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⌂ ▸ Engineer Training ▸ Aircraft Engineer Licence (CASA)

Part 66 CASA Licencing

Seeking an
Aircraft Engineer Licence?

How aircraft engineer licensing actually works in Australia: trade foundation, licence-aligned training, CASA exams and documented aircraft experience, in the right order. For apprentices, working AMEs, experienced engineers and overseas licence holders working out the cleanest path to a CASA outcome.

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How Licensing Works The Standard Pathway Why Quals Matter (And Why they Don’t) Understanding the Categories Experience Requirements How Our Process Works Two Routes to Outcomes CASA Self-Study Vs Part 147 International Why our Model is Trusted

How aircraft engineer licensing works in Australia

A Part 66 licence is not one exam and a form. It is built in layers: a trade qualification base, licence-aligned competency, CASA exams, and practical experience on operating aircraft.

The Pathway
to Licencing

The structured route is the Part 147 pathway. CASA says that pathway involves formalised licence category training and examination, plus competency assessment, delivered through a CASA-approved Part 147 maintenance training organisation inside the VET system.

The basic licence is then issued without a type rating. The first type rating normally sits on top of that and requires aircraft type training plus OJT.

How do I start
the Journey?

The pathway for an aircraft engineer in Australia is a trade certificate (i.e. a Certificate IV in Aeroskills) typically undertaken during an apprenticeship.

This is then followed by a prescribed set of more advanced units of competency (specified by CASA in the part 66 MOS), which can be undertaken via a traineeship (as a Diploma of Aeroskills – plus additional units in some cases) or via our RPL and Gap training mode for experienced engineers.

Exams & Experience for Licencing

You then undertake CASA part 66 knowledge exams (online, invigilated by Sigma) – and if you meet the practical experience requirements, you can apply for a licence.

You can then exercise certification privileges on an aircraft which do not have a type rating (under Appendix IX of the MOS) – as long as you comply with the terms of your licence subcategory, exclusions/inclusions and organisational authorisation – or go on to do your type rating.

When do I
Need a Type Rating?

If the aircraft is a type-rated aircraft and you want to certify maintenance or issue CRS on that aircraft under your Part 66 privileges, you need the relevant type rating endorsed.

CASA’s type-rating guidance says you obtain that endorsement through approved type training, with practical training and, for a first type rating, OJT as required. Sigma offers a range of type-rating courses for engineers on common types in Australia for once you’re licenced.

We help you
build your pathway

Sigma Aerospace College sits in that space as an ASQA-registered RTO and CASA Part 147 MTO, built specifically for aircraft engineer training and licensing.

That matters, because this page is not just about “how do I pass an exam?” It is about how to build a licence path for you – aligned to how you want your career to progress, and ensuring you have the experience and skills required.

The standard Part 147 pathway

Trade first. Then licence-aligned training. Then CASA exams. Then the experience and evidence trail to support the application.

Your pathway needs to be planned from the target licence backwards, not guessed as you go – so your training is as efficient (and less costly) as possible.

Build your trade qualification base
Many AMEs start by focusing on a Certificate IV in Aeroskills, usually through an apprenticeship or traineeship. CASA’s career guide says the Cert IV does not itself grant the licence, but when completed through a CASA-approved Part 147 MTO it can form part of the pathway – as you’re completing around half the VET Units of Competency required by the Part 66 MOS for a licence.
Move into the licence stream
For B1 or B2 (or an A Cat), you must complete a set of Units of Competency specified in the MOS – note that the MOS does not specify a qualification, but rather specific units – and they don’t always exactly align with a qualification. Under a traineeship you *will* be required to do a formal Diploma of Aeroskills Mechanical or Avionics – but in some cases we need to add units to meet the MOS requirements for your licence stream.
Sit the CASA exams
The qualification or Units of competency do not replace CASA exams. Under the Part 147 route, you still sit examinations against the Part 66 basic knowledge module requirements for the category or modular licence you want. Sigma offer an online invigilated and CASA approved remote examination procedure – and you can book your exams once we’re comfortable you’re ready (and you are too).
Build the aircraft experience
The licence also depends on practical maintenance experience on operating aircraft. The amount changes depending on the category, and is specified in the MOS – but for B-Category, it’s 3 years.
Apply to CASA
Once knowledge and experience are in place, you apply to CASA – we help provide all the documentation, and submit the required form 465. The basic licence is issued without type ratings. The first type rating usually then requires type training plus OJT.
Sigma Aerospace College has students undertaking category, type, & short-course training for acclaimed companies:
My situation has been sorted for me, thanks to Sigma – they genuinely care, and are subject-knowledgable.
Above & Beyond. I had a job pending a couple of [units I was missing] – I needed a custom MEA package, and Sigma delivered. [They] genuinely care & are subject-knowledgable. Puts the competition to shame, well done team! At last a practical, and non-money-centric approach. I’ve been an AME for 30 years and to be told your quals aren’t up to scratch in the likes of a 145 environment can be pretty demoralising. But with a combination of RPL, learning modules, and practical SOE, this situation has been sorted for me – thanks to Sigma.
Nathanial – National Jet Express

Why the Certificate IV and Diploma both matter (and why they don’t)

The qualification is not the licence – it’s units you’re after.

This is where a lot of engineers get lost. The Certificate IV is your trade base. The higher-level licence-aligned units then sit above that, (usually inside the Diploma packaging for the B1 or B2 stream – but noting that a ‘diploma’ is not required, the MOS-specified units are). The current Mechanical Diploma is written for B1 outcomes across B1.1, B1.2, B1.3 and B1.4 depending on units chosen. The current Avionics Diploma is written for B2. That is why many of these higher-level units can be covered inside a traineeship or workplace program.

For most engineers chasing A, B1 or B2, this is not a university-first profession. It is a trade, competence and experience profession. The MOS does include a limited academic-degree route for some Category C cases (licences certifying for Base Maintenance), but that is the exception, not the standard starting point for most certifying engineers.

The other point worth making plainly: the CASA exams are not there to replace the training system. They sit on top of it. The trade base, the units, the knowledge, the aircraft work and the exams all do different jobs.

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Part 66 licence categories, in plain English

Different categories mean different privileges, different training focus and different experience targets.

Category A is the line maintenance certifying mechanic licence. CASA describes it as covering minor scheduled line maintenance and simple defect rectification. It splits into A1, A2, A3 and A4 depending on aeroplane or helicopter, and turbine or piston.

Category B1 is the mechanical certifying engineer licence. CASA says it covers aircraft structures, powerplant, and mechanical and electrical systems. It splits into B1.1, B1.2, B1.3 and B1.4.

Category B2 is the avionics certifying engineer licence. CASA says it covers avionics and electrical systems and applies across aircraft.

Category C is the base maintenance certifying engineer category for large aeroplanes in a base maintenance environment.

If an engineer says “I want my licence”, the first thing we do is pin down is which category they actually mean.

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Sigma is the best RTO for licensing and [aircraft engineer] training
Very Good. Simple, straightforward, and the portal is excellent. Booking the CASA exams, and dealing with [the Sigma Team] was a blessing. Sigma is the best RTO for licensing and training – unlike the other main options [that are available]. Excellent – a blessing that’s for sure! Thank you Sigma! Without you guys, I would still be struggling in the system to get licensed.
Dominic – Qantaslink

Experience requirements change with the licence you want

Not every stream needs the same time on aircraft.

For Category A, B1.2 and B1.4, the MOS sets the standard at 3 years if you have not done relevant technical training, 2 years if you completed relevant skilled trade training, or 1 year if you completed a category training course through an MTO.

For B2, B1.1 and B1.3, the MOS sets the standard at 5 years with no relevant technical training, 3 years with relevant skilled trade training, or 2 years after a category training course through an MTO.

For an initial modular licence, the current MOS requires 2 years of practical maintenance experience on operating aircraft plus relevant category training, or self-study knowledge plus the modular logbook evidence.

Recent experience matters as well. CASA’s AMC/GM says that for an initial licence, at least 50% of the 1 year recent experience must have been gained in the 12 months before application. It also says that where experience has been gained outside a civil aircraft maintenance environment, CASA would expect additional civil aircraft maintenance experience – at least 6 months for Category A and 12 months for B1 or B2.

This is why good training plans starts with the actual category, a target date, and real support – not with a generic promise.

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How Sigma runs the licensing process

Assess the unit properly first. Then use CASA’s exams for what CASA intended them to be.

Sigma’s model is built around evidence-first competence under the VET system, then licensing exams once the engineer has both the underpinning knowledge and the right maintenance exposure. We do not treat a licensing sampling exam as if it proves every element of a unit. First, we assess the unit to full coverage. Then we use the CASA exams as the CASA exams.

That means separate knowledge assessment for the unit, real practical evidence, and a 1:1 competency conversation with a senior instructor. Sigma’s own assessment model says competency conversations are used to test reasoning, decision-making, limits, hazards and fault logic. Evidence is reviewed at task level – correct task, correct data, correct process, correct recording, correct supervision – not just at paperwork volume. In-person visits and logbook reviews for apprentices and trainees are also there to confirm the evidence actually reflects the standard.

Efficient is good. Softer and ‘easier’ assessment is not.

Looking to start? We can help
Absolutely, I can’t recommend Sigma highly enough
I found the Sigma content on the portal was most helpful as the information was clear and concise. Absolutely, I can’t recommend Sigma highly enough and always speak highly of Sigma to anyone. Everything has been so easy with Sigma and I honestly don’t think gaining the CASA license and Diploma would have been possible with [other] RTOs due to lengthy wait times on RPLs, confusing course material and exams.
Lewis – Northrup Grumman

Two Sigma routes to the same licensing outcome

Pick the delivery model that matches where you are now.

Workplace pathway
Best for apprentices, trainees and engineers who want a structured build. This is the more supported route. Sigma sequences units around real hangar work, sets a full training plan, runs regular check-ins, gives direct trainer access, and keeps the employer in the loop. The current workplace model includes monthly 1:1 check-ins, toolbox talks, guided learning material, tutoring, evidence reviews and workplace visits.
RPL and gap training
Best for experienced engineers who already have serious aircraft history and want the shortest clean path without repeating what they have already proved. This is especially useful for engineers chasing another category, broader privileges or a multi-category outcome. Sigma’s model is built around rapid gap mapping, a custom training environment and only the training and evidence work that is actually needed.
Important distinction
Sigma RPL and gap training is still a structured Part 147/VET route. It is not the same thing as CASA self-study. CASA’s self-study pathway is a separate pathway based on self-study exams and logbook evidence outside the Part 147 training environment.
Why this matters for multi-category engineers
The MOS has separate practical experience tables for adding a category or subcategory to an existing licence, and separate task-list based rules inside the modular structure. In other words, if you already hold something, you are not always starting from zero. That is exactly where good RPL and gap training earns its keep.

The Part 147 Training College Route versus CASA self-study

The self-study pathway is valid but it’s not the best one for most engineers.

CASA’s self-study pathway lets engineers self-study the Part 66 knowledge syllabus, sit the 17 basic knowledge module exams, and submit a practical experience logbook. CASA says it improves access for people who are not near a Part 147 MTO or are not able to train and be assessed by one.

The issue is not that it is invalid. The issue is what it does not give you. It does not put you through the Part 147/VET training environment, it does not give you the nationally recognised qualification that comes with that route, and it does not currently cater for exclusion removal — CASA says engineers wanting exclusion removal should contact a Part 147 MTO. For most engineers, especially those who want support, cleaner evidence, and a qualification that still matters later in their career, the Part 147 route is the stronger option.

Do not confuse CASA self-study with Sigma’s RPL and gap training. They are not the same thing.

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The guidance from the instructors has prepared me well for applying these skills in a real work environment.
I feel very confident and job-ready based on what I’ve learned in this course. The practical exercises, clear materials, and the guidance from the instructors has prepared me well for applying these skills in a real work environment.
Ryan – TP Aerospace

International engineers have two broad options

Straight recognition where it makes sense. VET/RPL where it adds value.

Some overseas licence holders can take a straight recognition or direct conversion path, usually involving identified gap exams and essays without MEA units or an Australian qualification. Others are better served by the VET Diploma pathway, where Sigma uses RPL and gap training to map existing experience against the Australian outcome and award the relevant units while closing only the real gaps. The right choice depends on your current state, category, exam history and evidence trail.

This is also where Sigma’s RPL and gap model becomes useful for engineers adding another category or broadening the scope of their privileges. The goal is not to restart from zero. The goal is to identify what still needs to be proven, then do only that.

But critically, Sigma Aerospace College is not CRICOS registered, and cannot accept applications from students on a 500-class visa or where their visa conditions disallow.

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Why engineers and employers trust Sigma’s model

Fast start. Clear answers. Tight evidence.

Sigma’s current material is consistent on two points: the college is built for aircraft engineers, and the process is designed to move quickly. Our initial RPL report – the document which lays out gaps, what can be credit transferred, and where full-unit RPL can be applied based on mapped precedents is turned around in days, not weeks or months, and our custom training plans can be delivered in under a week. That speed matters to engineers and employers alike.

But the speed is not coming from lower standards. It comes from tighter, highly detailed mapping of common industry-standard precedents (like licences, CAR31 basics, or aircraft maintenance trade qualifications), aligned learning material, direct trainer access, and a process that keeps study, assessment and workplace evidence pointed at the same outcome. Faster to start is not easier to pass.

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Apprenticeships

Workplace-based Cert IV and licence-aligned progression.

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RPL Process for Aircraft Engineers

How Sigma maps existing experience and identifies only the real gaps.

Explore

Study Modes

Compare workplace delivery, RPL and other delivery options.

View study modes

Diploma of Aeroskills

The main licence-aligned VET vehicle for B1 and B2 streams.

View the diploma

CASA Part 66 Examinations

Understand the exams, how they fit, and when to sit them.

View the exam page

Licence Conversions

Straight recognition and VET-based routes for overseas engineers.

View licence conversions

Want the shortest compliant path to your next licence milestone?
Tell us what you hold now, what aircraft you work on, and what licence outcome you are actually chasing. We’ll tell you whether the right move is workplace delivery, RPL and gap training, or a conversion path.
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