RTR(A) Is Now a DGCA Exam: What Changed, the New Pattern and How to Book

The short version

If you learnt about RTR from a senior, a coaching brochure or a blog written before 2026, a lot of what you were told is out of date. The old picture was a WPC exam held a few times a year in a handful of cities, a transmission test followed by a face-to-face viva, and long waits for a seat. That system is gone.

RTR is now a DGCA exam, booked with the same Computer Number you use for your other papers. The structure, pass marks and fees are all different. Here is what actually applies now, and what to do about it.

What changed, and when

• 25 June 2025: the Ministry of Civil Aviation notified the Radio Telephone Operator (Restricted) Certificate and Licence Rules, 2025, made under the Bharatiya Vayuyan Adhiniyam, 2024. They came into force the same day.
• September 2025: DGCA released a draft Civil Aviation Requirement, Section 7, Series G, Part VI, setting out how the examination and licensing would work, with comments invited until 3 October 2025.
• 1 December 2025: DGCA took over the RTR examinations and the issue of RTR certificates and licences from the Wireless Planning & Coordination (WPC) Wing.
• 1 July 2026: DGCA notified that RTR certificates and licences issued or renewed by WPC would be accepted only until 15 July 2026, and not for licensing, examination or regulatory purposes after that.

Who can take it

Under the 2025 Rules you must be at least 16 and have passed Class 10 or its equivalent. Candidates who are not Indian citizens also need security clearance from the Government of India.

You also need a DGCA Computer Number before you can register. DGCA's notice for the first DGCA-run session (December 2025) made this explicit, so if you are still waiting for yours, sort that out first.

Part 1: the written exam

You have to pass the written exam before you can sit the practical. It covers regulations, radio principles and radiotelephony procedures.

According to DGCA's CAR as released in draft, the written exam is an online, computer-based paper of 50 multiple-choice questions, and you need 70% to pass. A pass stays valid for three years, which is your window to clear the practical.

If you are used to DGCA's other papers, the format will feel familiar. What it rewards is the same thing your Air Regulations paper rewards: knowing the rule exactly, not roughly.

Part 2: the practical exam

The practical is a test in a simulated environment of how you actually use the radio. The draft CAR puts it at about 30 minutes, with a 50% pass mark.

Think of it as you being the pilot while the examiner works the ground station: clearances, position reports, weather, and what you say when something goes wrong. Getting the phraseology in the right order, reading back what must be read back, and not freezing when the call isn't what you expected matter more than speed.

Under the draft CAR, once you pass the written exam you get up to three attempts at the practical. If you fail all three, you have to pass the written exam again before you can try the practical once more.

Fees and validity

These amounts are set in the 2025 Rules. The licence then stays valid until you reach the age of 80, unless it is suspended or cancelled, and it can be extended beyond that if you meet DGCA's requirements. No more renewals every few years.

• Written exam: ₹2,000 per attempt.
• Practical exam: ₹500 per attempt.
• Issue of the certificate and licence: ₹5,000.
• Duplicate certificate and licence: ₹500.

Exemptions from the written exam

Some candidates can skip Part 1 and go straight to the practical. Under the Rules and the draft CAR, these include holders of a valid RTR certificate issued under the earlier 1954 rules, holders of an equivalent flight radiotelephone operator's licence from certain other countries, and military pilots with enough flying experience (the draft CAR sets 1,500 hours for Air Force, Navy, Army and Coast Guard pilots).

Exemptions depend on the exact wording and on your documents, so check the current CAR before you assume you qualify.

If you already hold a WPC RTR

This is the part people miss. DGCA's notice of 1 July 2026 says WPC-issued RTR certificates and licences were accepted only until 15 July 2026, and that anyone seeking issue, renewal or any other RTR service must follow DGCA's procedure.

So if your RTR came from WPC and you haven't yet used it for your licence, don't assume it still counts. Read the current DGCA notice, check which route applies to you, and do it before you need the licence, not the week before your CPL application.

How to prepare

• Start with the written paper: learn the regulations and procedures word for word, the same way you study Air Regulations.
• Practise the practical out loud. Say full calls, not notes in your head: start-up, taxi, departure, position reports, an approach, a go-around, a distress and an urgency call.
• Get a friend to play ATC and throw in surprises: a changed clearance, a frequency change, a call you didn't expect. The practical tests what you do when the script changes.
• Listen to real ATC and copy the rhythm of good calls. Short, complete and in the standard order.
• Book early. Your written pass gives you three years for the practical, but RTR is still one of the documents you need before the CPL can be issued.

• Aviation English Language Proficiency (ELP) for pilots in India
• How and when to give your DGCA exams

Source

Based on the Radio Telephone Operator (Restricted) Certificate and Licence Rules, 2025 (notified 25 June 2025), DGCA's draft CAR Section 7, Series G, Part VI (September 2025, file 1-8/53/94-L-II/RTR/CAR) and DGCA's notification of 1 July 2026 on acceptance of WPC-issued RTR (No. 1-8/53/94-L-II/RTR/Exam). The question count and pass marks come from the CAR as released in draft; check the current CAR and the session notice on the Pariksha portal before you book. CPLGrid is not affiliated with DGCA.