The public facts about the Latvian A1/A3 exam are simple: it's online, free, timed, and built around the nine Open-category knowledge areas the CAA publishes.
Official format
The CAA A1/A3 course page says:
- 40 questions
- 40 minutes
- at least 75% correct to pass
The course itself is free, and the certificate you get after passing is valid for 5 years across the European Union.
What the exam is built around
The published syllabus has nine topics:
- air safety
- airspace limitations
- aviation regulation
- human performance limitations
- operational procedures
- general UAS knowledge
- privacy and data protection
- insurance
- security
This matters because the safest way to prepare is to study topic by topic, not to chase rumours about “the real questions”.
What you need before you start
To get into the Latvian A1/A3 course and exam, the public CAA page lists one practical requirement:
- a Latvian remote-pilot number
In practice, that means you need access to the e.caa.gov.lv portal before you can sit the exam.
What to expect on the day
The official page doesn't describe anything complicated. The basic sequence is:
- log in to the CAA portal
- open the A1/A3 course and exam section
- finish the exam within the time limit
- once you pass, get the certificate in the CAA UAS information system
The interface isn't the hard part. The real test is whether you can apply the Open-category rules cleanly under time pressure.
What's worth revising carefully
The topics that usually deserve a second read are the ones people think they already know:
- the difference between operator and remote pilot
- when registration is required
- VLOS versus FPV
- the 120 m height limit
- the difference between A1, A2 and A3
- Latvian geographical zones
- the basics of privacy, insurance, and security duties
If your understanding is only rough, “I more or less know how it works”, that usually shows in the exam.
A better way to prepare
A practical approach:
- go through the official CAA course once, without rushing
- review the rules for Open category and registration
- go back over the numbers and distance rules
- only practise scenario questions once the rules themselves are clear
It can feel slower at first, but it's usually faster than memorising answer patterns.
What not to rely on
Skip three weak strategies:
- treating blog summaries as if they were the regulation itself
- learning isolated answers without understanding the rule behind them
- assuming a sub-250 g camera drone and an A1/A3 requirement always go together
The official CAA pages are more reliable than recycled “exam tips”.
Your next step
Once you know the format, the fastest way to pass is structured prep, not rumour-chasing. Our online course walks through the full A1/A3 syllabus, and if you're still not sure the exam even applies to your drone, the category checker settles it. For the wider picture — registration, categories, and where this sits before your first flight — see the A1/A3 overview and the step-by-step guide.
