PSTAR Study Guide 2026
Everything you need to pass the PSTAR exam in one place: the exam format, every topic to study, real practice questions with explanations, flashcards, and full-length practice tests. Free, no sign-up needed.
PSTAR exam key facts
- The Transport Canada PSTAR exam has 50 questions drawn from the roughly 200 questions in the TP 11919 study and reference guide. Source
- The PSTAR exam has a 1.5-hour time limit, and applicants whose mother tongue is neither English nor French can get up to 20% more time. Source
- The PSTAR pass mark is 90%, and a student pilot must answer at least 45 of the 50 questions correctly before their first solo flight is authorized. Source
- Under CAR 400.04(2), a candidate who fails PSTAR can rewrite it at any time after receiving notice of the failure and reviewing their weak knowledge areas, with none of the 14- or 30-day waits that apply to other Transport Canada pilot exams. Source
📋 PSTAR Exam Format at a Glance
📚 PSTAR Topics to Study (21)
✍️ Sample PSTAR Questions & Answers
1. What does a NOTAM stand for and what is its purpose?
NOTAM (Notice to Airmen) is an official notice distributed to pilots about changes in airspace, navigation aids, procedures, or hazards.
2. What is the proper way to state the time 1435 UTC in a radio transmission?
Times in aviation radio communications are stated digit by digit: 'One-four-three-five' to avoid confusion with similar-sounding numbers.
3. What are Warning Areas in relation to US airspace?
Warning Areas extend from 3 NM offshore and contain military activities that may pose hazards, but unlike restricted areas, the US has no authority to prohibit civilian flight there.
4. When should a pilot say 'MAYDAY' on the radio?
MAYDAY (repeated three times) is reserved for life-threatening emergencies requiring immediate assistance from rescue services.
5. On a sectional chart, what does a number in a box with a 'T' symbol indicate?
A tower symbol on a sectional chart with a number above the T-icon shows the tower's height above mean sea level (MSL) with AGL height in parentheses.
6. What wind condition is associated with a mountain wave?
Mountain waves form when strong winds blow perpendicular (across) a mountain ridge, creating wave oscillations on the leeward side.
🎯 Free PSTAR Practice Tests
📖 PSTAR Guides & Articles
What Practice Test Geeks adds beyond an AI chat for PSTAR
An AI chatbot can quiz you, but it can't reproduce the exam conditions or keep your record. Here you get:
- A timed, full-length PSTAR mock exam — 50 questions in 90 minutes with a 90% pass mark, modeled on the official exam's question count and time limit, followed by a score report broken down by exam domain.
- A fixed PSTAR question bank: the same test every attempt, so your score is comparable from one try to the next instead of changing with every regenerated quiz.
- Progress saved on your device: completed tests, scores and missed questions stay in My Progress, so you can retake only what you got wrong.
- A printable PSTAR cheat sheet you can print or save as a PDF.
- PSTAR flashcards built from the same question bank.
- Free PSTAR practice tests with the correct answer shown after each question.
How this page was made: written with AI tools and published by Nathan Beja, founder of Practice Test Geeks, who is responsible for its content. Exam facts are checked against the official sources listed below. Not reviewed by a subject-matter expert. Editorial policy
Sources & references
Exam facts on this page (fees, format, dates, passing scores) are checked against these official sources; the date is our last check. Editorial policy
- laws-lois.justice.gc.ca — Retake policy · verified Oct 2026
- tc.canada.ca — Passing score, time limit, test delivery, exam format · verified Oct 2026