European Central Question Bank (ECQB)

ECQB 2026: latest full release of the question bank

For the new full release of ECQB 2026, EASA balances alignment to the currently applicable EU Regulations, ICAO Standards and Recommended Practices, industry best practices and the detailed syllabus and learning objectives set out in the Aircrew Regulation.

What is the ECQB?

The EASA ECQB process

Developments

Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) and confidentiality of the ECQB 

Data protection

What is the ECQB?

The European Central Question Bank (ECQB) is a bank of some 10,000 questions (Multiple Choice Questions – MCQs) used by all EASA Member States for the theoretical knowledge (TK) examinations of flight crew (professional aeroplane and helicopter pilots and applicants for an instrument rating). It is an important standardisation and safety tool, ensuring that pilots at European level have the appropriate knowledge and necessary competencies. The question bank today is under the responsibility of EASA, and the National Competent Authorities (NCAs) are responsible for the exams using the ECQB.

The questions included in the ECQB cover all subjects used for the relevant Part-FCL theoretical knowledge examinations:

The EASA ECQB process

The Agency continuously improves the quality of the question bank by:

• replacing old questions with new ones,
• keeping up to date with regulatory and technological developments and reflecting current safety concerns,
• extensively reviewing questions on an annual basis, to ensure they are still current, accurate and relevant,
• updating the theoretical knowledge syllabus and Learning Objectives (LOs) on which the ECQB is based (resulting in amendments to the relevant AMC to Part-FCL).

According to the ECQB process, new questions are drafted by carefully selected and trained external subject matter experts. Thanks to close cooperation with Member States, new and existing questions are reviewed to assess their technical accuracy by subject matter experts nominated by the NCAs. Further rounds of review, as well as the final approval, are performed by EASA.

If you are involved in exam deliveries at an NCA and have identified an error in the current question bank, please report this using the form that is also provided under the Downloads Section below.

If you are interested in contributing to the ECQB as a Question Writer, please apply to become an Independent External Expert for EASA.
 

Developments 

• Syllabus, Learning Objectives (LOs) and Source References

The ECQB is based on the detailed theoretical knowledge (TK) syllabus and LOs published in AMC/GM to Part-FCL, specifically as last amended by ED Decision 2020/018/R. The most recent release is ECQB 2026. Further information on this release is available – please refer to ECQB 2026 in the Downloads Section below.

With the amendment to AMC1 FCL.310; FCL.515(b); FCL.615(b); FCL.835(d) in ED Decision 2020/018/R, detailed references were removed from the LOs and are available via a separate Source document on the ECQB webpage of the EASA website: the TK Syllabus Comparison Document. This is updated with each new release. A significant portion of the TK syllabus tests knowledge of EU legislative material and ICAO standards and recommended practices. ECQB 2026 is aligned to this material as latest amended early 2025. EASA maintains the TK Syllabus Comparison Document to give transparency to stakeholders on how the question bank content follows the detailed syllabus and learning objectives, while also striving to ensure alignment with the relevant EU Regulations, AMC/GM/CSs and ICAO material. Please refer to the TK Syllabus Comparison Document in the Download Section below.

Disclaimer

The TK Syllabus Comparison Documents are made available for information purposes only. While every care has been taken in preparing the content of the TK Syllabus Comparison Documents to avoid errors, EASA makes no warranty as to the accuracy, completeness, or currency of its content. EASA shall not be liable for any kind of damages or other claims or demands incurred as a result of incorrect, insufficient, or invalid data, or arising out of or in connection with the use, copying or display of the content, to the extent permitted by European and national laws. The information contained in the Documents should not be construed as legal advice.

• Graphic images in the ECQB

The graphic images used in the ECQB as annexes to questions come from a variety of sources and in most cases are easily available. These include, amongst others, Appendix 1 to Part SERA, Met charts and the Jeppesen General Student Pilot Route Manual (GSPRM). To support students preparing for their exams, a small number of ECQB sample annexes that might not otherwise be easily accessed is provided for private study.  ECQB sample annexes Version 3, January 2026, is available in the Downloads Section below.

• Aeronautical charts and the ECQB

The aeronautical charts that are used within the ECQB are taken from the GSPRM, as published by Jeppesen (2017). The contents of this manual are described in the preface to subject 033 Flight Performance and Planning, in AMC1 FCL.310; FCL.515(b); FCL.615(b); FCL.835(d).  

 Important note: Planning for the end of Jeppesen paper chart services and its effect on the General Student Pilot Route Manual (GSPRM)

The global transition to paperless chart operations within the aviation industry continues to evolve rapidly, fuelled by growing costs of managing paper and the immense benefits of digitally-powered operations. Today, the majority of flights around the world are executed utilising Jeppesen digital charts instead of traditional paper charts.

As part of the digital evolution in flight navigation, Jeppesen is planning to phase out all Jeppesen chart printing services, with services ceasing 31 October 2026. For maintenance of the ECQB after that date, the Jeppesen charts will remain available to EASA in digital format. As of today, there is no digital solution to replace the paper GSPRM for flight schools. Therefore, Jeppesen strongly encourages all flight schools using the GSPRM to begin exploring alternatives for their ground training. Flight schools can reach out to george.a.crowsley [at] jepp.org (george[dot]a[dot]crowsley[at]jepp[dot]org) with any feedback they may have.

Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) and confidentiality of the ECQB

The ECQB is made available only to the NCAs and only for the purpose of TK examinations. It is not publicly available. The ECQB is an asset of great significance for aviation safety. It is also subject to IPR protection. It is therefore of key importance to protect the question bank from misuse and leakage. All organisations and persons involved in the process must ensure that the question bank is kept confidential and that the intellectual property rights of its owners are respected. All violations brought to the attention of EASA or the Member States will be investigated and enforcement measures may be applied.

If you wish to report a violation of confidentiality and IPR, please use the form provided under the Downloads Section below.
 

Data protection

EASA is committed to respecting the privacy of all persons involved in the ECQB process. Within the framework of the ECQB process, all personal data provided by those persons are dealt with in compliance with Regulation (EC) No 45/2001 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 December 2000 on the protection of individuals with regard to the processing of personal data by the Community institutions and bodies and on the free movement of such data – or any other Regulation that will supersede the aforementioned one. Should you need more information regarding the data EASA processes and your rights, you can contact ecqb [at] easa.europa.eu (ECQB[at]easa[dot]europa[dot]eu).