Who can examine me, and who can review my flight?

Know what the examination rules forbid, who is permitted to conduct a flight review, what a flight reviewer has to verify before starting one, and what a training provider owes the Minister and its candidates. AIM 3.3.2

This is the other half of the licensing Division. The previous lesson covers what it takes to hold a certificate; this one covers the people who test you for it.

• You know that an examination and a flight review are different events, and that only the advanced and level 1 complex routes require the review. CAR 901.64
• You know that a flight reviewer rating is an endorsement on a pilot certificate, not a separate certificate of its own. CAR 901.176

No person shall, in respect of an examination taken under this Division: copy or remove any portion of the examination's text; give help to or accept help from anyone during the examination, unless the Minister authorizes it for accommodation purposes; or complete any portion of the examination on behalf of another person. CAR 901.58

The same three acts are prohibited again for the advanced and level 1 complex Divisions. CAR 901.67 CAR 901.93

Three details carry the weight:

• the section binds "no person", so giving help is prohibited exactly as accepting it is; CAR 901.58
• the accommodation carve-out is permission-based and narrow — help is lawful only when the Minister has authorized it for accommodation purposes; CAR 901.58
• writing an examination for someone else is a separate act from helping them. CAR 901.58

A person who fails an examination taken under this Division shall not retake it for 24 hours, CAR 901.59 and the same wait applies to the flight reviewer examination. CAR 901.178

Section 901.68 is worth reading on its own, because it names both: no person who fails an examination or a flight review taken under this Division shall retake either for 24 hours after it. So a failed flight review has its own 24-hour rule, separate from the retake rules for the examinations. CAR 901.68

For a flight review under paragraph 901.64(c), the person performing the duties of flight reviewer must both hold an advanced operations or level 1 complex operations pilot certificate endorsed with a flight reviewer rating, and be able to demonstrate affiliation with a training provider that has declared to the Minister under section 921.05 or 921.08 of Standard 921. CAR 901.175

For a flight review under paragraph 901.90(e) the conditions tighten: the reviewer must hold a level 1 complex operations certificate endorsed with the rating, and the declaration must be under section 921.08. CAR 901.175

Two conditions, and only one of them is about competence. An experienced, rated reviewer who cannot demonstrate the affiliation may not conduct the review. CAR 901.175

The AIM adds who watches the watchers: flight reviews are conducted by qualified reviewers who have undergone additional Transport Canada testing and are monitored closely by both the self-declared RPAS training organization with which they associate and Transport Canada. AIM 3.5.1 AIM 3.3.2 AIM 3.5

It also sharpens the affiliation into a rule about which provider you may review for: to conduct advanced operations flight reviews, the reviewer must be affiliated with either a TP 15263 or a TP 15530 self-declared provider; to conduct level 1 complex operations flight reviews, the affiliation must be with a TP 15530 provider. AIM 3.5.2

The Minister endorses a pilot certificate with a flight reviewer rating if the applicant demonstrates that they are at least 18; hold an advanced operations or level 1 complex operations certificate and meet the recency requirements of section 901.65 or 901.91; have held that certificate for at least six months immediately before the date of application; and have successfully completed the "Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems — Flight Reviewers" examination under TP 15263. CAR 901.176

Note how many of those are clocks: recency, and six months of holding the certificate.

No person shall conduct a flight review referred to in paragraph 901.64(c) or 901.90(e) unless the review is conducted in accordance with section 921.06 of Standard 921. CAR 901.181

That standard requires the reviewer, before conducting the review, to verify the applicant's identity; that the candidate has registered the aircraft under section 900.13 and established procedures under section 901.23; and that the candidate has passed the examination that the relevant review depends on. Std 921.06

So a review is not a flight. It opens with document checks, and the first is identity.

A training provider is eligible to make a declaration to the Minister under section 921.05 or 921.08 of Standard 921 if the provider is Canadian. CAR 901.179

A provider that has declared for flight reviews must: submit to the Minister the name of any affiliated person who intends to perform the duties of a flight reviewer; ensure that person conducts reviews in accordance with section 901.181; and, if that person ceases to be affiliated, notify the Minister within seven days after the affiliation ceases. CAR 901.180

The seven-day duty belongs to the provider, not to the reviewer who left. CAR 901.180

No training provider shall deliver the ground school instruction referred to in paragraph 901.90(c) unless it has declared under section 921.08 of Standard 921 and has appointed a chief ground instructor responsible for delivering it. A provider must inform the Minister within 30 days after any change in that appointment. CAR 901.182

No person shall act as chief ground instructor unless they hold a level 1 complex operations pilot certificate endorsed with a flight reviewer rating. CAR 901.183

And the provider must give written proof of completion to everyone who completes the ground school instruction. CAR 901.184

Two notification clocks, and they are different: seven days for a departing flight reviewer, 30 days for a change of chief ground instructor. CAR 901.180 CAR 901.182

The AIM defines it, and the definition is worth having before the rules: a flight review is an in-person, holistic operational assessment of an RPA pilot's skills. AIM 3.5.1 AIM 3.5

"Holistic" is the load-bearing word. In addition to confirming that an advanced or level 1 complex operations applicant has the documentation the Regulations require — pre-flight information under section 901.24, normal checklists, emergency checklists and a site survey under section 901.27 — the reviewer is also validating the candidate's identity and knowledge, and their operational and flight skills. AIM 3.5.1 AIM 3.5

So a review is not a paperwork check with a flight attached, and it is not a flight with paperwork attached. It is both, of a named person, on a named day. AIM 3.5.1 AIM 3.5 CAR 901.24 CAR 901.27

The flight reviewer examination is available in the Drone Management Portal to advanced or level 1 complex operations certificate holders with more than six months of experience. It contains 30 questions, requires a mark of 80% to pass, and covers both advanced category operations and flight review requirements. Once successful, the applicant pays a fee to have the rating added to their pilot certificate. AIM 3.5.2

The 80% figure is the standard's, not the AIM's: a candidate for the flight reviewer rating must obtain a minimum of 80% on the examination. Std 921.03

Two consequences are stated explicitly, and both are examinable: AIM 3.5.2

• the flight reviewer examination must only be passed once — an existing reviewer who already holds an advanced certificate does not pass it again on obtaining a level 1 complex operations certificate, and the rating automatically applies to the new certificate;
• and that reviewer does not wait an additional six months after obtaining the level 1 complex certificate before conducting level 1 complex flight reviews.

Beyond the four conditions in section 901.176, the applicant must have a good record with respect to aviation and no enforcement action against them, past or pending, and is expected to read, understand and comply with the Flight Reviewer's Guide (TP 15395) and the applicable knowledge requirements. AIM 3.5.2

The AIM is specific about the conduct of the review, and several of its rules are conditions rather than etiquette. AIM 3.5.3

• It is an in-person activity: the reviewer and the candidate must be physically on-site at the flight review location for the duration of the exercise, and the location must be agreed between them in advance.
• It can be conducted in controlled or uncontrolled airspace, but the flight review is not exempt from Part IX of the Regulations — the applicant must be able to meet the requirements to operate there, except for holding the advanced or level 1 complex operations certificate itself.
• Before the review, the reviewer may assign the candidate a realistic mission for planning purposes, to be used in the ground portion to validate their ability to plan and execute the operation.
• Only a small RPA (250 g to 25 kg) or a medium RPA (above 25 kg to 150 kg) may be used, and Standard 921.06(1)(b)(i) requires the aircraft used to be registered and marked under sections 900.13 and 900.14. Std 921.06 CAR 900.13

The review has ground-based and flight assessment items, and the AIM says there are eight of them. If any of the eight does not meet the requirements, or the candidate displays unsafe flying or behaviour, does not complete an appropriate site survey, lacks training or competency, or does not use effective scanning techniques, the review is marked a failure. A candidate who fails may reattempt after 24 hours have elapsed. AIM 3.5.3

And the administrative tail is a deadline: following a successful review, the reviewer shall enter the required information into the Drone Management Portal within 24 hours. The candidate is then notified automatically by e-mail and routed to the Portal to pay for the issuance of the advanced RPA pilot certificate. AIM 3.5.3

Note the shape of the two 24-hour rules: one is the candidate's cooling-off period after a failure, and the other is the reviewer's deadline after a pass. AIM 3.5.3

The examination conduct rules are not confined to the candidate examinations. No person shall commit an act referred to in paragraphs 901.58(a) to (c) in respect of an examination referred to in paragraph 901.176(d) — that is, the flight reviewer examination. CAR 901.177

Read it as an extension rather than a repetition: the three prohibited acts — copying or removing the examination text, giving or accepting help, and completing it on behalf of another person — reach the examination that qualifies the people who conduct flight reviews. CAR 901.177 CAR 901.58

The AIM adds two exemptions that matter to a flight review itself, and both are the kind of detail a candidate is asked rather than derives:

• a person operating an RPAS as part of a flight review is exempt from the requirement to hold an advanced pilot certificate; AIM 3.4.2 AIM 3.4.3
• and since 1 April 2025 a foreign pilot is no longer required to hold an SFOC — RPAS for a flight review if they are using a Canadian-registered aircraft. An SFOC — RPAS is required for a foreign-owned aircraft, on the registration rules. AIM 3.4.2

That second pair is a reminder that the certificate and registration questions do not switch off during a flight review: the review is exempt from the certificate requirement for the person being reviewed, but not from the rules about whose aircraft it is. AIM 3.4.2

To do this	The requirement
Take an examination	Do not copy it, do not give or accept help (except as authorized for accommodation), do not write it for anyone CAR 901.58
Retake after failing	Wait 24 hours; the same applies to the flight reviewer examination CAR 901.59 CAR 901.178
Conduct a flight review	Rated advanced or level 1 complex certificate and a demonstrated provider affiliation CAR 901.175
Become a flight reviewer	18; advanced or level 1 complex with recency; six months holding it; the Flight Reviewers examination CAR 901.176
Start a review	Verify identity, registration, procedures and the required examination Std 921.06
Declare as a training provider	Be Canadian CAR 901.179
Act as chief ground instructor	Level 1 complex certificate endorsed with a flight reviewer rating CAR 901.183
Reviewer leaves the provider	Provider notifies the Minister within seven days CAR 901.180
Chief ground instructor changes	Provider informs the Minister within 30 days CAR 901.182
Fly a level 1 complex review	The reviewer must be affiliated with a TP 15530 provider AIM 3.5.2
The flight reviewer examination	The 901.58(a)-(c) prohibitions apply to it too CAR 901.177
Failing a flight review	A 24-hour wait before retaking it CAR 901.68
Operating as part of a flight review	Exempt from holding an advanced pilot certificate AIM 3.4.2
A foreign pilot using a Canadian-registered RPA	No SFOC — RPAS needed since 1 April 2025 AIM 3.4.2
Pass the flight reviewer examination	30 questions, 80% to pass, in the Drone Management Portal AIM 3.5.2
After a successful review	The reviewer enters the information in the Portal within 24 hours AIM 3.5.3

Warning A flight reviewer rating is not sufficient on its own. Section 901.175 requires the rating and a demonstrable affiliation with a declared training provider, and for a level 1 complex review the provider's declaration must be under section 921.08 specifically. CAR 901.175

Symptom	Likely cause	What to do
You helped someone during an examination	901.58 prohibits giving help as well as accepting it	Do not; the accommodation exception needs the Minister's authorization CAR 901.58
You hold the rating but are between providers	Affiliation is a separate condition of conducting a review	Join a declared provider before conducting one CAR 901.175
You have held the advanced certificate for five months	The minimum is six months immediately before applying	Apply after the sixth month CAR 901.176
An affiliated reviewer left and nobody told the Minister	The provider must notify within seven days	Notify now CAR 901.180
Your chief ground instructor changed	The provider has 30 days to inform the Minister	Inform the Minister CAR 901.182
The reviewer began with the flight	The standard requires verification first	Identity and the document checks come before the review Std 921.06
The reviewer conducted the review remotely	A flight review is an in-person activity	Reviewer and candidate must be on site for the duration AIM 3.5.3
The review location was never agreed	It must be agreed in advance	Agree it before the day AIM 3.5.3
The candidate failed on scanning technique	Not using effective scanning techniques is a failure ground	Reattempt after 24 hours AIM 3.5.3
The reviewer filed the pass a week later	The Portal entry is due within 24 hours	Enter it promptly AIM 3.5.3
A former reviewer retook the examination for level 1 complex	It is passed only once	The rating carries over automatically AIM 3.5.2
The aircraft used was not registered	921.06 requires it registered and marked	Use a registered and marked aircraft Std 921.06

Practise: Flight reviewers

Practise: Licensing examination conduct

Practise: Examination and flight review standards

Practise: Raps pilot certificates

Practise: Rpas level1 complex recency

• AIM RPA 3.5 — Flight Reviewers (the corpus carries this page under two ids; the bank cites both)

• CAR 901.58 — Examination Rules

• CAR 901.59 — Retaking of Examination

• CAR 901.67 — Examination Rules

• CAR 900.13 — Registration of Remotely Piloted Aircraft

• CAR 901.68 — Retaking of an Examination or Flight Review

• CAR 901.177 — Examination Rules (the flight reviewer examination)

• AIM RPA 3.4.2 — General: Level 1 Complex Operations (flight review exemptions)

• CAR 901.24 — Pre-flight Information

• CAR 901.27 — Site Survey

• Standard 921 s.921.03 — Flight Reviewer Rating

• AIM RPA 3.5.1 — Flight Reviewers: General

• AIM RPA 3.5.2 — Pilot Requirements: Flight Reviewer Rating

• AIM RPA 3.5.3 — Conduct of Flight Reviews

• CAR 901.93 — Examination Rules

• CAR 901.175 — Prohibition — Flight Reviewer

• CAR 901.176 — Flight Reviewer Rating

• CAR 901.178 — Retaking of Examination

• CAR 901.179 — Eligibility to Make Declaration

• CAR 901.180 — Training Provider Requirements — Flight Reviews

• CAR 901.181 — Conduct of Flight Reviews

• CAR 901.182 — Training Provider Requirements — RPAS Ground School Instruction

• CAR 901.183 — Requirements for Chief Ground Instructor

• CAR 901.184 — Proof of Ground Instruction

• Standard 921 s.921.06 — Conduct of Flight Reviews

• Consolidation: CARs current to 2026-09-21