tawood
En-Route
Well, on to the check ride!
I passed today with a 92%, but I have to say, that IR written test is not a knowledge test, its a debacle disguised as a test. I'm a perfectionist, so like most things in my life, I over prepared, and going into the test really I felt I knew the material down pat. For what ever reason, some things that give most others problems I found easy, like holding pattern entries. Other things that should of been easy, like the HSI, took a long time to sink in, but eventually I felt comfortable with them too. Then I take the test, and the hardest part I had with the test was just simply trying to interpret the horribly worded questions. I do not feel the FAA is trying to test your IFR knowledge, but instead just trying to trick you with stupid situations or poor wording.
I also found it was not at all what I expected. Although I think each test is a somewhat random sampling of questions from the overall knowledge (and I realize that everyone's test will be different) I was quite surprised by the number of questions that required looking at diagrams from the test supplement...so many, in fact, that I went back through my test and counted: 41 out of 60. I was also surprised how much "carry over" there was from the private pilot's test, as my test had time/distance/wind, radio phraseology, and other "VFR" type questions. I'm not complaining about the diagrams or VFR questions, but just making an observation.
As I mentioned above, I'm a perfectionist, and I over studied. I actually used a bunch of methods/different methods to prepare: Books, videos, an accelerated ground class, and an online class. For help to those getting ready to take it, I'd say (at least for me) the books were the most helpful...I read the ASA Instrument Flight Manual, and the FAA Instrument Handbook. The least helpful (again, at least for me) was the accelerated ground class and the online class. Both classes were still teaching "old style", requesting you repeatedly take their tests...only when you take the actual test you find out that ALMOST NONE of their questions are on the IR test.
The videos I used were Sportys, and although their "questions" at the end of each chapter are old school, their video at least seemed to provide complete information.
I passed today with a 92%, but I have to say, that IR written test is not a knowledge test, its a debacle disguised as a test. I'm a perfectionist, so like most things in my life, I over prepared, and going into the test really I felt I knew the material down pat. For what ever reason, some things that give most others problems I found easy, like holding pattern entries. Other things that should of been easy, like the HSI, took a long time to sink in, but eventually I felt comfortable with them too. Then I take the test, and the hardest part I had with the test was just simply trying to interpret the horribly worded questions. I do not feel the FAA is trying to test your IFR knowledge, but instead just trying to trick you with stupid situations or poor wording.
I also found it was not at all what I expected. Although I think each test is a somewhat random sampling of questions from the overall knowledge (and I realize that everyone's test will be different) I was quite surprised by the number of questions that required looking at diagrams from the test supplement...so many, in fact, that I went back through my test and counted: 41 out of 60. I was also surprised how much "carry over" there was from the private pilot's test, as my test had time/distance/wind, radio phraseology, and other "VFR" type questions. I'm not complaining about the diagrams or VFR questions, but just making an observation.
As I mentioned above, I'm a perfectionist, and I over studied. I actually used a bunch of methods/different methods to prepare: Books, videos, an accelerated ground class, and an online class. For help to those getting ready to take it, I'd say (at least for me) the books were the most helpful...I read the ASA Instrument Flight Manual, and the FAA Instrument Handbook. The least helpful (again, at least for me) was the accelerated ground class and the online class. Both classes were still teaching "old style", requesting you repeatedly take their tests...only when you take the actual test you find out that ALMOST NONE of their questions are on the IR test.
The videos I used were Sportys, and although their "questions" at the end of each chapter are old school, their video at least seemed to provide complete information.
Last edited:
