Meteorology
Updated: Sources checked on 3 November 2026
In short
Meteorology is one of the nine subjects of the PPL theory exam. In Germany, the North German authorities set 20 questions in 40 minutes (as of 05/2021); in Switzerland it is 16 questions in 20 minutes.
What the subject covers
The syllabus runs from the structure of the atmosphere through temperature, pressure and density, the ICAO standard atmosphere and altimetry to wind, humidity and adiabatic processes. It continues with clouds and fog, precipitation, air masses and fronts, pressure systems and climatology, the hazards of icing, turbulence, wind shear and thunderstorms, and the meteorological information used for flight planning. The full structure is set out in the EASA syllabus AMC1 FCL.210; FCL.215.
Scope in the exam
| Country | Questions | Minutes |
|---|---|---|
| Germany (North German aviation authorities, as of 05/2021) | 20 | 40 |
| Switzerland (FOCA/BAZL, valid from 1 January 2026) | 16 | 20 |
Austro Control does not give figures per subject on its page. How the exam works in each country is explained on the country pages.
Topics
- The Standard Atmosphere (ISA) in Numbers The ISA in numbers: 15 °C, 1013.25 hPa, 6.5 °C per km and a tropopause at 11 km. With a worked example and why your altimeter relies on it.
- QNH and QFE: What Your Altimeter Shows QNH, QFE or 1013.2 hPa: what the altimeter shows, what it reads on the ground and how to check it with the 30 ft per hPa rule of thumb.
- The clouds that matter for VFR pilots Ten cloud genera on three levels, and which matter for VFR flight: cumulonimbus, towering cumulus, cumulus, stratus, nimbostratus, lenticular clouds.
- High to low, look out below: the altimeter error Fly from high into low pressure without resetting the altimeter and you are lower than shown. With a worked example, the cold-air effect and a mnemonic.
- How to Read a METAR, Step by Step How to read a METAR: the fixed order of the groups, a real example from Vienna and the abbreviations you need for the theory exam.
- Cloud Cover: FEW, SCT, BKN and OVC in a METAR FEW, SCT, BKN, OVC: how many eighths of the sky are covered, how the cloud base is reported and when cloud becomes a ceiling.
Sources
- 1. Easy Access Rules for Aircrew (Regulation (EU) No 1178/2011), Revision October 2026 (EASA, AMC1 FCL.210; FCL.215, accessed 3 November 2026)
- 2. Informationsblatt Theoretische Prüfung, as of 05/2021 (Luftfahrtbehörden Norddeutschland, accessed 3 November 2026)
- 3. BAZL GM/INFO Theorieprüfungen für Privatpiloten, valid from 1 January 2026 (Federal Office of Civil Aviation (FOCA/BAZL), chapter 5, accessed 3 November 2026)
Related topics
- PPL theory: the nine exam subjects The nine subjects of the EASA PPL theory at a glance, with their content, exam scope by country and sourced topic pages to learn from.
- The EASA PPL theory exam How the PPL theory exam works: 75 per cent per subject, an 18-month window, four attempts, 24 months validity and how countries differ.
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