Air Cadets who intend to apply for the Glider Pilot Training Course (GPTC) or Power Pilot Training Course (PPTC) must complete the Air Cadet Online Ground School (OGS). This program ensures and effective and equitable approach to ground-school training for all Air Cadets across Canada.

Important Dates:

What is Online Ground School?

The OGS program is part of the Air Cadet National Selection Process and is comprised of approximately 45 hours of self-paced learning. This includes course content, quizzes, tests, a practice exam and a proctored GPTC or PPTC Qualifying Exam. To participate, cadets will require access to a personal computer or mobile device and a broadband internet connection. Throughout the OGS course, participating Air Cadets will have access to a Transport Canada Civil Aviation approved instructor to help with course material, answer questions, and provide support for challenging topics.

The OGS course content concludes with a practice exam and a final exam. It is mandatory to attempt these exams to complete the course. A “fail” on the final exam will not disqualify cadets from completing the Qualifying Exam but is a good indicator that they need to study more to be successful.

In the past few years, the Qualifying Exam was completed on the OGS platform (the final exam on the course counted for this). This year, the exam will go back to a proctored format and will be conducted during the week of 14 to 20 Feb 24 under supervision by squadron staff. Only cadets who have completed the OGS content by the due date will be eligible to write the Qualifying Exam.

Further, all cadets who completed the OGS course by the deadline will continue to have access to the course content until 13 Feb 24 to assist with their studies. There will be no live instructor support or forum access during this time.

I took OGS last year and went to GPTC. Do I have to take OGS again to apply for PPTC?

Yes. OGS results are only valid for one year. All cadets must complete OGS and the 2024 Qualifying Exam to be eligible for PPTC or GPTC.

How do I apply for Online Ground School?

Air Cadets who meet the eligibility criteria for either GPTC or PPTC can be registered by squadron staff in Fortress. However, you may only register for one of the courses.

Cadets currently enrolled in 34 RCACS should send an email to [email protected] expressing their interest in order to enrol. The deadline for enrolling was 15 Nov 2023.

What do I study for the Qualifying Exam? How is it structured?

The Qualifying Exams for GPTC and PPTC are based on the OGS content which, in turn, is based on the FROM THE GROUND UP / ENTRE CIEL ET TERRE manual.

The Qualifying Exam will be conducted online, or if not possible at your unit, on paper at your home squadron under the supervision of an adult staff member. It is a closed book exam and no reference material is permitted. The exam consists of 40 multiple choice questions for GPTC applicants and 50 multiple choice questions (same 40 questions plus an additional 10) for PPTC applicants). All candidates will have 90 mins to complete the exam.

The Qualifying Exam is structured as follows:

Section 1 – (40 Questions) – GPTC and PPTC applicants

Questions come from the follow sections of FROM THE GROUND UP / ENTRE CIEL ET TERRE:

Section 2 – (10 Questions) – PPTC applicants only

Questions come from the follow sections of FROM THE GROUND UP / ENTRE CIEL ET TERRE:

The “pass” mark for both exams is 50%, however higher scores are more competitive.

When should I complete my Transport Canada medical examination?

As soon as possible. Delays of up to six months for unremarkable medical exams are common and any findings during the exam can create further delays. To avoid disappointment at the medical submission deadline, book your exam now! See https://wwwapps.tc.gc.ca/Saf-Sec-Sur/2/CAME-MEAC/r.aspx?lang=eng&p=&c=Regina&x=E&s=1&l=124 for a list of examiners in Regina.

There will be no allowance for late medical certificates and there will be no means of expediting the process at Transport Canada Civil Aviation Medicine so do not delay in starting this process. Medical Certificates are valid for 5 years and can be used for future applications to GTPC or PPTC if a cadet's application is unsuccessful this year.

As per the OPPLAN, medical certificates are due to your squadron staff by 30 April 2024.

Other Information for Cadets:

Your login information will be sent to your Cadet365 email address. If you have not received your Cadet365 credentials, please contact your squadron staff. As a Cadet365 user, you are required to complete the Cadet Cyber Awareness Course. If you are unsure, your squadron staff can confirm for you in Fortress.

If you have not received your login information from Moncton Flight College within two weeks from submitting your application, or you think you have been registered for the wrong ground school, please check your spam/junk mail folders for an email from Moncton Flight College Training’s Pelesys system and/or contact your squadron staff.

Do not leave this course to the last minute. It is best absorbed in small chunks with time set aside to self-study and read the reference material that the course is based on (From the Ground Up Manual). Give yourself a buffer to complete the course before the deadline.

Information for Squadron Staff:

You must ensure that each cadet has successfully connected to Cadet365. Resources on how to support cadet onboarding are available here:

The Cadet365 email address will be used for OGS registration and for completing the Selection Exam in January. Cadets will receive OGS login instructions directly from the contractor within two weeks of receiving the cadet’s registration (in Fortress).

Cadets will only be eligible to write the PPTC/GPTC Qualifying Exam upon completion of the applicable (Glider or Power) Online Ground School course. Unlike the previous two years, this exam will be supervised by an adult staff member during the week of 14-20 Jan 24 and. Further information on the exam will be published by separate correspondence.

As the OGS course is self-paced, encourage cadets to make regular progress in the content. OGS not intended to be crammed into final week as this does not set the cadet up for success on the Qualifying Exam. Cadets should plan to complete the course well in advance of the deadline to allow for potential internet issues, power failures, or others IT problems. OGS will be shut off at 2359hrs PST on 13 Jan 24 and no extensions are possible.

You may direct questions to your region J5 through the chain of command.

Additional Resources

Here are some additional resources to use to help with your ground school studies.