IFR written test scores?

tsts4 said:
A high score on the test doesn’t necessarily mean the applicant really knows anything other than how to take a test. They could very easily not really understand the material.
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I completely agree. But someone who works hard in an attempt to achieve a high score will probably learn more than someone who thinks "anything more than 70% is wasted effort." A person who learns the material well will make a higher score. Someone who believes 70% is adequate probably won't learn as much.
 
100%, admittedly due to two or three lucky guesses.
 
PaulS said:
BTW, fixes on a chart was one of my peeves with the test, it would take a while to find them sometimes, but I never ran into a case of the fix not being on the chart. I think there were two or three of those types of question on my test.
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There was one that was on the test the first time I took it that was about an MSA. The question referred to a chart in the supplement, but the MSA they were asking about was completely illegible - literally smudged out so it couldn't be read. I got it right because it was also in the test prep material, and I had memorized the correct answer. There was absolutely no other way to get that one right (other than by chance).
 
Took the "new" test. 92%. Passed oral and practical in Cirrus on first try.

Memorizing answers doesn't work anymore. I had to understand the concepts, because the questions were not like the ones in Gleim and King. That said, I used King and it served me well.

I may be in a minority, but I feel this test is a good indicator of IFR knowledge. Though like every test there are some dumb questions, overall, you do have to know your IFR stuff to do well.
 
VWGhiaBob said:
Took the "new" test. 92%. Passed oral and practical in Cirrus on first try.

Memorizing answers doesn't work anymore. I had to understand the concepts, because the questions were not like the ones in Gleim and King. That said, I used King and it served me well.

I may be in a minority, but I feel this test is a good indicator of IFR knowledge. Though like every test there are some dumb questions, overall, you do have to know your IFR stuff to do well.
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Memorizing answers never worked, outside of the written.

Also I'd wager it's a little different ride in a cirrus vs a non GPS plane with steam and two VOR heads.
 
Steven Untet said:
I tried finding it on the web, no luck. Does anyone know what the national average score is on the ifr written?

What did everyone get?

Got a 95% yesterday.


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In 2016 the average score was 87% for the IFR written. Ref: FAA website https://www.faa.gov/data_research/aviation_data_statistics/test_statistics/

A chart of the scores for the written is attached. Note that the scores have been decreasing after the FAA stopped releasing all the questions.
 

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Steven Untet said:
Isn’t that just the maintenance technician test scores?


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Only for 2017. If you use the pull down box for prior years, you will see the airman statistics. For some reason it takes them longer to compile the Airman stats as compared to the Mechanics stats.
 
azure said:
There was one that was on the test the first time I took it that was about an MSA. The question referred to a chart in the supplement, but the MSA they were asking about was completely illegible - literally smudged out so it couldn't be read. I got it right because it was also in the test prep material, and I had memorized the correct answer. There was absolutely no other way to get that one right (other than by chance).
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For those studying now this really isn’t a problem anymore. They’ve reprinted the supplements in much better resolution than the old ones. They also appreciate if you find a question where the supplement is unreadable for the question asked and they do ask in the test software now for feedback on any questions you think are broken in any way. They also claim that if they agree, and you got a bad question from the pool, they may give credit for the bad question at their discretion. But you do have to report it in the software at the end.

The printed supplement is now way better and light years ahead of the Windows XP with a crappy monitor garbage the test facility computers will likely display. They have NOT done a good job on the re-scanning of those digital images.

And I suggest anyone taking the test actually flip through the supplement fully at the start. You’ll notice there’s a lot of useful information printed in it, like feet/nm chart, etc, that could come in handy on a couple of questions. But if you just follow the prompts on the computer screen as to what page to turn to, you’ll miss all of that stuff. Only takes a minute or two and then you know if there’s something in there that will come in handy.

It’s in the other room but my CFII written that I need to go get done is slightly over 90. Agree with Ron that out of all of them the IR/CFII Eritrean are the ones with the most “gotcha” questions on them, but if you’re paying attention to the wording of the question and know how that type of test works, you’ll easily see the trick questions. They’ve eliminated a lot of them (or I didn’t get them) between when I did my IR writtens for the ride and the CFII written.

And I took the IR written three times between the 90s and when I finally got around to doing the ride... for various stupid reasons now long in the past. So I essentially have four of them under my belt over multiple decades. Maybe a unique perspective on how they’ve changed the test over time, by really you just sit down and get after it and get it over with.

Weren’t any GPS questions on my first one and a whoooooole lot of ADF questions. :) :) :)
 
denverpilot said:
For those studying now this really isn’t a problem anymore. They’ve reprinted the supplements in much better resolution than the old ones. They also appreciate if you find a question where the supplement is unreadable for the question asked and they do ask in the test software now for feedback on any questions you think are broken in any way. They also claim that if they agree, and you got a bad question from the pool, they may give credit for the bad question at their discretion. But you do have to report it in the software at the end.
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Agree, I took the IR written twice as well, because my first one expired before I was able to take the checkride. The second time, I looked through the obviously new supplement and found that particular plate had been corrected. Or maybe I got that question a second time, I don't recall too clearly as it's been a while. But anyway, yes, they did reprint the supplement and that particular question should no longer be a problem.

I don't think I had the option to report a broken question. There was one I would have reported if given that option, a currency question for which none of the answers was correct, assuming I was interpreting the answers correctly, which was impossible to say for sure because of the way they were worded, full of oblique phrases like "the required iterations and repetitions" that seemed to be referring to 6HITs but which didn't spell that out.

Overall, the test questions were badly enough written, with enough outright gotchas that my students would ream me if I gave them a test like that. The only leveling factor was that they published the questions -- the currency one was either one of the unpublished ones or it was new enough at the time to not be in any of my prep materials. Hopefully the new unpublished questions are of higher quality than that.
 
azure said:
I don't think I had the option to report a broken question.
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Interesting. Perhaps that’s a feature in certain testing software.

I had that and also had a single “sample question” that didn’t count offered at the end, on most of the many writtens I did a while back all in a row, where FAA was asking an additional question that didn’t count toward the score, but they were evaluating for any problems with the question itself.

You answered it and then they asked if you had any problems with the sample question given.

No way of knowing if they only do that at certain test facilities or on certain upgraded test facility software or what. I did all of mine at the test facility at KAPA.

The two proctors there, one especially, got to where they would say, “You’re back for another one, huh?”

They also mentioned that some facilities (theirs included) always keep a couple of stations open for pilot tests (since they’re at the airport) that aren’t in the national scheduling software and if you paid in cash (they had no card reader) on any given weekday and even often on weekends you could walk right in and sign up and then take any FAA test (takes a few more minutes since they have to do their part on the computer first) without having to deal with the annoyance of the National 800 number or getting a payment code or any of that crap. So I started doing that toward the end. They said they couldn’t take the EAA or AOPA discount codes there at the site but they had other authority to do discounts so they just gave it to me and often did for other cash customers as well.

So... it’s worth it for CFIs (for their students) and pilot’s taking stuff for new ratings just to walk in and talk to the proctors at these places. Sometimes they’ll offer discounts and have already figured out to keep a couple computers open all the time for FAA stuff. Which says something funny about pilots and not following instructions, but I won’t go there. Ha.

I did the first couple through the national booking number and it was mediocre service at best. Mistakes, couldn’t figure out how to do the discount codes, booked me for the wrong test completely once. Walking in with cash and saying hi to the guys behind the counter was a lot nicer way to start the other tests I did back to back. :) (That wrong booking was how I ended up talking with the proctor and him saying not to bother with the stupid national number — he could put in the correct test code and be done faster than the phone call would take, he just couldn’t take a credit card.)
 
I got a 92 and very disappointed. Didn't memorize anything for test purposes. Did the work, made consistent high scores on Gleim practice tests. Had made a 98 on PPL and would not have been satisfied with anything below 100 on this one. I'm a physicist and made higher scores in high math, relativity and quantum, and did extensive work on wormhole dynamics. So, I never study with a test score in mind. I thought I had the material cold, but the test seemed poorly worded to me. I want to take a retest, but not sure if that is prudent. Am considering giving up because this makes me feel like my mind may be slipping (I am 50 years old). Any thoughts, suggestions? Thanks!
 
Mary Margaret said:
Any thoughts, suggestions?
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thoughts? Well, I used Sheppard Air and got 100%.

suggestions? Pat yourself on the back for a great score earned without a drill-n-kill system. Move on, get your 50 xc pic, 40 sim and/or actual, etc. and pass your checkride.

other thoughts - a retest after getting a 92? This can’t be a legit post...
 
Thanks! That does help; my instructor and even my dpe think I am being too hard on myself. It's my nature, I guess; I've been like this since I was six.
 
98% of test scores claimed on the internet are lies.
 
“60% of the time, it works every time.” - Brian Fantana
 
100. Sheppard Air. I knew the exact answer I was looking for before looking at the choices on over half the questions. The proctor thought I was showing up for a bathroom break when I came to let her know I was finished.

AND AND AND, I also felt like I had a good fundamental understanding of the material. It wasn't just rote memorization. I will say that a requirement for a perfect score is to know the answer the FAA is looking for on the written; not simply knowing the material. Sheppard Air does that.

One more thing..... the FAA doesn't care if you carry the test questions/answers out of the testing center as long as it's in your head. They simply do not allow it to be written down or saved on electronics to be carried out. As a matter of fact, Sheppard Air depends on test takers giving them immediate feedback on the tests to keep their question bank updated.
 
Thanks! What is maddening is that I know the material cold! I use Gleim plus AIM plus FARs plus all applicable handbooks, and never even heard of Sheppard! The proctor told me about it yesterday when she saw how disappointed I was at not making 100. Maybe I should check that out and then retest. Thanks again!
 
At the testing center I used, the proctor asked how I studied. I told her Sheppard Air. She smiled and said, "Good call." When I was done with the test, she handed me the results and said, "Not surprised.." 100%.

Every question was one I had seen before.

Big caveat, here - this gets you past the written. I have been studying my butte off for the checkride for the past month... no probably more. Reading the ASA exam guide, watching the sporty's videos, watching other videos of orals... heck, just doing mock flights in my office - planning a flight, studying weather using aviationweather.gov and all the great products there, windy.com, foreflight's products..., looking at approach charts and chair flying how I would set up for the approach - going through the 5As (atis, alitimeter, avionics, approach briefing, approach checklist), giving myself vectors to final, going through the 5Ts as I get close to the intercept, how to program the 430w and activate the right leg on the proc, how I would set power for approach, do I need to time this approach?, slowing before the FAF and configuring... the missed..

I find I am actually doing checkride prep stuff as I type this...

Anyway, Sheppard to get you past the written. Then deep dive into the material to really know it for checkride and beyond.
 
Mary Margaret said:
Maybe I should check that out and then retest
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You have to be joking, right? You got a 92? In my line of work and probably others we have a saying - Perfect is the enemy of the good. 92 is better than good. Let it go. In fact, celebrate a bit.

Mary Margaret said:
Am considering giving up because this makes me feel like my mind may be slipping
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If you think 92 is worthy of a retest, maybe this is true.
 
eman1200 said:
troll
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I know. But it helps me to type out my strategy for practicing for the IR checkride. So thanks, troll!!

Now let's see... 5T's turn, time, twist, throttle, talk... 5A's - atis, altimeter, avionics, approach briefing, approach chekclist.... 1-2-3 rule - 1 hour before, 1 hour after, 2,000', 3 sm viz..... takeoff mins for part 91 - aren't any.... when do you need an IR - when in IMC, when on an IFR flight plan, when in class A, when svfr at night, if commercial carrying pax at night or over 50nm xc..... minimum weather at alternate - 600' and 2 viz for precision, 800' and 2 viz for non.... equipment required for IFR flight - GRABCARD oh heck... what does that stand for.... 91.205 grab the FAR/AIM and look it up cuz it's bookmarked...
 
Deelee said:
At the testing center I used, the proctor asked how I studied. I told her Sheppard Air. She smiled and said, "Good call." When I was done with the test, she handed me the results and said, "Not surprised.." 100%.

Every question was one I had seen before.

Big caveat, here - this gets you past the written. I have been studying my butte off for the checkride for the past month... no probably more. Reading the ASA exam guide, watching the sporty's videos, watching other videos of orals... heck, just doing mock flights in my office - planning a flight, studying weather using aviationweather.gov and all the great products there, windy.com, foreflight's products..., looking at approach charts and chair flying how I would set up for the approach - going through the 5As (atis, alitimeter, avionics, approach briefing, approach checklist), giving myself vectors to final, going through the 5Ts as I get close to the intercept, how to program the 430w and activate the right leg on the proc, how I would set power for approach, do I need to time this approach?, slowing before the FAF and configuring... the missed..

I find I am actually doing checkride prep stuff as I type this...

Anyway, Sheppard to get you past the written. Then deep dive into the material to really know it for checkride and beyond.
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That sounds like a plan. Am planning to go through CFII, then teach. This is a retirement venture for me, LOL! Trying to decide about a retest after a 92. Even my dpe says to stop obsessing over it and move on but I'm so numbers oriented that I've even considered giving up my flying. After reviewing the test, I found out that on 2 of the 5 wrong, I had the right answer initially then changed it the 4th time I went over it (I had gone through it in 20 mins). Maddening!
 
I wouldn't worry about a 92. On some questions the FAA has wrong answers as all 3 choices when you do the actual math. Only way to get 100 is to find out what the answers are ahead of time - or get lucky.

I "only" got a 90 on mine. There were 3 or 4 questions that I just ignored and picked a letter - flight planning questions. Looked up the codes, guessed wrong on all of them. Got to the oral with the examiner, tossed the test on the table and said, "I don't give a crap about flights I didn't plan, so I got all the flight planning questions wrong." I forget what the other questions I got wrong were. Probably some BS like "which instrument is primary when in a flat spin while upside down and trying to make a standard rate turn recovery"
 
Mary Margaret said:
That sounds like a plan. Am planning to go through CFII, then teach. This is a retirement venture for me, LOL! Trying to decide about a retest after a 92. Even my dpe says to stop obsessing over it and move on but I'm so numbers oriented that I've even considered giving up my flying. After reviewing the test, I found out that on 2 of the 5 wrong, I had the right answer initially then changed it the 4th time I went over it (I had gone through it in 20 mins). Maddening!
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You have nothing to gain by retesting. It is a complete and utter waste of time and resources. I would not want to be your student if you have this attitude.
 
Salty said:
You have nothing to gain by retesting. It is a complete and utter waste of time and resources. I would not want to be your student if you have this attitude.
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:yeahthat:

Cannot even begin to imagine what it would be like to have an instructor so driven by perfectionism. The dropout rate with this one will be significant.
 
Mary Margaret said:
Even my dpe says to stop obsessing over it and move on but I'm so numbers oriented that I've even considered giving up my flying.
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The DPE needs something to focus on for the oral. With three questions wrong to pick from you've given him his options. Move on, the goal is the rating. I can be obsessive. I try and make it the right thing to be obsessive about. The instrument written score isn't it (and I got a 92 as well).
 
Guess some of you misunderstood me, so let me clarify. I have historically been extremely hard on myself, since I was eleven years old, almost 40 years. Long story and I won't belabor the details but my parents instilled a lot of self doubt in me at young age, which turned me into the consummate overachiever, at everything. Trained for the Olympic marathon, practiced law twenty years, got physics and math degrees, all to please unpleasable parents.

I would never ever treat a student like I do myself! In fact, my own instructor, who is very dear to me, is so driven that he makes me look like a piker! But he is the most patient and supportive instructor I have ever known! He took me from fear of flying to flying addict over the course of a year. I would emulate him in my teaching methods.

Trying to become a new airplane parent, training for instruments, learning the new plane, and trying to take the knowledge test, all at one time, was a little too much for this 50-year-old, and I kind of snapped. I apologize if I upset anyone, and I do appreciate your insights.

2506.jpeg
 
What do you think you’ll gain by taking a test over that you already scored 22 points higher than necessary on?

would you recommend to a student that they retake a test they scored 22 points higher than necessary on?
 
Salty said:
What do you think you’ll gain by taking a test over that you already scored 22 points higher than necessary on?

would you recommend to a student that they retake a test they scored 22 points higher than necessary on?
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Guess you didn't see my above post. I am fine, would certainly never ask this of someone else; I was exhausted from all the things mentioned in my most recent post. I am hard on myself because I am an overachiever. I am an overachiever because I am terribly insecure, so people please accept my apologies and no more negative posts! Please read the magazine article I wrote, link in above post. Thank you!
 
Mary Margaret said:
Guess some of you misunderstood me, so let me clarify. I have historically been extremely hard on myself, since I was eleven years old, almost 40 years. Long story and I won't belabor the details but my parents instilled a lot of self doubt in me at young age, which turned me into the consummate overachiever, at everything. Trained for the Olympic marathon, practiced law twenty years, got physics and math degrees, all to please unpleasable parents.

I would never ever treat a student like I do myself! In fact, my own instructor, who is very dear to me, is so driven that he makes me look like a piker! But he is the most patient and supportive instructor I have ever known! He took me from fear of flying to flying addict over the course of a year. I would emulate him in my teaching methods.

Trying to become a new airplane parent, training for instruments, learning the new plane, and trying to take the knowledge test, all at one time, was a little too much for this 50-year-old, and I kind of snapped. I apologize if I upset anyone, and I do appreciate your insights.

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You upset no one Mary, no need to please anyone here. Some in this group, including me, can be a little cantankerous, just ignore that, welcome to aviation.

I got my instrument rating a few years ago at age 56. I'm told it's the hardest rating to get, and it gave me a workout. But I use it regularly, it makes flying easier when the weather isn't great, if you make good decisions. Just settle down, I was kind of like you, expecting perfection out of myself, getting upset when things weren't perfect and it slowed me down. It actually became easier when stop doing that. The goal is to be safe and proficient, not perfect, it's never perfect between curveballs from ATC and just the trials and tribulations of flying. Relax and enjoy the ride.

Welcome to POA, we hope you stick around.
 
PaulS said:
You upset no one Mary, no need to please anyone here. Some in this group, including me, can be a little cantankerous, just ignore that, welcome to aviation.

I got my instrument rating a few years ago at age 56. I'm told it's the hardest rating to get, and it gave me a workout. But I use it regularly, it makes flying easier when the weather isn't great, if you make good decisions. Just settle down, I was kind of like you, expecting perfection out of myself, getting upset when things weren't perfect and it slowed me down. It actually became easier when stop doing that. The goal is to be safe and proficient, not perfect, it's never perfect between curveballs from ATC and just the trials and tribulations of flying. Relax and enjoy the ride.

Welcome to POA, we hope you stick around.
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Thank you so much! :)
 
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