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Free INRAT Study References

Every official Transport Canada and Nav Canada publication you need to pass the Canadian IFR written exam. All free, all in one place.

These are the only sources you should be studying from. If a question on IFRTEST.ca references a concept, it traces back to one of the documents below — no FAA handbooks, no generic prep material. Bookmark this page.

On this page

1. Official TC Syllabus
2. TC Aeronautical Information Manual
3. Canadian Aviation Regulations
4. Instrument Rating Advisory Circulars
5. Navigation & Approach (RNAV / PBN)
6. Meteorology & Weather
7. Winter Operations & Icing
8. Charts & Publications
9. Instrument Procedures Manuals

📘 Official TC Syllabus

Start here. This is Transport Canada's own enumeration of what the INRAT tests — every topic, every reference, every weighting.

TP 691EStudy and Reference Guide — Instrument Rating Written Examinations
The master INRAT syllabus. Lists every topic area on the exam and which publications to study for each. Read this first.
TP 9939EFlight Test Guide — Instrument Rating Groups 1, 2 & 3 Aeroplane
How the practical flight test is conducted and graded. Useful context for why the written exam emphasises certain areas.

📗 TC Aeronautical Information Manual (TC AIM)

TP 14371. The single most important INRAT reference — updated every 6 months by Transport Canada. Read the RAC, MET, COM, and AIR sections cover-to-cover.

TP 14371TC AIM — full manual (landing page with all sections)
Download the current edition. Each section below links to the same manual — one PDF per section.
GENGeneral
Units of measure, ICAO abbreviations, conversion tables, glossary.
AGAAerodromes
Aerodrome markings, lighting, taxi procedures, runway condition reporting.
COMCommunications
ATC phraseology, radio procedures, CPDLC, emergency comms, COM failure.
METMeteorology
Canadian aviation weather services. METAR/TAF/GFA/SIGMET, icing, turbulence, PIREPs. Major INRAT focus.
RACRules of the Air & Air Traffic Services
The heart of IFR: clearances, separation, holding, missed approach, RVSM, alternate requirements. Biggest INRAT focus.
AIRAirmanship
Human factors, contaminated runways, wake turbulence, aircraft performance.
SARSearch and Rescue
SAR procedures, ELTs, distress and urgency signals.
LRALicensing, Registration & Airworthiness
Medical requirements, licence privileges, registration marks, airworthiness.
MAPAeronautical Charts & Publications
How to read Canadian enroute, terminal, and approach charts; CFS and CAP symbology.

📜 Canadian Aviation Regulations (CARs)

The law. The INRAT tests regulations directly — focus on Part VI Subpart 2 (IFR flight rules) and the alternate/fuel/equipment sections.

CARsCanadian Aviation Regulations — full text (SOR/96-433)
The complete consolidated regulations from the Department of Justice. Searchable.
Part IGeneral Provisions — Definitions (CAR 101)
Every defined term the INRAT uses — "IFR", "alternate aerodrome", "instrument approach", "ceiling", "visibility".
Part IVPersonnel Licensing (CAR 401)
Licence privileges, recency requirements, IFR currency rules, instrument rating standards.
CAR 602Operating and Flight Rules — IFR Divisions
Heavily tested. Includes minimum IFR altitudes, takeoff minima, fuel requirements, alternates (602.122–602.126), landing minima.
CAR 605Aircraft Requirements — IFR Equipment
What instruments and equipment must be installed and serviceable for IFR flight.

📋 Instrument Rating Advisory Circulars

Transport Canada guidance on maintaining and exercising instrument rating privileges.

AC 401-004Conduct of Instrument Proficiency Checks
How IPCs are administered and the recency requirements for IFR privileges.
AC 401-005Maintaining Instrument Rating Privileges
Guidelines for meeting instrument rating recency requirements under CAR 401.05.
AC 500-020Temperature Compensation for Instrument Approach Procedures
Cold-temperature altitude corrections for approach minima — tested on the INRAT.
AC 602-002Aerodrome Operating Visibility for IFR Operations
Rules for takeoff and approach visibility minima at Canadian aerodromes.

🧭 Navigation & Approach (RNAV / PBN / RVSM)

Modern performance-based navigation is on the INRAT. These ACs cover the standards.

AC 700-023Required Navigation Performance Approach (RNP APCH)
LNAV/VNAV, LPV, LP — how RNP approaches work in Canadian airspace.
AC 700-024RNP Authorization Required Approach (RNP AR APCH)
Advanced RNP approaches with curved paths and tight containment.
AC 700-025Required Navigation Performance 1 (RNP 1)
Terminal-area PBN used for SIDs and STARs.
AC 700-038Performance-based Navigation (PBN) — Enroute
RNAV 2, RNAV 5, RNP 2, RNP 4 — enroute navigation specifications.
AC 700-039RVSM Specific Approval Requirements
Reduced Vertical Separation Minimum — FL290 to FL410, 1,000-ft separation.
AC 700-049Missed Approaches with Published Climb Gradients
How to comply with non-standard missed approach climb requirements.

🌦️ Meteorology & Weather

Weather is ~25% of the INRAT. Study the TC AIM MET section first, then use these as supplements.

Nav CanadaAviation Weather Web Site (AWWS)
Live METARs, TAFs, GFAs, SIGMETs, PIREPs. The operational source for everything the INRAT shows you.
TP 1490Manual of All Weather Operations (CAT II & III)
Low-visibility approach operations and procedures.
TCAviation Safety Letter — weather articles
Practical weather and icing articles published by Transport Canada. Useful scenario-based reading.

❄️ Winter Operations & Icing

Canadian IFR flying means winter flying. The INRAT tests icing, contamination, and holdover times.

TP 14052Guidelines for Aircraft Ground Icing Operations
The master reference for de-icing and anti-icing fluids, procedures, and inspections.
TCHoldover Time (HOT) Guidelines
Updated annually. Fluid-type HOT tables used in real operations — referenced by INRAT questions.
AC 300-019Global Reporting Format (GRF) for Runway Surface Conditions
The current standard for how contaminated runway conditions are reported to pilots.
AC 700-057GRF for Runway Surface Conditions — Flight Operations
How pilots use GRF RCR codes in takeoff and landing performance calculations.
AC 700-060Braking Action Reports
Pilot reports of braking action and their operational use.
TP 10643When In Doubt — Aircraft Critical Surface Contamination
The "clean aircraft concept" — TC's classic training text on ground icing.

🗺️ Charts & Publications

Nav Canada publishes the operational charts. The INRAT tests chart reading — especially the CAP.

Nav CanadaAIP Canada (ICAO-format)
Official ICAO-format Aeronautical Information Publication. GEN, ENR, AD sections supplement the TC AIM.
Nav CanadaCanada Flight Supplement (CFS)
Airport directory — runways, frequencies, services. Required for IFR flight planning.
Nav CanadaCanada Air Pilot (CAP) & CAP GEN
All IFR approach, SID, and STAR charts for Canadian airports. CAP GEN explains chart symbology and minima.
Nav CanadaAeronautical Information Circulars (AICs)
Advance notice of regulatory and procedural changes not yet in the TC AIM or AIP.

✈️ Instrument Procedures Manuals

Deep-dive reference texts for instrument flight theory and procedure design.

TP 2076Instrument Procedures Manual
Classic Transport Canada IFR reference — instruments, nav systems, ATC, flight planning, approaches. Still widely cited.
TP 308 / GPH 209Criteria for the Development of Instrument Procedures
How SIDs, STARs, and approaches are actually designed. Explains why minima look the way they do.

Study smart — not everything

These documents are thousands of pages combined. IFRTEST.ca pulls the 513 INRAT-specific concepts out and drills you on them.

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