM (5.5 km) of the movement area of a controlled aerodrome, not in a public safety operation area without approval, and only one RPA per pilot. Night operations are prohibited by a separate rule unless CASA approves them. Excluded operations cannot be approved beyond the SOC; included operations under a ReOC can.

Training and assessment are delivered by CASA-certified providers against the Part 101 Manual of Standards knowledge syllabus in Schedules 2 and 4. CASA does not publish a question count or a pass mark for the theory exam - providers set both, and published provider papers range from about 40 to 90 multiple-choice questions with 85% as the common pass mark. A separate practical flight competency assessment and 5 hours of logged RPA flight time under the standard operating conditions are also required.

The Aeronautical Radio Operator Certificate (AROC) is separate from the RePL but is commonly taken with it. An AROC is required to transmit on aeronautical VHF radio, and CASR 101.285 requires a radio qualification for RPA over 2 kg operating in controlled airspace. Australian providers advertise a closed-book paper of about 30 multiple-choice questions in a one-hour sitting; CASA does not publish a pass mark for it, and an English language proficiency assessment is also required.

ReB1 is the CASA beyond visual line of sight examination made under instrument CASA 35/23, and it covers BVLOS operations wholly outside controlled airspace. A Part 61 instrument rating knowledge examination or the former IREX also satisfies the requirement, and is needed for BVLOS inside controlled airspace. Passing an exam is only part of the authorisation: the ReOC must still hold a BVLOS approval, which CASA grants case by case.

The RePL does not have a fixed expiry, and CASA imposes no continuing flight proficiency or currency requirement on RePL holders. You must still operate in compliance with CASR Part 101, and a ReOC's documented practices and procedures will normally impose their own recency and competency requirements. A lack of proficiency that contributes to an accident may be assessed as hazardous operation under CASR 101.055.

Registration is required under CASR Part 47 for any drone flown for business or as part of your job, no matter how much it weighs - including a micro RPA of 250 g or less and a drone flown only indoors. Drones flown purely for sport or recreation do not need registration. Registration is valid for 12 months, the registrant must be at least 16, and a weight-scaled levy may apply for business use.

CASA sets no minimum age for a RePL and does not require a Class 1 or Class 2 medical certificate for remote pilots. The age-16 minimum applies to RPA operator accreditation under CASR 101.374B(4) and to drone registration, not to the licence. You must still self-assess fitness before every flight under the general duty to operate with care and skill in CASR 101.055.