PPL Written...how much time did you give yourself to study?

C

CookieMonstersRevenge

Filing Flight Plan
Joined
Jul 23, 2020
Messages
9
Display Name
Display name:
NomNomNom
I just finished Gold Seal’s online ground school (averaging a 98 but still need to take the final test) and am looking to secure a test date for my written exam. How much time should I give myself to study? A month? 3 months? A year? Kidding....kind of. How long did you give yourself to study, and do you feel it was enough time?

All recommendations ate greatly appreciated
 
I did the ASA written test prep books and took a few practice tests. Once I consistently scored above an 80, I scheduled my written.
 
You don’t need to score a 100. Go take it and be done.
 
Take it when you're ready. There's no ideal time other than that.
 
I used Gleim, when I finished the program, I took their end of program test (85%) to get the completion certificate. Once I had the certificate I scheduled the FAA written for two days later and studied a LOT in those 48 hours. Got 85% on my FAA written.

Why wait? Either you know it or you don’t. Fail to get 70% and you have 30 days to study again :)
 
I probably studied a day before I took the exam just to review some of the earlier material, some of the calculations, etc. I think I was in the high 90’s on the practice exams and I took the exam within 2 weeks of completing ground school and being signed off to take the written. IIRC, I think I got a 92 on the written. As many point out, all you need is a 70 to pass. I think it’s important to take the exam as soon as you can once you’ve been signed off. Otherwise you run the risk of having all of that knowledge leak out of your ears when you sleep at night.
 
Rgbeard said:
the test is a big quiz.
Click to expand...

Right, but I haven’t gone over some of the material since taking the quiz. For example, the xc nav log. If I were to test on it now, I wouldn’t remember how to do parts of it. I did fine during training, but I definitely need to study that portion more.
 
Utah-Jay said:
I used Gleim, when I finished the program, I took their end of program test (85%) to get the completion certificate. Once I had the certificate I scheduled the FAA written for two days later and studied a LOT in those 48 hours. Got 85% on my FAA written.

Why wait? Either you know it or you don’t. Fail to get 70% and you have 30 days to study again :)
Click to expand...
Thank you :)
 
CookieMonstersRevenge said:
Right, but I haven’t gone over some of the material since taking the quiz. For example, the xc nav log. If I were to test on it now, I wouldn’t remember how to do parts of it. I did fine during training, but I definitely need to study that portion more.
Click to expand...

this is new info.

you need to study enough to solve this problem.
 
Jumpmaster said:
I probably studied a day before I took the exam just to review some of the earlier material, some of the calculations, etc. I think I was in the high 90’s on the practice exams and I took the exam within 2 weeks of completing ground school and being signed off to take the written. IIRC, I think I got a 92 on the written. As many point out, all you need is a 70 to pass. I think it’s important to take the exam as soon as you can once you’ve been signed off. Otherwise you run the risk of having all of that knowledge leak out of your ears when you sleep at night.
Click to expand...
Thank you :) My flight school is offering to reimburse the cost of Gold Seal’s ground school, but I have to score an 80 or higher on the written. I would be OK with 70, but I’m trying to cut the cost down on this endeavor wherever I can. Every penny counts :)
 
CookieMonstersRevenge said:
I just finished Gold Seal’s online ground school (averaging a 98 but still need to take the final test) and am looking to secure a test date for my written exam. How much time should I give myself to study? A month? 3 months? A year? Kidding....kind of. How long did you give yourself to study, and do you feel it was enough time?

All recommendations ate greatly appreciated
Click to expand...

Some people are better at taking tests than others. How much time do you think you need? Did you do well with tests in school?

For some, taking the "written" test after getting at least some flight instruction makes the information real for them, reinforces the rules, etc.
 
CookieMonstersRevenge said:
Right, but I haven’t gone over some of the material since taking the quiz. For example, the xc nav log. If I were to test on it now, I wouldn’t remember how to do parts of it. I did fine during training, but I definitely need to study that portion more.
Click to expand...


That would suggest that you don't truly understand XC navigation. If you understand the concepts, if you grasp the real meanings of terms, if you really know the difference between magnetic variation and magnetic deviation, if you truly get how wind effects heading, if you grok ground speed, etc., doing the nav log becomes trivial.

Seek understanding. Study the material until you grasp the underlying ideas. Then your scores won't fade as much over time.
 
I used the ASA PPL test prep. Took the test when I felt I was ready. Spent an hour or two after work for a month. I think I brought a pencil, E6B and plotter to the test. They provided scratch paper.
 
Does the gold seal course have practice tests? I used the King courses to study for all my written exams and have practice exams built in. In each case, I waited until I was consistently getting 90 or better on the practice exams and then I would schedule the real test.

Side note: The only questions I flubbed on the private written were the questions that required use of an E6b. I used a mechanical E6b for the test and while I knew how to use it correctly, I struggled to get as exact with it as I needed to be to get the test question right. On all my other written tests I used an electronic E6b which was much more exact.
 
I went through the Gold Seal material but delayed the test as my real-life flying was going nowhere. We had canceled and canceled and canceled due to poor weather. Now the weather's much better (different airport) and I'm going over the material again. There's a lot of tiny details you'll forget if you wait too long, so take it as soon as you can.

I plan on taking a few notes of the intentionally tricky stuff and review those before the test.

I need to finish my review, print off the certificate and then go pass that test.
 
Not sure if it is still available, but I used the Sporty's Study Buddy app - questions taken from the written... drill n' kill memorization to get through the written. Just make sure you actually know the practical material for checkride and beyond... but to get past the written exams, I like the rote memorization method. But everyone is different.
 
I finished a live ground school for my PP and immediately walked over to the GADO and took the written. Scored in the 90s.
 
Do you know what they call an airline captain who only got 70% on the written?................... Captain.

If you're getting 98 on your quizzes, you're ready.
 
I took the King ground school course and several sample tests. Scored 92% on the written. Two of the wrong answers were just questions were all the answers were correct, but one answer was more correct and did not read close enough. Was really proud of correctly answering the question on what IAS was indicated for a particular TAS between two points with quartering head wind. :7)

The ASA CX-3 E6b calculator was priceless.
 
Last edited:
Utah-Jay said:
I used Gleim, when I finished the program, I took their end of program test (85%) to get the completion certificate. Once I had the certificate I scheduled the FAA written for two days later and studied a LOT in those 48 hours. Got 85% on my FAA written.

Why wait? Either you know it or you don’t. Fail to get 70% and you have 30 days to study again
Click to expand...

That is pretty good advice.

You probably aren't going to know the answer to every question. I borrowed a friends audio tapes that were several years old for the private, listened to them everyday driving to work and home again and whenever I got a chance. I also bought the Gleim books that was up to date. After a month or so almost all the concepts were familiar, but I didn't always know every answer. I took the test and got an 85. Back then we had to wait a couple of weeks to get the results back, that was the hardest part for me. My point is, if you understand all the concepts and can answer most questions, take the test. You will probably pass. Don't think you have to be near perfect before you take the test. Besides, another pilot friend of mine told me that it is the people that end up with a perfect score that the DPE's like to knock down a notch or two on the oral and check rides. The "license to learn" is more than just physical. You should never stop learning the book parts as well. Continue to read and study the trade publications and anything aviation, talk to other pilots and always strive to acquire more information and your knowledge will increase month by month. I borrowed someones vhs tapes for the instrument, went through the tapes once and took the test. I got a 92. I just bought the Gleim book for the commercial, went through it once and got a 99. Each test got easier because I had never stopped learning. Perfection will never really be possible, but if your goal is to learn and not just to memorize, you will more than likely be a pretty solid aviator.
 
lancie00 said:
Do you know what they call an airline captain who only got 70% on the written?...................
Click to expand...
Mr. Administrator?

Operations inspector?

This is like what do you call a guy who finishes last in his class at med school: doctor.
What do you call the guy who finishes last in his class at law school: your honor.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top