100+ Free ATPL Meteorology (050) Practice Questions

Pass your EASA ATPL(A) Theoretical Knowledge - Meteorology (Subject 050) exam on the first try — instant access, no signup required.

✓ No registration✓ No credit card✓ No hidden fees✓ Start practicing immediately

100+ Questions

100% Free

Loading practice questions...

Same family resources

Explore More EASA ATPL Theory Exams

Continue into nearby exams from the same family. Each card keeps practice questions, study guides, flashcards, videos, and articles in one place.

2026 Statistics

Key Facts: ATPL Meteorology (050) Exam

84 questions

Exam Length

EASA ATPL(A) syllabus (Subject 050)

2 hours

Time Allowed

EASA ATPL(A) syllabus (Subject 050)

75%

Pass Mark

EASA Part-FCL

-56.5 degC

ISA Tropopause Temperature at 11 km

International Standard Atmosphere

13 subjects

ATPL(A) Theory Subjects

EASA Part-FCL (post ED 2019/017/R)

4 attempts / 6 sittings

Maximum Allowed

FCL.025

EASA ATPL Meteorology (050) is the biggest single ATPL(A) theory exam: 84 multiple-choice questions in 2 hours, drawn from the European Central Question Bank (ECQB 2026 content refresh on the 2020 syllabus) and sat at a National Aviation Authority test centre. It is one of 13 ATPL theory subjects. Content spans the standard atmosphere and altimetry (ISA 15 degC/1013.25 hPa, 0.65 degC/100m lapse rate, tropopause -56.5 degC at 11 km); wind (geostrophic/gradient, friction-layer backing and veering, jet streams, local winds); thermodynamics, stability and adiabatic lapse rates; clouds, fog and precipitation; air masses, fronts, occlusions and depressions; climatology (global circulation, ITCZ, monsoon, tropical revolving storms); flight hazards (icing types and intensity, CAT, windshear and microbursts, thunderstorms and avoidance, mountain waves, volcanic ash); and meteorological information (METAR/TAF/SIGMET/AIRMET decoding, SIGWX and upper-air charts, satellite imagery, VOLMET, ATIS). Pass mark is 75% with no negative marking; FCL.025 allows up to 4 attempts and 6 sittings.

Sample ATPL Meteorology (050) Practice Questions

Try these sample questions to test your ATPL Meteorology (050) exam readiness. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 100+ question experience with AI tutoring.

1According to the International Standard Atmosphere (ISA), what are the sea-level mean values of temperature, pressure and density?

A.15 degC, 1013.25 hPa, 1.225 kg/m3

B.0 degC, 1000 hPa, 1.000 kg/m3

C.15 degC, 1000 hPa, 1.225 kg/m3

D.20 degC, 1013.25 hPa, 1.293 kg/m3

Explanation: The ISA defines mean sea-level conditions as 15 degC, 1013.25 hPa and a density of 1.225 kg/m3, which are the reference values for performance and altimetry calculations.

2In the ISA, what is the temperature lapse rate from sea level up to the tropopause at 11 km?

A.1.98 degC per 1000 ft up to 11 km

B.0.65 degC per 100 m (about 1.98 degC per 1000 ft)

C.1.0 degC per 100 m

D.3.0 degC per 1000 ft

Explanation: The ISA lapse rate in the troposphere is 0.65 degC per 100 m, which is approximately 1.98 degC per 1000 ft, applied up to the 11 km tropopause where the temperature is -56.5 degC.

3What is the ISA temperature at the tropopause (11 km / FL360) and how does it behave above that level up to 20 km?

A.-40 degC, then it decreases steadily

B.-56.5 degC, then it increases immediately

C.-56.5 degC, then it remains constant up to 20 km

D.-65 degC, then it remains constant

Explanation: In the ISA the tropopause is at 11 km with a temperature of -56.5 degC; from 11 km to 20 km the temperature is held constant (isothermal layer) in the lower stratosphere.

4How does the height of the tropopause typically vary with latitude?

A.It is highest over the poles and lowest over the equator

B.It is lowest over the equator because of strong convection

C.It is constant at 11 km at all latitudes

D.It is highest (about 16-18 km) over the equator and lowest (about 8-9 km) over the poles

Explanation: The tropopause is highest and coldest over the warm equatorial regions (about 16-18 km) and lowest over the cold poles (about 8-9 km), because the depth of the troposphere depends on surface heating.

5An aircraft maintains FL100 while flying from a region of high surface temperature into a region of low surface temperature, with QNH unchanged. What happens to the true altitude?

A.True altitude decreases

B.True altitude increases

C.True altitude stays the same

D.True altitude first increases then decreases

Explanation: Colder than standard air is denser, so pressure levels lie closer together; flying from warm to cold air at a constant flight level causes the true altitude to decrease ('flying from high to low, look out below').

6An altimeter set to 1013.25 hPa indicates FL080. The QNH is 1003 hPa. Using 27 ft per hPa near the surface, what is the approximate true altitude (ignoring temperature)?

A.About 8000 ft

B.About 7730 ft

C.About 8270 ft

D.About 8540 ft

Explanation: QNH (1003) is 10 hPa below the standard 1013; with about 27 ft per hPa, the pressure altitude is about 270 ft above true altitude, so true altitude is roughly 8000 - 270 = 7730 ft.

7What is the average vertical pressure gradient near mean sea level in the ISA?

A.About 1 hPa per 100 ft

B.About 1 hPa per 50 ft

C.About 1 hPa per 27 ft (8 m)

D.About 1 hPa per 8 ft

Explanation: Near sea level pressure falls by approximately 1 hPa for every 27 ft (about 8 m) of altitude gained; this gradient decreases with height as the air becomes less dense.

8Which definition correctly describes the altimeter setting QFE?

A.Pressure reduced to mean sea level using ISA

B.Pressure reduced to sea level using actual temperature

C.The standard pressure setting of 1013.25 hPa

D.Pressure at the aerodrome reference point, so the altimeter reads zero on the ground

Explanation: QFE is the actual pressure at the aerodrome (or runway threshold) reference level; when set, the altimeter reads zero height on the ground and indicates height above that datum.

9What primarily causes the wind in the free atmosphere above the friction layer to blow parallel to the isobars?

A.A balance between the pressure gradient force and the Coriolis force

B.Friction with the surface

C.Centrifugal force only

D.The thermal wind alone

Explanation: The geostrophic wind results from a balance between the pressure gradient force (acting from high to low pressure) and the Coriolis force; this balance forces the wind to flow parallel to straight isobars.

10In the Northern Hemisphere, how does surface friction affect the wind compared with the geostrophic wind above the friction layer?

A.It veers the wind and increases its speed

B.It backs the wind and reduces its speed

C.It backs the wind and increases its speed

D.It has no effect on direction, only speed

Explanation: Friction reduces wind speed and weakens the Coriolis force, so the pressure gradient force turns the wind toward lower pressure; in the Northern Hemisphere the surface wind is therefore backed and slower than the geostrophic wind.

About the ATPL Meteorology (050) Exam

Meteorology (Subject 050) is one of the 13 EASA ATPL(A) theoretical-knowledge subjects and, at 84 questions in 2 hours, is the largest single ATPL exam. It is a computer-based multiple-choice exam drawn from the European Central Question Bank (current release ECQB 2026), sat at a National Aviation Authority test centre. The subject covers the physics of the atmosphere, wind, thermodynamics, clouds and fog, air masses and fronts, climatology, flight hazards such as icing, turbulence, windshear and thunderstorms, and the interpretation of meteorological information including METAR, TAF and SIGMET. Candidates must score at least 75% to pass.

Questions

84 scored questions

Time Limit

2 hours 00 minutes

Passing Score

75% per subject (no negative marking)

Exam Fee

Approximately EUR 60-130 per subject sitting (varies by NAA) (National Aviation Authorities under EASA, using the European Central Question Bank (ECQB))

ATPL Meteorology (050) Exam Content Outline

16%

The Atmosphere & Altimetry

ISA reference values (15 degC, 1013.25 hPa, density 1.225 kg/m3), the 0.65 degC/100m tropospheric lapse rate, the tropopause at 11 km (-56.5 degC), atmospheric structure, density and density altitude, the vertical pressure gradient (about 1 hPa per 27 ft near sea level), and altimeter settings QFE/QNH with temperature and pressure errors

16%

Wind

The pressure-gradient and Coriolis balance giving the geostrophic wind, gradient wind around curved isobars, friction-layer backing/veering, thermal wind, local winds (foehn, sea/land breeze, katabatic/anabatic), Buys Ballot's law, and polar-front and subtropical jet streams

20%

Thermodynamics, Clouds & Fog

Humidity and dew point, the dry adiabatic lapse rate (about 1 degC/100m) and the smaller saturated adiabatic rate from latent-heat release, absolute and conditional stability, inversions, cloud types and the lifting condensation level, fog types (radiation, advection, steam) and precipitation

16%

Air Masses, Fronts & Pressure Systems

Warm-front and cold-front cloud sequences and weather, cold/warm occlusions, depressions and anticyclones, troughs, ridges and cols, air-mass classification (maritime polar, tropical maritime), polar-front theory of cyclogenesis and warm-sector weather

Climatology

The three-cell global circulation, the ITCZ and seasonal migration, trade winds and the trade-wind inversion, the Asian monsoon, subtropical high-pressure belts and the formation conditions for tropical revolving storms

16%

Flight Hazards

Airframe icing (clear/rime, intensity scale, supercooled water and freezing rain), turbulence and clear air turbulence near jet streams, low-level windshear and microbursts, thunderstorm lifecycle, supercells, hail and 10-20 nm avoidance, mountain waves and rotor clouds, sand/dust and volcanic ash

Meteorological Information

Decoding METAR, SPECI and TAF (wind, visibility, weather, cloud groups, CAVOK, TEMPO/BECMG), SIGMET and AIRMET warnings, SIGWX and constant-pressure upper-air charts with jet-stream and CAT symbology, satellite imagery (visible vs infrared), VOLMET and ATIS

How to Pass the ATPL Meteorology (050) Exam

What You Need to Know

Passing score: 75% per subject (no negative marking)
Exam length: 84 questions
Time limit: 2 hours 00 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 Meteorology (050) Study Tips from Top Performers

1Memorise the ISA reference values cold: 15 degC and 1013.25 hPa at sea level, density 1.225 kg/m3, lapse rate 0.65 degC/100m (about 1.98 degC/1000 ft) up to the tropopause at 11 km and -56.5 degC

2Practise altimetry traps such as 'from high to low, look out below' and the 27 ft per hPa rule near sea level, plus the temperature error when flying from warm to cold air

3Drill stability: environmental lapse rate greater than the dry adiabatic rate is absolute instability; between the saturated and dry rates is conditional instability; less than the saturated rate is absolute stability

4Know the icing rules: severe icing is most likely in supercooled water near 0 to -10 degC, clear ice comes from large droplets, rime from small droplets, and freezing rain signals a deep supercooled layer

5Learn thunderstorm avoidance (at least 10 nm, about 20 nm above FL250) and the single-cell lifecycle (cumulus, mature, dissipating), and recognise supercells with a rotating updraught

6Become fluent in METAR/TAF decoding: cloud groups (FEW/SCT/BKN/OVC in hundreds of feet), CAVOK criteria, TEMPO vs BECMG, M for minus temperatures, and the difference between SIGMET and AIRMET

Frequently Asked Questions

How many questions are on the EASA ATPL Meteorology (050) exam and how long is it?

The 050 Meteorology exam has 84 multiple-choice questions with a time allowance of 2 hours, making it the largest single ATPL(A) theory exam. Each question has four options with a single best answer, and there is no negative marking.

What is the pass mark for ATPL Meteorology?

The pass mark is 75% in each subject, the same as all EASA ATPL theoretical-knowledge subjects. There is no negative marking, so unanswered questions should always be attempted with a best guess.

Which question bank does the exam come from?

Questions are drawn from the European Central Question Bank (ECQB), with the current release being ECQB 2026, a content refresh of the 2020 syllabus. The exam is computer-based and sat at a National Aviation Authority test centre, often on the LPLUS TestStudio platform.

What topics carry the most weight in 050 Meteorology?

The exam ranges across the atmosphere and altimetry, wind, thermodynamics and clouds, air masses and fronts, climatology, flight hazards and meteorological information. Thermodynamics/clouds and the flight-hazard topics (icing, thunderstorms, turbulence, windshear) are heavily tested, as is METAR/TAF/SIGMET decoding.

How many attempts and sittings are allowed?

Under FCL.025 a candidate may attempt each subject up to 4 times and complete all theory in up to 6 sittings, with all subjects passed within 18 months of the end of the month of the first attempt. ATPL theory passes are valid for ATPL issue for 7 years from the validity of the instrument rating.

Is the Area 100 KSA assessment part of the 050 exam?

No. The Area 100 KSA (Knowledge, Skills and Attitudes) is an ATO-internal assessment, not an authority multiple-choice exam. The 050 Meteorology exam is the formal 84-question MCQ paper administered by the National Aviation Authority.

100+ Free ATPL Meteorology (050) Practice Questions

Explore More EASA ATPL Theory Exams

EASA ATPL Theory — Air Law (010)

EASA ATPL Theory — Aircraft General Knowledge (021)

EASA ATPL Theory — Communications (090)

EASA ATPL Theory — Flight Planning and Monitoring (033)

EASA ATPL Theory — General Navigation (061)

EASA ATPL Theory — Human Performance and Limitations (040)