100+ Free ATPL 040 Human Performance Practice Questions
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Key Facts: ATPL 040 Human Performance Exam
48 questions
Subject 040 Exam Length
EASA ATPL syllabus / ECQB
90 minutes
Time Allowed
EASA ATPL syllabus
75%
Pass Mark (no negative marking)
EASA Part-FCL
~30 seconds
Time of Useful Consciousness at 30,000 ft
Aviation physiology data
8 hours
Minimum Bottle-to-Throttle Alcohol Interval
Standard aviation guidance
18 months
Window to Pass All Theory Subjects
FCL.025
7 years
ATPL Theory Pass Validity
EASA Part-FCL
EASA ATPL subject 040 Human Performance and Limitations is a computer-based multiple-choice exam of 48 questions in 1 hour 30 minutes, one of 13 ATPL(A) theory subjects, with a 75% pass mark and no negative marking. Questions come from the European Central Question Bank (current ECQB 2026 release). Content spans aviation physiology (gas laws, the four hypoxia types and time of useful consciousness, hyperventilation, barotrauma, decompression sickness, G effects), vision and visual illusions (dark adaptation, runway slope/width, black-hole approach), hearing and balance with spatial disorientation (the leans, somatogravic and somatogyral illusions, Coriolis, autokinesis), flying and health (hypertension, medication, the 8-hour alcohol rule, IM SAFE), fatigue and circadian rhythm (window of circadian low, sleep stages, jet lag), stress (Yerkes-Dodson, general adaptation syndrome), and cognition with CRM (information processing, situational awareness, FOR-DEC, Reason's error model, SHEL, threat and error management, just culture). Under FCL.025, candidates have up to 4 attempts per subject across 6 sittings and must pass all subjects within 18 months.
Sample ATPL 040 Human Performance Practice Questions
Try these sample questions to test your ATPL 040 Human Performance exam readiness. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 100+ question experience with AI tutoring.
1The composition of dry atmospheric air by volume is approximately:
2Even though total atmospheric pressure decreases with altitude, the percentage of oxygen in the air remains constant. Therefore, the reason a pilot becomes hypoxic at altitude is principally that:
3A pilot flying an unpressurised aircraft at 25,000 ft suffers a complete loss of supplemental oxygen. The approximate Time of Useful Consciousness (TUC) at this altitude is:
4Following a rapid (explosive) decompression at high altitude, the Time of Useful Consciousness compared with a gradual loss of oxygen at the same altitude will be:
5One of the most insidious dangers of hypoxia is that the affected pilot:
6The four classic types of hypoxia are hypoxic, anaemic, stagnant and histotoxic. Carbon monoxide poisoning from exhaust fumes leaking into the cockpit primarily causes:
7A pilot breathing rapidly and deeply after a stressful event develops tingling in the fingers, light-headedness and muscle spasm. These symptoms are most consistent with:
8Because hypoxia and hyperventilation share many early symptoms, the recommended initial action for a pilot who is unsure which is occurring at altitude is to:
9According to Boyle's Law, as an aircraft climbs and ambient pressure decreases, gas trapped in a body cavity such as the middle ear or sinuses will:
10Decompression sickness (the 'bends') at altitude is caused by:
About the ATPL 040 Human Performance Exam
Human Performance and Limitations (subject 040) is one of the 13 theoretical-knowledge subjects of the EASA ATPL(A) examination. It is a computer-based, single-best-answer multiple-choice paper of 48 questions in 1 hour 30 minutes, drawn from the European Central Question Bank (current ECQB 2026 release). The pass mark is 75% with no negative marking. The subject covers aviation physiology, vision and hearing, spatial disorientation, flying and health, fatigue and sleep, stress, cognitive psychology, and crew resource management. It is examined at National Aviation Authority test centres as part of the wider ATPL theory programme.
Questions
48 scored questions
Time Limit
1 hour 30 minutes
Passing Score
75% (no negative marking)
Exam Fee
Approximately EUR 60-130 per subject sitting (varies by NAA) (EASA, examined by National Aviation Authorities (commonly via LPLUS TestStudio))
ATPL 040 Human Performance Exam Content Outline
Aviation Physiology & Gas Laws
Composition of the atmosphere and the Dalton, Boyle and Henry gas laws; the four hypoxia types (hypoxic, anaemic, stagnant, histotoxic) and time of useful consciousness (about 30 seconds at 30,000 ft); hyperventilation and its management; otic and sinus barotrauma; decompression sickness (the bends) and post-dive surface intervals; cabin pressurisation to a maximum cabin altitude of about 8,000 ft and supplemental/pressure-demand oxygen above ~33,700 ft; carbon monoxide poisoning; acceleration and G effects including grey-out, black-out, G-LOC, red-out and the anti-G straining manoeuvre
Vision & Visual Illusions
Eye anatomy and the rods/cones split (foveal cone vision for day/colour, peripheral rods for night); dark adaptation taking about 30 minutes for the rods and off-centre viewing at night; effective external visual scanning; runway up-slope/down-slope and width illusions; the featureless black-hole approach; empty-field myopia, presbyopia, and propeller/rotor flicker hazards
Hearing, Balance & Disorientation
The vestibular system (semicircular canals sensing angular acceleration, otoliths sensing linear acceleration and gravity); the leans, the somatogravic illusion (false pitch-up on acceleration), the somatogyral illusion and graveyard spiral, the Coriolis illusion and autokinesis; recovery by trusting the instruments; otic barotrauma; noise-induced hearing loss and age-related presbycusis; motion sickness from sensory conflict
Flying & Health
Hypertension and cardiovascular fitness; diabetes and hypoglycaemia incapacitation risk; sedating medication and self-medication hazards; alcohol limits, metabolism and the minimum 8-hour bottle-to-throttle rule plus residual hangover effects; smoking and carbon monoxide raising physiological altitude; blood donation and anaemic hypoxia; dehydration in dry cabins; and the IM SAFE personal fitness checklist
Fatigue, Sleep & Circadian Rhythm
The circadian body clock with its roughly 25-hour free-running period and the window of circadian low; NREM sleep stages and restorative slow-wave sleep versus REM; sleep debt and chronic fatigue, microsleeps, the 20-40 minute controlled nap and sleep inertia; eastbound jet lag being harder than westbound; alcohol degrading sleep quality; sleep hygiene; and the purpose of flight time limitations (FTL)
Stress, Arousal & Coping
The Yerkes-Dodson inverted-U relationship between arousal and performance; acute versus chronic stress and Selye's general adaptation syndrome (alarm, resistance, exhaustion); problem-focused versus emotion-focused (defensive) coping; and the safety significance of off-duty life stress and psychosomatic illness
Cognition, CRM & Human Factors
The information-processing model (sensory store, perception, attention, response selection); working-memory capacity of about seven plus or minus two; situational awareness and attention tunnelling; the FOR-DEC decision cycle; Reason's error taxonomy of slips, lapses, mistakes and violations; the SHEL model; threat and error management and just culture; and CRM skills of assertiveness, authority gradient, communication and automation complacency
How to Pass the ATPL 040 Human Performance Exam
What You Need to Know
- Passing score: 75% (no negative marking)
- Exam length: 48 questions
- Time limit: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Exam fee: Approximately EUR 60-130 per subject sitting (varies by NAA)
Keys to Passing
- Complete 500+ practice questions
- Score 80%+ consistently before scheduling
- Focus on highest-weighted sections
- Use our AI tutor for tough concepts
ATPL 040 Human Performance Study Tips from Top Performers
Frequently Asked Questions
What is EASA ATPL subject 040 Human Performance and Limitations?
It is one of the 13 theoretical-knowledge subjects of the EASA ATPL(A) examination, covering aviation physiology, vision and hearing, spatial disorientation, health, fatigue, stress, cognition and crew resource management. It is examined as a computer-based multiple-choice paper at National Aviation Authority test centres.
How many questions are on the 040 exam and how long is it?
Subject 040 has 48 single-best-answer multiple-choice questions and a time allowance of 1 hour 30 minutes. The questions are drawn from the European Central Question Bank (current ECQB 2026 release).
What is the pass mark for the 040 exam?
The pass mark is 75% for the subject, the same as every other EASA ATPL theory subject. There is no negative marking, so it is always worth attempting every question.
How many attempts and how long do I have under FCL.025?
Under FCL.025 a candidate may make a maximum of 4 attempts at any single subject, take the subjects across a maximum of 6 sittings, and must pass all subjects within an 18-month period from the end of the calendar month of the first attempt.
How long are the ATPL theory passes valid?
Completed ATPL theoretical-knowledge passes are valid for 7 years for the issue of an ATPL (counted from the validity of the instrument rating or, where applicable, the multi-pilot rating), as set out in Part-FCL.
Is the Area 100 KSA assessment part of the 040 exam?
No. The Area 100 Knowledge, Skills and Attitudes (KSA) assessment is an ATO-internal assessment, not an authority multiple-choice examination, and is separate from the 48-question subject 040 paper.
What is time of useful consciousness (TUC)?
TUC is the time from interruption of the oxygen supply to the point at which a pilot can no longer take effective corrective action. It shortens rapidly with altitude - roughly 3-5 minutes at 25,000 ft but only about 30 seconds at 30,000 ft, and even less after a rapid decompression.