DGCA Regular Session vs OLOD: Which Exam Window Should You Pick? (December 2026 Guide)

If you are preparing for your DGCA CPL papers, the exam calendar gives you two kinds of windows: the big Regular Session four times a year, and the smaller Online On-Demand Examination (OLODE, often called OLOD) eight times a year. Picking the right one shapes your study plan, your costs and how quickly you finish. This guide explains the difference, how to read the Pariksha banner, how to apply, and what to do before the Regular Session 04 of 2026 window closes on 15 November 2026.

Key takeaways

• Regular Session: four times a year, DGCA fixes the dates, 17 cities, ₹2,500 per paper. Next one: 15–19 December 2026, apply by 15 November 2026, 10 pm.
• OLOD: eight shorter sessions a year, you choose the date and slot, 11 cities, ₹5,000, seats are limited and first come, first served.
• Both are applied for only on pariksha.dgca.gov.in, and only after you hold a DGCA computer number.
• Your exam date, time and venue appear on the admit card, which you download from Pariksha about three days before the exam.

Regular Session vs OLOD: what is the difference?

Both are the same DGCA papers, with the same syllabus and the same 70% pass mark, conducted by DGCA's Central Examination Organisation (CEO) under Rule 41A of the Aircraft Rules, 1937. The difference is in how the window works.

Sources: DGCA Public Notice dated 22 September 2026 on OLODE Sessions 07 and 08 and Regular Session 04 of 2026, the Pariksha Flight Crew FAQ, and DGCA's 2026 programme of examinations. All three are on pariksha.dgca.gov.in.

The 2026 exam calendar at a glance

DGCA publishes a yearly programme of examinations on Pariksha. For 2026 it lists four Regular sessions and eight OLOD sessions for flight crew:

• Regular: 10–14 March, 16–20 June, 22–26 September, 15–19 December.
• OLOD: 21–23 January, 4–6 February, 22–24 April, 20–22 May, 15–17 July, 19–21 August, 28–30 October, 18–20 November.

The calendar carries a note that dates are tentative and can shift for holidays, so always confirm on the Pariksha notice board. The 2027 programme should appear there towards the end of the year.

How to check which windows are open on Pariksha

Go to pariksha.dgca.gov.in and click through to the home page. Under the menu you will see a grey banner that reads "FC Exam portal opening and closing dates". Today it shows Regular Session 04 of 2026: 28-09-2026 to 15-11-2026. That banner is the single most reliable place to see what you can apply for right now.

Three more places to bookmark on the same site:

• Notice Board – Pilot, below the login boxes. Public notices, admit card announcements, venue lists and results all appear here first.
• Examinations > FC OLODE Available Seats. A live table of city, exam date, slot and seats left for the current OLOD session. If it is empty, no OLOD window is open.
• Examinations > Exam Calendar. The full-year programme.

Step-by-step: how to apply (computer number first)

1. Get your DGCA computer number. Nobody can apply for any DGCA paper without it. New candidates register on Pariksha, upload Class 10 and 12 marksheets and pass certificates, a Board Verification Certificate, photo and signature in the specified sizes, and wait for CEO to scrutinise the application. The number comes by email, and your login becomes P- followed by your computer number. Even a one-day mismatch in your date of birth, or a spelling difference in your name against the Class 10 marksheet, leads to rejection, so check every field before you submit.
2. Log in as a Flight Crew candidate with that P-number. Old candidates who had a number before the portal launched register once as "OLD Candidate".
3. Open the session that the banner shows and select your papers. For OLOD you also pick the city, date and time slot from what is still available.
4. Pay on Bharatkosh through the portal. The Pariksha FAQ lists ₹2,500 per paper for a Regular exam and ₹5,000 for On-Demand. Your application is complete only when the form is submitted after payment. If money is deducted but the form was not submitted, the User Manual explains how to claim a refund.
5. Submit before 10 pm on the closing date. DGCA's notice is explicit: apply by 2200 hrs of the closing date along with the fee. For Regular Session 04 that means 15 November 2026.
6. Download your admit card from Pariksha about three days before the exam. It carries your exact date, time and venue.

If you are new to the portal, DGCA's Flight Crew User Manual on Pariksha walks through every screen. Our guide to DGCA ground school explains the papers themselves.

Which window should you pick?

The honest answer depends on where you are in your preparation.

Choose the Regular Session if:

• You are sitting several papers together. At ₹2,500 a paper it is the cheaper route, and the larger session has room.
• You want to attempt Technical Performance or an ATPL oral, which OLOD does not open.
• You live near one of the six extra Regular cities such as Guwahati, Bhubaneswar, Patna, Ahmedabad, Chandigarh or Kochi.
• Your study plan is on schedule for the fixed dates, and you prefer DGCA to allot the slot.

Choose OLOD if:

• You missed a Regular window, or you cleared most papers and have one or two left. Waiting three months for the next Regular session costs more in lost time than the higher fee.
• You want to lock a date and slot that fits your flying or college schedule.
• Your paper is going well and you want to finish fast before your flying training begins. Finishing theory early removes one of the biggest delays in the CPL timeline. Read why 4 in 10 new Indian pilots trained abroad to see where the delays come from.

Two cautions. OLOD seats are first come, first served and the seat table empties quickly in the big cities, so apply on the day the portal opens. And do not use OLOD as a way to "try your luck" every month. Repeated attempts are expensive, and in our instructors' experience, students who sit a paper before they are ready carry the stress into the next one. Our instructor's guide on which DGCA subject to start with explains how to know when you are ready: your question bank done three times, and your weekly tests passing comfortably.

Admit cards, venues and results: where they appear

• Admit card: on Pariksha, under your candidate login, about three days before the exam. DGCA posts a notice titled "Download of Admit Cards" on the Notice Board when they are ready. Print it, preferably in colour.
• Venue: printed on the admit card. DGCA also posts a "List of Venues and Addresses" notice for each session.
• On the day: entry opens 60 minutes before your batch and closes 30 minutes before the start. Carry an original photo ID (passport, Aadhaar, voter ID or similar) with the admit card. No calculators, phones, smart watches or electronic devices are allowed inside.
• Results: declared as a "Declaration of FC Result" notice on the Notice Board, and visible in your Pariksha login under examination history.
• Help desk: help.pariksha.dgca@gov.in, or 011-26106091 on working days, 9:30 am to 6 pm.

Checklist before 15 November 2026

• Computer number allotted and Pariksha login working. If your application is still under scrutiny, do not wait until the last day.
• Papers chosen and the question bank completed at least three times for each.
• Fee paid on Bharatkosh and the form submitted, not just saved, before 10 pm on 15 November.
• Confirmation and roll number email saved.
• Notice Board checked once a week for the admit card notice in December.
• Original photo ID ready for exam day.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between DGCA Regular Session and OLOD?
Regular Sessions are held four times a year with dates fixed by DGCA, at 17 centres, for ₹2,500 per paper. OLOD is an on-demand session held eight times a year, where you choose your own date and slot at one of 11 centres, for ₹5,000, with limited seats.

When is the next DGCA exam?
Regular Session 04 of 2026 is scheduled for 15–19 December 2026. The Pariksha application window closes on 15 November 2026 at 10 pm.

How do I apply for a DGCA exam on Pariksha?
Get a DGCA computer number, log in to pariksha.dgca.gov.in as a Flight Crew candidate, open the session shown in the banner, select your papers, pay on Bharatkosh and submit the form before the closing time.

Can I give all CPL papers in OLOD?
Most papers, yes. DGCA's notice states that the Technical Performance paper and the ATPL oral (2nd and 3rd attempt) are not opened in OLOD sessions.

Where do I download my DGCA admit card?
From your candidate login on Pariksha, usually three days before the exam, once DGCA posts the admit card notice.

Where are DGCA exam results declared?
On the Notice Board – Pilot section of Pariksha, and in your examination history after login.

Last updated: 6 November 2026. Based on DGCA's Public Notice of 22 September 2026, the Pariksha Flight Crew FAQ and the DGCA Programme of Examinations 2026. Fees, dates and centres are set by DGCA and change from time to time; always confirm on pariksha.dgca.gov.in before you apply.