A lot of students come into INRAT prep assuming it's just a harder PPL exam. Same format, more questions, more obscure rules. That assumption is how you end up failing your first attempt with an 84%.
The INRAT is a different animal. The format is similar, yes, but the subject matter shifts significantly, the question style gets more applied, and the pass mark is higher. If you're expecting a straight-line progression from your PPL written, this article will reset that expectation.
The Basics: Format Side by Side
Here's where the two exams stand from a pure format perspective:
| Detail | PPL Written (PPAER) | INRAT Written |
|---|---|---|
| Number of questions | 100 | 100 |
| Time allowed | 3.5 hours | 3.5 hours |
| Pass mark | 60% | 70% |
| Format | Multiple choice | Multiple choice |
| Administered by | Transport Canada / Designated Exam Centre | Transport Canada / Designated Exam Centre |
| Open book? | No | No |
| Aids permitted | E6B, flight computer, approved tables | E6B, flight computer, approved tables |
On paper: same number of questions, same time limit, same format. The difference is in the pass mark (60% vs 70%) and in the actual content of those 100 questions.
That 10-point gap in the pass mark is not trivial. On the PPL you can miss 40 questions and pass. On the INRAT you can only miss 30. The questions are harder and the margin for error is smaller.
What Carries Over From Your PPL
The INRAT does not start from scratch. You will see questions on topics you already know — just applied at a higher level or in an IFR context:
- Air law and regulations — CARs, airspace, flight rules. The INRAT adds IFR-specific regs but you're expected to know the basics cold.
- Meteorology fundamentals — fronts, clouds, pressure systems. You learned this for PPL. On the INRAT, it goes further (more below).
- Navigation basics — magnetic variation, compass errors, dead reckoning. These concepts still show up.
- Aerodynamics — same baseline knowledge, though the INRAT may apply it to instrument flight scenarios.
- Aircraft systems — general principles still tested, plus pitot-static and gyro instruments more specifically.
These areas are not free marks, but they're familiar territory. If you studied properly for PPL, you have a foundation. The INRAT builds on it rather than replacing it.
What's New on the INRAT
This is where students get caught. The INRAT adds whole subject areas that simply do not exist on the PPL exam:
Instrument Approaches
The PPL has zero instrument approach content. The INRAT has a lot of it. You need to know ILS, VOR, RNAV/GNSS, and NDB approaches: approach categories, minimums, decision altitude vs minimum descent altitude, required visibility, circling approaches, and how to read an approach plate. These questions test applied knowledge, not just definitions.
Holding
Holding patterns are INRAT territory exclusively. Entry procedures (parallel, teardrop, direct), timing, wind corrections in the hold, clearance readback, holding at fixes vs airways intersections. You can expect multiple holding questions on any given exam.
Communications Failure
What do you do when the radio dies in IMC? The INRAT tests this specifically: route to fly, altitude to maintain, when to start the approach, squawk 7600. This comes from the Aeronautical Information Manual and CARs, and it requires you to know the sequence cold, not just understand the concept.
IFR Flight Planning
Alternate aerodrome requirements, IFR fuel reserves, filed route construction, departure alternates, TEC routes in Canada — none of this is on the PPL. The INRAT tests these at a practical level: given a forecast, does this airport qualify as an alternate? What's the minimum fuel required for this flight?
Meteorology — in Depth
The PPL met section is conceptual. The INRAT expects you to actually decode and interpret weather products: METARs, TAFs, GFAs, SIGMETs, AIRMETs, PIREPs, and FDs (winds aloft). You need to extract specific information quickly and apply it to go/no-go decisions or alternate planning. Time pressure matters here.
IFR Airspace and ATC Procedures
Controlled airspace rules under IFR, IFR clearances, lost comm procedures, ATC phraseology, departure and arrival procedures, transponder requirements. The PPL covers airspace basics but not the ATC procedural depth that the INRAT requires.
Why PPL Veterans Still Fail
I've seen pilots with 200+ hours and a solid PPL score walk into the INRAT and come out below 70%. Here's why:
Overconfidence on familiar topics. The met and nav questions look familiar from PPL but they go deeper. You recognize the topic and assume you know it, then miss the detail. A question about a METAR isn't asking "what is a METAR" — it's asking you to decode an obscure remark code or identify a condition that makes an airport below alternate minima.
Underpreparation on the new material. If you spend your study time reviewing PPL content, you're spending it on 40% of the exam and ignoring the other 60%. The instrument procedures, holds, and comm failure material takes dedicated time to learn from scratch.
Not practicing under time pressure. The INRAT questions are longer than PPL questions. Some require you to extract data from a weather chart or apply a multi-step procedure. Students who study by reading notes rather than doing practice questions often run short on time. 3.5 hours sounds like a lot — it isn't if you're working through dense met decoding questions.
Not knowing the AIM. The PPL is largely CARs-based. The INRAT pulls heavily from the AIM — specifically the instrument procedures chapters. If you've never opened that document, you will see questions you can't answer.
How to Approach the Difference in Practice
The practical implication is this: treat the INRAT like a new exam, not an upgrade. Start your study plan fresh. Yes, your PPL knowledge shortens the learning curve on some topics — but the new material (approaches, holding, comm failure, IFR met, IFR flight planning) needs to be learned from the ground up.
For a realistic look at how long that takes, see How Long to Prepare for the INRAT Exam. For a breakdown of all the subject categories and their weighting, INRAT Exam Categories covers what Transport Canada actually tests and in what proportion.
The most effective prep method is practice questions, not passive reading. You need to see how the exam applies the material — the question style matters as much as the content. Doing 20 questions on holding entries will teach you more than reading about them for an hour. For a breakdown of the specific question types that catch candidates in each topic area, the INRAT practice area question guide is worth reading before you sit down to drill.
Practice the Real Question Style
IFRTEST.ca has 500+ practice questions built specifically for the Canadian INRAT exam — including holding, approaches, met decoding, and comm failure. Try it free.
Start Free PracticeBottom Line
The INRAT and PPL written exams share a format, but that's about where the similarity ends. The pass mark is 10 points higher. The subject matter adds entire categories that don't exist on the PPL. And the questions expect you to apply knowledge, not just recognize it.
Your PPL gives you a foundation. The INRAT asks you to build something on top of it that you haven't built before. Respect that, and study accordingly.
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