# Commission Regulation (EU) 2018/395 of 13 March 2018 laying down detailed rules for the operation of balloons as well as for the flight crew licensing for balloons pursuant to Regulation (EU) 2018/1139 of the European Parliament and of the Council, Division: BFCL.135 BPL – Theoretical knowledge examination

Extent: E+W+S+N.I.

(a)Theoretical knowledge
Applicants for a BPL shall demonstrate a level of theoretical knowledge that is appropriate to the privileges sought through examinations on the following:
(1)common subjects:
(i)air law;
(ii)human performance;
(iii)meteorology;
(iv)communications; and
(2)specific subjects concerning balloons:
(i)principles of flight;
(ii)operational procedures;
(iii)flight performance and planning;
(iv)aircraft general knowledge related to balloons; and
(v)navigation.
(b)Responsibilities of the applicant
(1)...
(2)The applicant must only take the theoretical knowledge examination if recommended by the FI(B), ATO or DTO responsible for the applicant’s training and once the applicant has completed the appropriate elements of the training course of theoretical knowledge instruction to a satisfactory standard.
(3)The recommendation by the FI(B), ATO or DTO will be valid for 12 months. If the applicant fails to take at least one theoretical knowledge examination paper within those 12 months, the need for further training will be determined by the FI(B), ATO or DTO, based on the needs of the applicant.
(c)Pass standards
(1)A pass in a theoretical knowledge examination paper shall be awarded to the applicant if he or she has achieved at least 75 % of the marks allocated to that paper. No penalty marking shall be applied.
(2)Unless otherwise specified in this Annex, an applicant is considered to have successfully completed the required theoretical knowledge examination for the BPL if he or she has passed all the required theoretical knowledge examination papers within a period of 18 months counted from the end of the calendar month when the applicant first attempted to take the examination.
(3)If an applicant has failed to pass one of the theoretical knowledge examination papers within four attempts or has failed to pass all papers within the period mentioned in paragraph (2), he or she shall retake the complete set of theoretical knowledge examination papers.
(4)Before retaking the theoretical knowledge examinations, the applicant shall undertake further training at an ATO or a DTO or with an FI(B). The extent and scope of the training will be based on the needs of the applicant.
(d)Validity period
The theoretical knowledge examination shall be valid for a period of 24 months counted from the day when the applicant successfully completed the theoretical knowledge examination, in accordance with paragraph (c)(2).

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Source: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/eur/2018/395/annex/III/division/subpart+bpl/division/5 (the official version)
Page: https://openlegislation.uk/eu-regulation-2018-395/annex-III/division-subpart+bpl/division-5
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives.