Well over the past few weeks, I have started to work heavily on preparing the Knowledge Test.  I’m hoping also to be ready for the oral exam part of the check ride.

I’m using 3 different types resources for that:

1. The CPC books: this is the book provided with the kit. It is the one used to complement the CDs when preparing each flight.
2. The ASA Test Prep Private Pilot 2009. The book covers the different topics that would be covered for the knowledge test. It is outdated now but ASA is making the updates accessible for free on their web site…
3. Practical Test Standards – Airplane – Single-Engine Land – FAA-S-8081-14A
4. ASA Private Oral Exam Guide – ASA-OEG-P8

Knowledge test

The knowledge test is the test that more or less validates the knowledge acquired during ground school. The test is a computer based test and consists in 60 questions. In order to pass, the threshold of correct answer is 70% or 42 questions. Another way to see it is the right to fail 18 questions!  The test is lasting 2.5 hours maximum.

My goal is, of course, to pass the test on the first try but I also have the ambition to be above the median of the school. Not for any other reason but to have a higher goal.

Preparation

The preparation for the moment is going fairly smoothly but I’m struggling with my memory. I have some fairly bad memory. I know it and the way I usually go around it is by being able to “re-discover” the answer by reasoning or, more simply, by using notes. But for the test, no notes will be allowed so that cannot work and since some of the elements to learn are plain brutal numbers, I will not have much of a choice! Oh, well, I have about 3 weeks to get ready as I would like to get the knowledge tests taken before the week of Christmas.

Check Ride

This way I would be able to focus the remaining time on the Check Ride. The check ride is a two part exam and the final exam before obtaining the Private Pilot Certificate. There is an oral exam part and then a practical part. The oral is a sort of extension of the knowledge test as I understand it! I will post a little more about the preparation as I’m coming closer to it. For the moment, the focus is on the Knowledge Test…

Reference

http://www.faa.gov/pilots/testing/