How to Apply for the RTR Exam: DGCA Process, Fees & Steps

What the RTR(A) licence is

The full name is the Radio Telephone Operator (Restricted) Certificate and Licence. The “(A)” marks the aeronautical version, meant for people who will speak on aircraft radio. Without it, a pilot cannot legally make radio calls from the cockpit, which is why flying schools and cadet programmes ask for it so early in training.

Who runs it now

Until recently the Wireless Planning and Coordination (WPC) wing of the telecom ministry handled this exam. Under the Radio Telephone Operator (Restricted) Certificate and Licence Rules, 2025 — notified as G.S.R. 413(E) on 25 June 2025 — the DGCA runs the examination and issues the licence; its procedure document is CAR Section 7, Series G, Part VI (Issue I, 27 November 2025), effective 1 December 2025. Because the change is recent, older blog posts and coaching handouts may still describe the WPC process. Anything written before December 2025 about how to apply should be treated as history.

Eligibility in short

The 2025 Rules set the entry bar at a minimum age of 16 and a pass in Class X or an equivalent examination. Three groups — certain defence pilots, holders of a valid earlier RTR certificate, and holders of a Commonwealth or Philippines flight radio telephone licence — are exempt from the written part only. The exemptions guide covers who qualifies and how to claim it.

Get your Computer Number first

Before either exam, you need a Computer Number from DGCA’s Central Examination Organization (CEO). CAR §3.3 requires it for both the written and the practical examination, and it is issued under the same Para 6 framework (CAR Section 7, Series B, Part 1) that covers DGCA’s other exam candidates. Do this first: session windows are short, and an application made without a computer number goes nowhere.

The fees, exactly

Rule 9 of the 2025 Rules fixes the fee for each stage. There are no other official charges in the process.

First time through, the total is ₹7,500. Two warnings from CAR §7.2: the practical fee is not refunded if you do not appear, and not appearing counts as one of your attempts — so book a date you can actually keep.

Applying for the written exam on Pariksha

The written examination is applied for on DGCA’s Pariksha portal. DGCA announces each session — Regular sessions and on-demand OLODE sessions — by public notice, with an application window that opens and closes on set dates; applications, the list of admitted and rejected candidates, candidate identification and the result all run through that framework (CAR §6.1). The dates and sessions guide tracks which window is open now. The paper itself is 50 multiple-choice questions on a computer, in English, with a 70% pass mark — the pattern and syllabus guide has the full breakdown.

Booking the practical on eGCA

The practical is booked separately, on the eGCA portal. The sequence in CAR §7.2 is:

1. Register on eGCA. The portal’s own user manual walks through registration; do it before you pass the written, not after.
2. Select your date. Candidates who have passed the written — or hold a written exemption — choose a practical date on eGCA. A selected slot cannot be rescheduled or cancelled.
3. Pay the ₹500 fee through Bharatkosh on eGCA.
4. Download your admit card from your eGCA portal — it is issued three days before the exam date.
5. Sit the test. About 30 minutes of radiotelephony exercises over a simulated environment (CAR §7.3), passed at 50% (CAR §7.4).
6. Get the result on your eGCA portal or your registered email (CAR §7.5). Passing makes you eligible to apply for the certificate and licence — that application, with the ₹5,000 issue fee, is the last step.

Documents to keep ready

• Your Class X certificate or marksheet — the proof of the eligibility the Rules require.
• A government photo ID, for the identification check at the exam.
• Your Computer Number, and the login details for Pariksha and eGCA.
• Any exemption evidence, if you are claiming one (service records, the earlier certificate, or the foreign licence).

The session notice and the portal manuals name the exact uploads for that session — treat those as final over any list, including this one.

If you may be exempt from the written

CAR §5.1 exempts three groups from the written examination: defence pilots with 1,000 hours of flying experience, holders of a valid RTR certificate issued under the 1954 Rules, and holders of a valid flight radio telephone operator’s licence from a Commonwealth country or the Philippines. The exemption is applied for on eGCA and stays valid for three years — and it never covers the practical. Details and proof requirements are in the exemptions guide.

Time limits and retakes

Three clocks matter. Your written pass stays valid for three years (CAR §6.4), and the practical must be passed inside that window. You get three practical attempts in total (CAR §7.5) — and remember that a no-show consumes one. After a failed practical attempt, the Rules set a six-week wait before the next one. If the three years run out first, the written examination has to be taken again. Plan backwards from your flying-school start date, not forwards from today.

A sensible order of work

Spend the first two weeks on vocabulary and written chapters. Start speaking practice in week three. Use the last week for timed mock tests and the scenarios you found hardest. Our four-week rhythm shows one way to split it.

Facts on this page were checked against the RTR Certificate and Licence Rules, 2025 (G.S.R. 413(E)) and DGCA CAR Section 7, Series G, Part VI, Issue I (27 November 2025), on 13 November 2026.

Ready to start preparing? Work through the chapter-wise written questions first, and when you want every chapter and scenario open, compare the passes.

Quick answers

This guide is general study help written by RTR Exam. It is not an official publication of DGCA or ICAO. Confirm rules, fees, dates and syllabus with DGCA's latest notice.