Exam Structure
The Bronze exam has 10 sections, each with 12 multiple-choice questions (for a total of 120 questions):
- Air Law and ATC procedures
- Human Performance
- Meteorology
- Communications
- Principles of Flight
- Operational Procedures
- Flight Performance and Planning
- Aircraft General Knowledge, Airframe and Systems
- Navigation I
- Navigation II
For a detailed list of the sub-topics in each section, see pages 49 & 50 of “Part FCL for Glider Pilots”, available here:
http://www.egu-info.org/dwnl/Part%20FCL%20for%20glider%20pilots.pdf
The pass mark is 75% in each section (i.e. 9 correct answers to the 12 questions in each section).
There is no time limit, but we suggest that 2 hours is usually enough to complete the exam.
To get an impression of the sort of questions to expect, see these lists of questions and answers from the exam in former years:
However, note that this “Bronze Confuser” is very out of date, and some of its answers were never right in the first place, so if you use it, please treat it with great caution.
Study materials
The BGA publishes a “Bronze Endorsement Theoretical Knowledge Syllabus”:
https://members.gliding.co.uk/library/pilot-training/bronze-theoretical-study-guide/
The best textbook to use to study for the exam is undoubtedly:
Bronze and Beyond – John McCullagh
http://www.mccullagh.biz/
This slim volume contains almost everything that you need to know to pass the Bronze exam (and very little that you don’t). If you only use one book to study for the exam, make it this one.
If you want to go into more depth on many topics, you may also find this comprehensive textbook useful in addition to (but not instead of) “Bronze and Beyond”:
Gliding: Theory of Flight – BGA
https://bgashop.co.uk/cart/index.php?route=product/product&path=18_5&product_id=1
CGC usually has copies of both books for sale.
You should also study the BGA’s “Laws and Rules”, downloadable here:
Lecture course
While it’s perfectly possible to self-study for the Bronze exam, CGC also organises a lecture course each winter to augment your own studies. Please contact the CGC office to find out about the next course, or for further details on how to take the exam after studying on your own.
What to bring to the exam
To take the exam itself, you will need:
- Pencil
- Rubber
- Recent 1:500,000 Southern England and Wales chart
- Permanent pen for marking up chart (black or blue would be best)
- Solvent to erase chart mark-up (e.g. meths)
- Aviation chart ruler (with kilometre and nautical mile scales)
- Protractor
- Calculator (not essential)
- Bronze Claim Form (to be signed after successfully passing the exam!) – https://members.gliding.co.uk/library/pilots/bronze-endorsement-application-form/
DO NOT buy a new chart specifically for the exam; the Southern England and Wales chart is revised annually in March, so if you buy one over the winter it will be useless for flying by the time the soaring season starts. CGC members with soon-to-be-obsolete used charts donate enough of them to the club over the winter for us to lend one to each Bronze candidate.
