100+ Free ATPL 022 Instrumentation Practice Questions

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2026 Statistics

Key Facts: ATPL 022 Instrumentation Exam

60 questions

Exam Length (Subject 022)

EASA Part-FCL / ECQB 2026

1 h 30 min

Time Allowed

EASA Part-FCL

75%

Pass Mark per Subject

EASA Part-FCL

84.4 minutes

Schuler Period

Inertial navigation theory

~1000 ft AGL

TCAS II All-RA Inhibit

ACAS II / TCAS II v7.1

25 h / 2 h

FDR / CVR Minimum Recording

EASA recorder requirements

18 months

Window to Pass All 13 Subjects

EASA FCL.025

ATPL 022 Instrumentation is an EASA Aircraft General Knowledge theory exam for the ATPL(A), sat as 60 single-best-answer multiple-choice questions in 1 hour 30 minutes at an NAA test centre and drawn from the European Central Question Bank (ECQB 2026 release). It tests how aircraft sensors and avionics work: pitot-static instruments (ASI, altimeter, VSI/IVSI, Machmeter, blockages and errors), magnetism and the direct-reading and gyro-magnetic compasses (dip, deviation, ANDS acceleration and turning errors), gyroscopic instruments (rigidity, precession, DI, attitude indicator, rate gyro), inertial and air-data systems (INS/IRS, Schuler 84.4-minute tuning, ring laser gyros, ADC, AHRS, GNSS hybridisation), EFIS and FMS (PFD/ND symbology, AIRAC database, LNAV/VNAV, RNP), autoflight (autopilot, flight director, autothrottle, fail-passive vs fail-operational autoland, yaw damper), and warning/recording systems (stall warning, GPWS/EGPWS, TCAS II TA/RA logic, windshear, FDR/CVR). The pass mark is 75% with no negative marking; under FCL.025 all 13 subjects must be passed within 18 months across up to 6 sittings.

Sample ATPL 022 Instrumentation Practice Questions

Try these sample questions to test your ATPL 022 Instrumentation exam readiness. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 100+ question experience with AI tutoring.

1The pitot tube becomes blocked by ice while the static source remains clear. As the aircraft subsequently climbs at a constant indicated airspeed, what will the airspeed indicator show?

A.It will behave like an altimeter, increasing as the aircraft climbs.

B.It will under-read progressively as altitude increases.

C.It will remain frozen at the value present when the blockage occurred.

D.It will read zero because no dynamic pressure can reach the capsule.

Explanation: With a blocked pitot but open static, the trapped total pressure stays constant while static pressure falls during the climb. The increasing pressure differential across the capsule makes the ASI over-read and rise like an altimeter.

2An airspeed indicator is calibrated for ISA mean sea level conditions. At high altitude where the air density is much lower than at sea level, how does the indicated airspeed (IAS) relate to the true airspeed (TAS) for a given dynamic pressure?

A.IAS equals TAS at all altitudes because the instrument is density-compensated.

B.IAS is lower than TAS because the lower density means TAS must be higher for the same dynamic pressure.

C.IAS is greater than TAS because the capsule expands more at altitude.

D.IAS exceeds TAS by the amount of the compressibility correction only.

Explanation: Dynamic pressure equals half rho times V squared. As density (rho) falls with altitude, a higher true airspeed is required to produce the same dynamic pressure, so TAS exceeds IAS and the gap widens with altitude.

3On a sensitive pressure altimeter, the pilot sets the subscale to QNH. What altitude reference will the instrument then display?

A.Height above the airfield elevation (above the touchdown point).

B.Pressure altitude referenced to the 1013.25 hPa standard datum.

C.Altitude above mean sea level.

D.Flight level corrected for outside air temperature.

Explanation: QNH is the pressure setting that makes the altimeter read altitude above mean sea level; on the ground at the aerodrome it will indicate aerodrome elevation.

4An aircraft maintains a constant pressure altitude indicated on the altimeter while flying from a region of warm air into a region of significantly colder air. What happens to the true altitude (true height above the terrain at constant pressure)?

A.True altitude increases because cold air is denser.

B.True altitude is unchanged because the altimeter is reading correctly.

C.True altitude oscillates around the indicated value.

D.True altitude decreases, so the aircraft is lower than indicated.

Explanation: In cold air the pressure decreases more rapidly with height, so a given pressure level lies lower than in ISA. Flying at constant indicated altitude into colder air means the true altitude is lower than indicated - the basis of the rule 'from high to low (or hot to cold) look out below'.

5Which design feature distinguishes an Instantaneous Vertical Speed Indicator (IVSI) from a conventional VSI?

A.It incorporates accelerometer-operated dashpot pumps to compensate for the inherent lag.

B.It uses two metering choke orifices instead of one.

C.It senses dynamic pressure from the pitot line instead of static pressure.

D.It displays vertical speed digitally rather than with a pointer.

Explanation: The IVSI adds small accelerometer-driven (dashpot/piston) pumps that create an immediate pressure differential at the onset of a climb or descent, cancelling the few-second lag of the conventional metered-leak VSI.

6The static port becomes blocked while the pitot remains clear. During a subsequent descent, how will the altimeter and the VSI respond?

A.The altimeter over-reads and the VSI shows a climb.

B.The altimeter freezes at the blockage value and the VSI reads zero.

C.Both instruments continue to read normally because they share the pitot source.

D.The altimeter reads zero and the VSI reads maximum descent.

Explanation: With the static line blocked, the trapped static pressure no longer changes, so the altimeter sticks at the altitude where the blockage occurred and the VSI, sensing no rate of static change, reads zero.

7What is the function of an alternate static source in a pressurised aircraft, and how does it typically affect altimeter and airspeed readings when selected?

A.It provides cabin static pressure, generally making the altimeter and ASI under-read.

B.It feeds the pitot line to restore airspeed only.

C.It provides cabin static pressure, generally making the altimeter and ASI over-read.

D.It heats the static ports to clear ice without changing the readings.

Explanation: If the external static ports block, the alternate static source uses (usually slightly lower) cabin static pressure. Lower static pressure makes the altimeter and ASI read slightly high, which is why a position-error correction is published for alternate static.

8A Machmeter computes Mach number using which two pressures?

A.Dynamic pressure and total temperature.

B.Static pressure and total air temperature.

C.Pitot pressure and ram-rise temperature.

D.Dynamic pressure (Pt minus Ps) and static pressure (Ps).

Explanation: Mach number is a function of the ratio of dynamic pressure to static pressure. The Machmeter combines an airspeed capsule (sensing Pt minus Ps) with an altitude/aneroid capsule (sensing Ps) so the indication depends on the Pt/Ps ratio.

9An aircraft accelerates in level flight at constant true airspeed in air warmer than ISA. The Mach number indicated on the Machmeter relative to the actual Mach number will be affected by which characteristic error?

A.The Machmeter reads Mach correctly without density or temperature correction.

B.Position (pressure) error only, which the Machmeter cannot have.

C.The Machmeter requires a correction for OAT to give true Mach.

D.The Machmeter over-reads in cold air and under-reads in warm air.

Explanation: Mach number depends only on the ratio Pt/Ps. Because both pressures are sensed at the same point and temperature does not enter the ratio, the Machmeter indicates Mach number directly with no density or temperature correction required (subject only to position/instrument error).

10A total air temperature (TAT) probe measures a temperature higher than the static air temperature (SAT). The difference between them is known as the:

A.Recovery error.

B.Ram rise.

C.Compressibility lag.

D.Kinetic deviation.

Explanation: As air is brought to rest at the probe, its kinetic energy is converted to heat, raising the indicated temperature above SAT. This temperature increase is the ram rise, which increases with the square of the Mach number.

About the ATPL 022 Instrumentation Exam

EASA ATPL(A) subject 022 Instrumentation is one of the 13 theoretical-knowledge exams for the Airline Transport Pilot Licence (Aeroplanes). It is a computer-based multiple-choice exam of 60 questions in 1 hour 30 minutes, drawn from the European Central Question Bank (current release ECQB 2026). The exam covers aircraft sensors, instruments and avionics: pitot-static and air-data instruments, magnetism and compasses, gyroscopic instruments, inertial and air-data systems, EFIS/FMS displays, autoflight, and warning and recording systems. Candidates must score 75% to pass each subject.

Questions

60 scored questions

Time Limit

1 hour 30 minutes

Passing Score

75% (no negative marking)

Exam Fee

Approx. EUR 60-130 per subject sitting (varies by NAA) (EASA National Aviation Authorities (computer-based, LPLUS TestStudio))

ATPL 022 Instrumentation Exam Content Outline

22%

Pitot-Static & Air Data Instruments

Airspeed indicator (IAS/CAS/TAS, density and compressibility), altimeter (QNH/QFE/standard settings, temperature error, servo altimeter), VSI and IVSI, Machmeter, pitot and static blockages, position error, total air temperature and ram rise, recovery factor, angle of attack, capacitance fuel gauging and engine thermocouples

14%

Magnetism & Compasses

Earth's magnetic field, dip/inclination and the horizontal directive force, the direct reading compass with acceleration (ANDS) and turning errors maximal near the poles, variation versus deviation, the compass swing and coefficients B and C, the flux valve and the slaved gyro-magnetic (remote-indicating) compass

16%

Gyroscopic Instruments

Rigidity and precession (effect 90 degrees in the direction of spin), the directional gyro with apparent and real wander and the latitude nut, the attitude indicator and erection cut-out during turns, the spring-restrained rate-of-turn gyro and the Rate 1 (3 deg/s) turn, the slip ball, and electric versus air-driven rotors at altitude

18%

Inertial, AHRS & Air Data Computers

INS/IRS principles, accelerometer double integration, gyrocompass alignment and high-latitude limits, the Schuler 84.4-minute period, strapdown ring laser gyros with dither against lock-in, drift error quoted as NM/hour, GNSS hybridisation, platform-tilt gravity error, the air data computer inputs and outputs, and the AHRS versus full IRS

14%

EFIS Displays & FMS

PFD attitude/speed/altitude tapes and the flight mode annunciator, ND MAP mode magenta route and range scaling, EFIS source reversion, FMS position from GNSS/IRS/radio, the 28-day AIRAC navigation database, LNAV and VNAV path and deviation, RNP accuracy (e.g. RNP 0.3 within 0.3 NM 95% of the time), and standby instruments

Autoflight Systems

Autopilot inner-loop stabilisation and outer-loop guidance, arm and capture, flight director command bars, control wheel steering, autothrottle speed/thrust modes and the RETARD flare, autoland fail-passive versus fail-operational and CAT III rollout, autopilot runaway protection, the yaw damper for Dutch roll, and Mach trim

Warning & Recording Systems

AoA-based stall warning, GPWS modes 1-7 and EGPWS/TAWS forward-looking terrain database, TCAS II TA versus RA, preventive/corrective RAs, RA inhibits below about 1000 ft and Mode S coordination, reactive and predictive windshear, the radio altimeter, ECAM/EICAS alert levels, and FDR (25 h) and CVR (2 h) recording with the 30-day ULB

How to Pass the ATPL 022 Instrumentation Exam

What You Need to Know

Passing score: 75% (no negative marking)
Exam length: 60 questions
Time limit: 1 hour 30 minutes
Exam fee: Approx. 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 022 Instrumentation Study Tips from Top Performers

1Drill the pitot-static failure cases: blocked pitot (open static) makes the ASI over-read like an altimeter in a climb; blocked static freezes the altimeter and zeroes the VSI; both blocked freeze both readings

2Memorise the direct-reading compass error rules: ANDS (Accelerate North, Decelerate South) for acceleration error on E/W headings, and that turning error lags through north and leads through south in the Northern Hemisphere

3Know the Schuler period (84.4 minutes), that ring laser gyros use dither to defeat lock-in, that inertial drift is quoted in NM/hour, and that GNSS hybridisation bounds the inertial position error

4Learn the GPWS modes: 1 sink rate, 2 terrain closure, 3 altitude loss after take-off, 4 unsafe terrain clearance/configuration, 5 glideslope, 6 bank/callouts, 7 windshear; EGPWS adds a forward-looking terrain database

5For TCAS II, distinguish TA (advisory) from RA (vertical manoeuvre command), remember RAs are vertical only and coordinated via Mode S, all RAs are inhibited below about 1000 ft AGL, and an RA takes precedence over an ATC instruction

6Separate fail-passive (disconnects to manual after a failure) from fail-operational (continues the autoland on remaining channels), and remember the recorder rules: FDR at least 25 hours, modern CVR 2 hours, ULB 30 days

Frequently Asked Questions

How many questions are on the EASA ATPL 022 Instrumentation exam and what is the time limit?

Subject 022 Instrumentation is a computer-based exam of 60 multiple-choice questions with a time allowance of 1 hour 30 minutes. Each question is single-best-answer with four options, drawn from the European Central Question Bank (ECQB 2026 release).

What is the pass mark for ATPL theory subjects?

The pass mark is 75% per subject, with no negative marking for wrong answers. Under FCL.025 a candidate has a maximum of 4 attempts per subject, may use up to 6 examination sittings, and must pass all 13 subjects within an 18-month period.

What topics does ATPL 022 Instrumentation cover?

It covers pitot-static and air-data instruments, magnetism and compasses, gyroscopic instruments, inertial and air-data systems (INS/IRS, AHRS, ADC), EFIS and FMS displays, autoflight systems, and warning and recording systems such as GPWS/EGPWS, TCAS II and flight recorders.

What is the Schuler period and why does it matter for ATPL 022?

The Schuler period is approximately 84.4 minutes, the natural period given to an inertial platform so that aircraft accelerations do not tilt it away from the local vertical. Schuler tuning keeps inertial tilt errors bounded and oscillatory rather than divergent, a frequently examined concept.

How long are EASA ATPL theory passes valid?

Theoretical-knowledge passes remain valid for 7 years for issue of the ATPL, counted from the validity of the associated instrument rating. All 13 subjects must be completed within 18 months of the first sitting, with each subject passed at 75%.

Is Area 100 KSA part of the 022 exam?

No. The Area 100 KSA (Knowledge, Skills and Attitude) assessment is conducted internally by the Approved Training Organisation, not as an authority multiple-choice exam. Subject 022 is the standalone 60-question Instrumentation theory paper.

100+ Free ATPL 022 Instrumentation Practice Questions

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