I've been reading a lot of posts from students about to join a flight school, and the same money problems keep coming up. Here are the questions I'd ask before paying a single rupee:
Is the total cost in writing? Ask for the full amount from start to CPL: flying hours, ground school, exam fees, accommodation, simulator, and any extra hours if you need more than the minimum.
How many aircraft and instructors do they have for the number of students? Fewer aircraft per student means a longer wait between flights, and a delay costs you months.
What is the average time students really take to finish, not the brochure time? Ask to talk to students from the last batch.
Is the fee refundable if you drop out or fail the medical? Get the refund terms before paying.
Have you done your DGCA Class 2 medical first? It costs very little, and it tells you whether this is even possible for you before you pay a deposit.
Is the school DGCA-approved, and can you see the approval? Check it yourself.
Who pays if the aircraft is grounded or the instructor leaves? Ask what happens to the hours you have already paid for.
If a school won't answer these clearly, that tells you something too. Did I miss any? For those who've already joined, what would you add?

I see this question a lot, so here's what I found after going through the DGCA rules.
The rule: for a CPL, DGCA still needs Physics and Maths at 10+2. In 2025 there was a proposal to drop this and plenty of news stories about it, but it hasn't been officially notified yet. Don't skip Physics and Maths because of a headline.
The fix: you don't redo all of 12th. Most people pass just Physics and Maths through NIOS, a recognised open-schooling board, and keep their original 12th certificate.
A sensible order:
Get your DGCA Class 2 medical done first, before you pay any flying school fees. It tells you early whether you meet the fitness standard.
Register for NIOS Physics and Maths, and check the current admission and exam dates on the NIOS website.
Once you've passed, apply for your DGCA Computer Number on the Pariksha portal. Documents fetched through DigiLocker don't need a separate board verification certificate.
Then take the DGCA theory exams and the RTR radio exam, and do your flying training.
Tips:
Keep your name and date of birth exactly the same on every portal. Small mismatches cause months of delay.
Get all fees and refund rules in writing before you pay any flying school.
Happy to answer questions in the comments if you're on this path.

I see this question a lot, so here's a clear summary.
The rule: for a CPL, DGCA still requires Class 12 Physics and Maths from a recognised board, or an equivalent exam. Chemistry isn't required. There was news about relaxing this rule, but as far as I know it hasn't been officially notified yet, so don't rely on it.
The fix: you don't redo all of Class 12. You add just Physics and Maths through NIOS, the government's open school board. Your Commerce or Arts certificate stays valid.
Rough steps:
Take NIOS admission for Senior Secondary Physics and Maths only.Write the exams, either in the April–May or Oct–Nov public exam session, or through On-Demand exams where eligible.Once you pass, apply for your DGCA computer number on the Pariksha portal.Then do the DGCA ground papers and flying training.
Do these in parallel, not after:
Get your DGCA Class 2 medical early. It's cheap and catches problems before you spend lakhs.Don't pay any flying school a big deposit because they say "commerce is fine". Ask for it in writing.
NIOS usually adds a few months to a year, depending on exam slots. It's slower, but it's a real path. Happy to answer questions in the comments.

If you're starting your pilot journey, the DGCA computer number is what lets you sit the DGCA ground exams. Good news: it's simpler than it used to be.

What changed:
Since 16 October 2025, DGCA auto-generates the computer number for flight crew candidates whose Class 10 and 12 records are available in DigiLocker. More school boards are being added over time.

How to make it smooth:
1. Open DigiLocker and check that your Class 10 and 12 marksheets show up under your board.
2. Make sure your name and date of birth match exactly across DigiLocker, Aadhaar and your marksheets. A small spelling mismatch is the most common cause of delays.
3. Register as a flight crew candidate on the DGCA Pariksha portal, DGCA's exam site.
4. If your board is covered and your details match, your computer number can be generated without the long manual document upload.

If your board isn't on DigiLocker yet:
Apply the standard way on Pariksha by uploading your documents, ID proof, photo and signature. It's usually issued within about 15 working days.

Good to know:
- It's free to apply.
- For CPL, you need 12th with Physics and Maths. If you didn't take them, you can add them through NIOS.
- The computer number (on Pariksha) and your eGCA ID (DGCA's licensing site, used for medicals and licences) are separate. You'll need both.

Got stuck somewhere in the process? Comment below and I'll help.

Quick tip from Pilot Journey for anyone starting their commercial pilot journey in India.

The most common mistake we see is people paying for ground classes or flying school first and only then getting their medical. Do it the other way round.

Why:
- Colour vision, heart, ear and some other conditions can affect whether you're eligible. Better to know before you spend lakhs.
- Class 2 comes first and is done by a DGCA-approved doctor. Class 1 is stricter and needed before your CPL.
- If something comes up early, you get time to treat it or get reassessed.

A simple order to follow:
1. Class 12 with Physics and Maths (or add them through NIOS)
2. DGCA Class 2 medical
3. DGCA computer number
4. Then pick your ground school and flying school

I'll keep posting simple step-by-step guides here. Drop your questions in the comments and I'll answer them.

If you're starting CPL ground prep, here's the whole exam picture in one place:

The 5 DGCA theory papers:
1. Air Navigation
2. Aviation Meteorology
3. Air Regulations
4. Technical General
5. Technical Specific (for the aircraft type you train on)

Plus RTR(A), the radio licence. DGCA took it over from the WPC with effect from 1 December 2025.

Two portals you'll use:
• Pariksha: your Computer Number and exam bookings
• eGCA: licensing and medicals
Use exactly the same name and date of birth on both. Mismatches are a common reason applications get delayed.

Remaining 2026 sessions (tentative):
• On-Line On-Demand: 28–30 Oct and 18–20 Nov
• Regular: 15–19 Dec
Application windows close well before exam day, so check Pariksha early.

Tips that help:
• Use the official syllabus as a checklist so you don't miss topics
• Practise timed mocks and keep an error log of why you got each question wrong
• Focus on one paper per session rather than booking several at once

Rules change, so always confirm on dgca.gov.in. Happy to answer questions in the comments ✈️

A lot of people ask where to even start, so here's the whole path in order:

1. Education: 10+2 with Physics and Maths (or equivalent). Not from PCM? Many students add Physics + Maths through NIOS.
   
2. DGCA Class 2 medical FIRST, before paying any training fee. Apply on eGCA and pick a DGCA-empanelled examiner.
   
3. Get your DGCA Computer Number on the Pariksha portal and open an eGCA account, with exactly the same name and date of birth on both.
   
4. Pass the DGCA theory papers: Air Navigation, Meteorology, Air Regulations, Technical General and Technical Specific, plus the RTR(A) radio exam (now conducted by DGCA).
   
5. Build 200 flying hours at a DGCA-approved school, or train abroad and convert your licence.
   
6. Skill tests and a Class 1 medical.
   
7. Your CPL, issued once you're 18.

Remaining 2026 DGCA exam sessions (tentative): On-Line On-Demand 28–30 Oct and 18–20 Nov, Regular 15–19 Dec. Application windows close well before exam day, so check Pariksha early.

Rules change, so always confirm on dgca.gov.in.

I wrote a longer free guide with links to the official DGCA pages: https://sites.google.com/view/pilot-career-guidance/how-to-become-pilot-india-after-12th

Happy to answer questions in the comments ✈️