How to register for and book your DGCA ground exams
Getting your Computer Number was step one. This lesson is step two: actually applying for a paper, paying the fee, and turning up on exam day. The mechanics are simple once you have seen them, but they trip up first-time candidates who miss a session window or arrive with a banned item. Do this part right and the exams themselves are the only thing left to worry about.
You apply for DGCA ground exams on the Pariksha portal using your Computer Number. There are two kinds of sitting: a Regular exam (four sessions a year, Rs 2,500 per paper) and an On-Line On-Demand exam (roughly monthly, Rs 5,000 per paper). You pay online through Bharatkosh, download your admit card about three days before, and sit the exam at an allotted centre. No agent is needed.
First, the one thing you need
You cannot book a single paper without a Computer Number, the permanent candidate ID that the Central Examination Organization allots you. If you have not sorted that yet, go back to getting your Computer Number and eGCA account first; it is free and self-service, but it takes time to be issued, so do it well before an exam window opens.
Everything below assumes your Computer Number is active and your Pariksha profile is set to the Pilot (CPL) category.
Two ways to sit a paper
DGCA runs the same papers in two different formats, at two different price points. Knowing the difference lets you plan around your study, not around the calendar.
| Regular exam | On-Line On-Demand (OLOD) | |
|---|---|---|
| How often | Four sessions a year (around March, June, September, December) | Roughly monthly, eight-plus sessions a year |
| Fee per paper | Rs 2,500 | Rs 5,000 |
| Best for | The default, if a session lines up with your readiness | When you are ready now and do not want to wait for the next regular window |
| Where to confirm | Examination Calendar on Pariksha | Notice board on Pariksha |
Both are online, computer-based, and use the same syllabus and pass mark. The On-Demand route simply costs more for the convenience of a sooner date. Check the live 2026 examination calendar, because the dates are tentative and can shift for holidays.
How to apply for a paper
The application window for each session opens and closes on fixed dates, announced on the portal's notice board. Miss the window and you wait for the next one.
- 1
Log in to Pariksha. Sign in at pariksha.dgca.gov.in with your Computer Number (your login ID, prefixed with "P-") and password.
- 2
Select the exam and papers. Choose the session and the specific paper or papers you want to attempt. Most candidates take one or two papers at a time rather than all at once.
- 3
Pick your session and centre. Confirm the session type (regular or on-demand) and your preferred examination centre from the options offered.
- 4
Pay the fee through Bharatkosh. Fees are paid online via the government Bharatkosh gateway: Rs 2,500 per paper for a regular exam, Rs 5,000 for an on-demand paper. Your application is only complete once payment succeeds and you get a roll number.
- 5
Download your admit card. About three days before the exam, download your admit card from the portal. It carries your exact date, time and venue. No admit card, no entry.
Occasionally money is deducted through Bharatkosh but the exam form fails to submit. DGCA has a defined refund process for exactly this: apply for a refund of the application fee through the portal rather than paying twice. Keep the transaction reference.
Where the exams are held
Regular sessions are held at DGCA-notified centres across the country; the venue list for each session is published on the Pariksha notice board shortly before the exam. Your allotted centre and city are printed on your admit card, so do not book travel until you have it.
On exam day
The centre rules are strict and enforced by frisking. The single most common own goal is walking in with a banned item, so read the session instructions on the portal in full before you go.
- Carry an original photo ID (passport, Aadhaar, voter ID, or a photo-bearing board marksheet or certificate) plus your printed admit card, preferably in colour.
- Arrive early. Entry opens about 60 minutes before and closes 30 minutes before the start. Be in your seat 30 minutes prior; late arrivals are not admitted.
- Leave gadgets at home. Mobile phones, smart watches, ordinary wrist watches, electronic diaries, calculators with memory and any recording or communication device are banned, even switched off. DGCA does not store them for you.
- What you may use: a navigation computer (your CRP-5 or E6-B) and a non-memory scientific calculator are permitted for the Air Navigation paper. Do not share them with another candidate.
Copying, impersonation, carrying a phone into the hall or refusing an invigilator's instruction can get you disqualified in every subject and debarred from DGCA exams for up to five years, or permanently. It is never worth it. Sit the paper honestly, and re-sit it later if you must.
After the exam
Results are published on the portal, usually within about 30 days of the session. If you clear a paper, that pass is recorded against your Computer Number. If you do not, there is no penalty beyond the fee: you simply apply again in a later session. How the passes stack up, how long they stay valid, and the smartest order to attempt them is the next lesson.
Frequently asked questions
How much does each DGCA paper cost?+
Per DGCA's Pariksha portal, the fee is Rs 2,500 per paper for a regular examination and Rs 5,000 per paper for an On-Line On-Demand (OLOD) examination, paid online through Bharatkosh. Confirm the current fee on the portal before you apply.
What is the difference between a regular and an on-demand exam?+
Regular exams run four times a year at a lower fee; On-Line On-Demand exams run roughly monthly at a higher fee. The syllabus, format and pass mark are identical; you are only paying more for an earlier date. Check the examination calendar on Pariksha.
Can I use a flight computer or calculator in the exam?+
Yes, for the Air Navigation paper. DGCA's exam-day instructions permit a manual navigation computer (CRP-5 or E6-B) and a scientific calculator without multiple memory. Phones, smart watches and memory calculators are banned in every paper. Verify the current instructions on the Pariksha portal.
What ID do I need to carry to the exam centre?+
An original photo identity document (passport, Aadhaar, voter ID, defence ID, or a photo-bearing 10th, 12th, diploma or degree certificate) along with your printed admit card. Without a valid admit card you will not be allowed to sit.
When do I get my admit card and results?+
Download your admit card from the Pariksha portal about three days before the exam. Results are normally published on the portal within around 30 days of the session.
Key takeaways
- You apply for every paper on the Pariksha portal using your Computer Number; no agent is required.
- A regular exam costs Rs 2,500 per paper (four sessions a year); an on-demand exam costs Rs 5,000 (roughly monthly).
- Pay via Bharatkosh, then download your admit card about three days before; your centre is printed on it.
- Carry original photo ID; leave all gadgets behind. A navigation computer and non-memory calculator are allowed only for Air Navigation.
- Unfair means can debar you for years. Sit honestly, and re-sit later if a paper does not go your way.
Before you move on
Next, the shape of the exam system itself: the papers, the pass mark and how long a pass stays valid, in how the DGCA ground exams work.