Trap no. 1
Flight mechanics
Lift, drag, angle of attack, glide ratio, stall: how the wing flies and why it can stop flying. Our paragliding piloting guide links it to the movements.
Preparing for the exam
Paragliding quiz: practise for the FFVL certificate exam
The official FFVL paragliding quiz is online and free: that is where you practise. 30 questions for the Initial Pilot Certificate, 60 for the Pilot Certificate, and at least 15/20. Here, take the quiz with the official questions for your certificate, and our instructors explain the exam, the tricky topics and how to revise.
- Free official quiz
- 15/20 minimum
- 3 certificates, 7 categories
Theory in the field- Initial certificate30 questions
- Pilot Certificate60 questions
- Minimum score15/20
- Official quizFree, online
Practise
Paragliding quiz: practise for the Initial, Pilot and Advanced Pilot Certificates
The official questions of the FFVL quiz, written by its training committee, in French as in the exam. Choose your certificate, one category or all of them, and the number of questions. Tick one or more answers, then “Mark my answers”: each question is worth 6 points, a wrong answer ticked takes points off, and you pass from 75%.
Mock exam: all categories, 30 questions, or 60 for the Pilot Certificate, as in the exam.
Source of the questions: the official FFVL quiz (questionnaire 3.3), written by its training committee, taken unchanged from the QCM FFVL app, under the MIT licence.
The theory exam
How many questions and what score for each certificate?
Each certificate has its theory part as a multiple-choice quiz, on top of the practical part validated at the school. You need at least 15/20 each time. The three levels in detail are on our paragliding certificate page.
Certificate Quiz
Initial Pilot CertificateGreen level, 15/20 minimum 30 questions
Pilot CertificateBlue level, 15/20 minimum 60 questions
Advanced Pilot CertificateBrown level, 15/20 and a pass mark on the open questions 30 questions + 2 open
Source: rules of the federal certificates of the French Free Flight Federation (updated on 17/07/2025).
The tools
Where to practise for the certificate quiz?
The official FFVL quiz
Free, online, on a computer or a phone: the FFVL quiz uses the exam questions and marks them. It is the reference tool.
The FFVL schools' tools
The certificate quiz and tools page brings together the practice software and the reference document to prepare the written part of the Advanced Pilot Certificate.
Two books recommended by Pierrot
The Manuel du vol libre, for the whole theory programme, and « Les Visiteurs du ciel », to read to understand the air we fly in.
Apps
Free apps use the official questions so you can revise anywhere. They replace neither the FFVL quiz nor an instructor's explanations.
The programme
The quiz topics, and the two that catch people out
According to Pierrot, flight mechanics and air regulations catch people out most often: topics that tend to be neglected, as they are not essential for flying, but that are vital for safety and for understanding the aircraft a paraglider is.
Trap no. 2
Air regulations
Right-of-way rules, visual flight, airspace and areas on the chart. Everything is explained in our paragliding regulations guide.
The air
Weather and aerology
Wind, breezes, thermals, clouds and storms: reading the sky before take-off. See our paragliding aerology guide and our thermal flying guide.
The equipment
Equipment
Wing, harness, reserve parachute, helmet, instruments: their role and their maintenance. The detail is in our equipment guide.
The flight
Piloting
Take-off, turns, approach and landing, handling incidents: the questions describe situations you experience on a course.
On the day
Flight conditions
Knowing when to say no: wind too strong, storms, rain. Our flying conditions page explains how to decide, with Meteoblue.
The method
How to revise for the quiz: our instructors' advice
Understand, don't learn by heart
« Don't just learn things by rote: understand each situation », Pierrot advises. An answer you understand comes back, even when the question is worded differently.
Practise often
Before the exam, practise regularly on the official quiz, topic by topic then in exam conditions, and go back over every mistake.
Linking the field and the theory
On a course, theory takes place in the field and in the classroom: we always link what you see at take-off with what you learn, it means more. Our paragliding courses prepare you for the Initial Pilot Certificate.
Feel first
The quiz talks about instruments, such as the variometer: in flight, at Ailéments, we work on feel first. A variometer is only recommended after a few years of flying.
And the practical side
The quiz is not enough: the practical part is validated at the school
The certificate also has a practical part, in modules validated at the school: inflation, take-off, piloting, landing. It is prepared course after course: a Beginner course, then at least four Progression courses up to the Initial Pilot Certificate. The whole path is on our paragliding certificate page, and all our paragliding courses are on the schedule.
Do you live in the region? Our paragliding school near Nice, our paragliding school for the Var and our paragliding school in PACA welcome you at Gréolières.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about the certificate quiz
Where can I find the official paragliding certificate quiz?
On the FFVL website, qcm.ffvl.fr: it is free, online, and uses the exam questions with their answers.
How many questions are in the Initial Pilot Certificate quiz?
30 questions for the Initial Pilot Certificate, 60 for the Pilot Certificate, and 30 questions plus two open questions for the Advanced Pilot Certificate.
What score do you need in the quiz?
At least 15/20, for each of the three certificates; for the Advanced Pilot Certificate, you also need a pass mark on each open question.
Which quiz topics are the most difficult?
Flight mechanics and air regulations, often neglected because they are not directly needed to fly, although they matter for safety and for understanding the paraglider.
Is there an app for the paragliding quiz?
Yes, free apps use the official questions. The FFVL online quiz remains the reference tool, and it also works on a phone.
Do you need a course to get the certificate?
Yes for the practical part, validated at the school over the courses: the quiz alone does not make the certificate. Our courses prepare you for the Initial Pilot Certificate.
