6th Year Apparation Confirmation

[Steve]

No: HPFGUIDX 72933

Can anyone confirm for sure which year students begin to study
apparation? 

It would seem to be 6th year, since Fred & George are currently (or
were) in their 7th year and already have their license to Apparate.

Other Questions:
Do you think a student must be 17 to even study apparation, or can
students age 16 get a learner's permit?

Are they going to have to leave Hogwarts grounds to study apparation? 
It would seem so. Maybe they rent a hall in Hogsmeade or just step
outside the gates, or go to a field or meadow just outside the village
limits.

Apparation is the one remaining common method of travel that we have
yet to get an inside look into or first hand account of. I'm very
interested to see if it is instantaneous, or if there is some limited
sense of moving through time and space as in Floo or Portkey.

Just a thought.

bboy_mn