How to take the written before starting flight training

[uncreative]

As I understand it, I need a CFI signoff before I can take the PPL written. Right now I have the time to study, but neither the time nor the money to fly. That should be in order by August.

So I'd like to study for and take the written now. I have the Jeppensen guided discovery book, the AIM and the PHAK. How can I get endorsed to take the test before I start working with a CFI?

Thanks

 

[AggieMike88]

As I understand it, I need a CFI signoff before I can take the PPL written. Right now I have the time to study, but neither the time nor the money to fly. That should be in order by August.

So I'd like to study for and take the written now. I have the Jeppensen guided discovery book, the AIM and the PHAK. How can I get endorsed to take the test before I start working with a CFI?

Thanks

Many of the home study systems (such as King, Sportys, ASA, Gleim, etc) include a mechanism to obtain the necessary sign off to take the written test.

You take a series of practice exams, and once you have passed a sufficient number (perhaps as low as 3) with a particular score or higher, you are given access to a web link to print off certificate that the testing center should accept.

 

[AggieMike88]

PS. Welcome to PoA!!!

 

[LDJones]

As I understand it, I need a CFI signoff before I can take the PPL written. Right now I have the time to study, but neither the time nor the money to fly. That should be in order by August.

So I'd like to study for and take the written now. I have the Jeppensen guided discovery book, the AIM and the PHAK. How can I get endorsed to take the test before I start working with a CFI?

Thanks

Find a willing CFI who will review your study plan, then demonstrate through several practice exams that you can consistently score in the mid-80s on a tehm and he/she will likely give you an endorsement.

 

[Kelvin]

Impress a CFI?

I wouldn't do it if I were you...

Study...fly some and much of the test will be so much clearer...

First thing *I* would do is get a medical...

 

[asgcpa]

Many of the home study systems (such as King, Sportys, ASA, Gleim, etc) include a mechanism to obtain the necessary sign off to take the written test.

You take a series of practice exams, and once you have passed a sufficient number (perhaps as low as 3) with a particular score or higher, you are given access to a web link to print off certificate that the testing center should accept.

Well stated Mike. I used King for my PPL, read Bob Gardner's book, and listened to the Gleim audio in the car. It worked for me.

Passed the knowledge exam before I got back into flying.

Good luck!

 

[LDJones]

Many of the home study systems (such as King, Sportys, ASA, Gleim, etc) include a mechanism to obtain the necessary sign off to take the written test.

You take a series of practice exams, and once you have passed a sufficient number (perhaps as low as 3) with a particular score or higher, you are given access to a web link to print off certificate that the testing center should accept.

Oh, yeah....that, too! www.ascentgroundschool.com did that with my son, although I had reviewed his results, too.

 

[AggieMike88]

But Kelvin also has good advice...

Go visit your primary doc to get a thorough and complete physical. Find out if all is good or is there anything that will cause the FAA some concern. Once you know you will pass the medical exam without denial or deferral, go find an AME who

1. Is a pilot
2. Has a top level examiner on speed dial (and direct, not through the switchboard)
3. Is not afraid to push the speed dial
4. Will do all that is possible and permitted to issue your certificate in office, no matter what the condition is.
5. Will always be your advocate if things to tango uniform, sideways, upside down, or worse.

IOW, know as soon as possible that you meet the medical standards before spending lots of money on training materials and instruction.

 

[uncreative]

Thanks for the advice on the medical, I did get that taken care of and have my student pilot cert.

 

[asgcpa]

Thanks for the advice on the medical, I did get that taken care of and have my student pilot cert.

That's good news. There was a post about someone who started training and had been trying to get a medical for a year.....had to jump through hoops with the paper pushers....

 

[kenjr]

...Here's an option...

First of all, what's the hurry? 2nd of all...you do have an oral portion to prepare for when you take the checkride. For me, it was more beneficial to continue my studying and prepare for the written just a few weeks prior to my checkride. This ensured everything was fresh and I didn't have to re-study the details all over again at a later time. It worked very well for me and my CFI recommended that. You get no points for taking it early. Sure, study - know the material...complete your CFI's lesson plans, if he/she uses those.

For me, I just used a number of ground school study materials - including Sporty's DVD's and then went out and paid the $10 for Sporty's Study Buddy and would at least do 10 questions a day while I was working on my PPL. This way, I had plenty of time to learn the material, work with my CFI and even get some practical usage of some of the material throughout my training...before actually taking the exam.

Anyway, if you are tight on time like I am (and figure most people are), it's an option to make sure your knife is sharp throughout your training and to minimize the amount of re-studying you have to do prior to your checkride.

Good luck and welcome to POA.

 

[LDJones]

...Here's an option...

First of all, what's the hurry? 2nd of all...you do have an oral portion to prepare for when you take the checkride. For me, it was more beneficial to continue my studying and prepare for the written just a few weeks prior to my checkride. This ensured everything was fresh and I didn't have to re-study the details all over again at a later time. It worked very well for me and my CFI recommended that. You get no points for taking it early. Sure, study - know the material...complete your CFI's lesson plans, if he/she uses those.

For me, I just used a number of ground school study materials - including Sporty's DVD's and then went out and paid the $10 for Sporty's Study Buddy and would at least do 10 questions a day while I was working on my PPL. This way, I had plenty of time to learn the material, work with my CFI and even get some practical usage of some of the material throughout my training...before actually taking the exam.

Anyway, if you are tight on time like I am (and figure most people are), it's an option to make sure your knife is sharp throughout your training and to minimize the amount of re-studying you have to do prior to your checkride.

Good luck and welcome to POA.

The only problem with this scenario is that for many the written grows into a mountain that grinds their training to a halt. I have two students who should have been done four months ago but they procrastinated on their written and now training has stopped while they try to get over that hurdle. It's frustrating for both of us. I could finish either one up in a week or two if they'd just get the darn written done!

I strongly encourage knocking it out as early in training as possible so it doesn't become an impediment.

 

[write-stuff]

Try the new Gold Seal Online Ground School for 2014. Complete multimedia coverage for your entire private pilot training program. You can register and try out a third of it for free. If you like it, enroll for the full program for just $88. At the end you get a signed Certificate of Completion and if you pass the final exam you get a signed endorsement authorizing you to take the FAA Knowledge test at any testing center in the country. Everything is easy and automated.

 

[Capt. Geoffrey Thorpe]

But Kelvin also has good advice...

Go visit your primary doc to get a thorough and complete physical. Find out if all is good or is there anything that will cause the FAA some concern.

And the key is to understand that the FAA will get their panties in a wad over things that you might not think are a problem.

Some of the big red flags:

If you have ever in your life had:
Frequent or sever headaches
Dizziness or fainting spell
Unconsciousness for any reason
Eye or vision problem except for glasses
Kidney stones
Neurological disorders
Mental disorders (Depression, anxiety... ADD)
DUI or substance problems
Suicide attempt
Rejection for life or health insurance
Hospital admissions - be prepared to document / explain
Sleep apnea
etc.
90% + of the people manage to get through the process eventually, but the better prepared you are the better it will go.

 

[kenjr]

The only problem with this scenario is that for many the written grows into a mountain that grinds their training to a halt. I have two students who should have been done four months ago but they procrastinated on their written and now training has stopped while they try to get over that hurdle. It's frustrating for both of us. I could finish either one up in a week or two if they'd just get the darn written done!

I strongly encourage knocking it out as early in training as possible so it doesn't become an impediment.

Certainly, it depends on the individual and how well they 'test'. I was 42 when I got my PPL last year, a college graduate and an IT professional who has taken over 40 various certification exams. I know how to study. Some people don't.

That said, there's a difference between 'waiting' until the end and simply being 'prepared' at the end. I took a few mock exams early in my training and not surprisingly did horrible. But, I learned more through ground school (self-paced) and picking my CFI's brain about stuff I was learning at each lesson. My other guidance was to at least do 10 questions a day...EVERY DAY...during your training. If you get to the 'end' and you've done thousands of sample questions and can't or aren't ready to go take the written you have other problems that aren't in a CFI's wheelhouse to fix or solve.

Personally, I think that method for me took the stress out of it. I knew I had plenty of time...because I knew it was going to take 6-8 months to get my PPL...and once I was doing my XC solo's I knew I needed to start really getting ready. I had done enough studying that I actually knew the material...now just needed to pound through the test bank to get ready.

I'm pretty sure the written for the PPL hasn't changed since I took it in September. About 80% of the exam that I saw was verbatim from questions I'd seen in Sporty's Study Buddy. The other 20% were similar - just not exactly the same. I missed 3 questions - should have missed 1 but I went back at the end and changed two right answers to wrong.

 

[Heftiger]

Certainly, it depends on the individual and how well they 'test'. I was 42 when I got my PPL last year, a college graduate and an IT professional who has taken over 40 various certification exams. I know how to study. Some people don't.

That said, there's a difference between 'waiting' until the end and simply being 'prepared' at the end. I took a few mock exams early in my training and not surprisingly did horrible. But, I learned more through ground school (self-paced) and picking my CFI's brain about stuff I was learning at each lesson. My other guidance was to at least do 10 questions a day...EVERY DAY...during your training. If you get to the 'end' and you've done thousands of sample questions and can't or aren't ready to go take the written you have other problems that aren't in a CFI's wheelhouse to fix or solve.

Personally, I think that method for me took the stress out of it. I knew I had plenty of time...because I knew it was going to take 6-8 months to get my PPL...and once I was doing my XC solo's I knew I needed to start really getting ready. I had done enough studying that I actually knew the material...now just needed to pound through the test bank to get ready.

I'm pretty sure the written for the PPL hasn't changed since I took it in September. About 80% of the exam that I saw was verbatim from questions I'd seen in Sporty's Study Buddy. The other 20% were similar - just not exactly the same. I missed 3 questions - should have missed 1 but I went back at the end and changed two right answers to wrong.

As a student pilot who recently completed the written, I suggest this. Also, the testing center happened to be in the middle of purchasing new testing materials when I was there, apparently things will be changing very soon. It would be a bummer if you studied all the old materials and then went in and the questions were different.

I used the Jeppesen study book; the questions were word for word.

 

[jordane93]

The only problem with this scenario is that for many the written grows into a mountain that grinds their training to a halt. I have two students who should have been done four months ago but they procrastinated on their written and now training has stopped while they try to get over that hurdle. It's frustrating for both of us. I could finish either one up in a week or two if they'd just get the darn written done!

I strongly encourage knocking it out as early in training as possible so it doesn't become an impediment.

This. Happened to me for both my private and instrument. I took 5 months off because I procrastinated. I'm currently studying for the Commercial written before I start my training. Knock it out ASAP

 

[Blackhawk]

The problem with just taking the written before you begin flight traning is that you have achieved the "rote" level of learning but little else. Remember, the written is not some block to check but a step in your learning process that evaluates what you have learned AND what you have been taught by your CFI.
The best method of learning is normally a multifaceted approach that incorporates home study (reading, on line courses, quizzes, etc), ground training, flight instruction and debriefs. If a student needs to take 2-4 months off from flying to study for the written then they need to evaluate their instructor, the course of study and their own study habits.

 

[LDJones]

The problem with just taking the written before you begin flight traning is that you have achieved the "rote" level of learning but little else. Remember, the written is not some block to check but a step in your learning process that evaluates what you have learned AND what you have been taught by your CFI.
The best method of learning is normally a multifaceted approach that incorporates home study (reading, on line courses, quizzes, etc), ground training, flight instruction and debriefs. If a student needs to take 2-4 months off from flying to study for the written then they need to evaluate their instructor, the course of study and their own study habits.

Both of my students went through a formal, eight week ground school while flying. But both are busy business guys and haven't gotten around to actually taking the written. Life sometimes intervenes.

Hit it hard and get it done earlier, rather than later.

 

[MAKG1]

Yes, but not TOO early.

It's not unheard of to take more than two years to finish flight training, and the written is only good for 24 months per 14 CFR 61.39(a)(1)(i).

You'll do better, and it will stick better and make more sense if you take it late in presolo flight training. It is not required by regulation to solo, but sometimes instructors require it to sign off on solo. And it's a good idea to have it done before then.

 

[Immelman]

tldr: GO DO IT!!

I started flying when I was a teenager. Had more time than money. I took the written when I was 16, after reading just about every training book I could get my hands on and taking a formal groundschool from a CFI who subsequently trained me, and signed me off for the written. It all worked out OK, and I can assure you I passed that test with far more than a rote understanding of what was being tested.

If you have the time, my suggestion is go to explain your predicament to some of the local CFIs. Use it as an opportunity to interview them (you will be hiring one in the near future). You may need to pay for their time to quiz you and/or review your study for the signoff, but again you're investing in finding the right person to train you when ready. Then, by all means, go off and knock out the knowledge test.

 

[kenjr]

Both of my students went through a formal, eight week ground school while flying. But both are busy business guys and haven't gotten around to actually taking the written. Life sometimes intervenes.

Hit it hard and get it done earlier, rather than later.

Exactly the kind of folks, like me, that simply need to be doing a little a day instead of trying to cram for it early (way before their ground school was complete, I'm assuming?). I don't know the guys obviously, but sounds like just lazy to me. It isn't that hard to read a chapter a night, take 10-20 questions to keep the knife sharp. Jeez, I've got 3 young kids, travel about every other week for work, a CPA wife that is taking night classes while I'm doing my PPL and I planned it out and got it done with pretty much zero advice on how to juggle all of that from my CFI (not that he wouldn't have given it - I didn't need it and never asked). It's prioritizing...I wanted to get it done...bad. They apparently don't (or don't know how to study).

The repetition helps once you get to the test because you've seen the stuff before but it also identifies areas where you need help and can address those throughout the training process vs trying to deal with it up front when you have no practical experience with it - like VOR's, weight and balance or planning XC's for example. I agree with Blackhawk - getting it done early with very little flying/practical is simply an exercise in rote memorization. That's definitely not the way I wanted to go into the test...

Anyway, different strokes for different folks but if I were a CFI (and I am a certified trainer...just not for airplanes ) I'd learn more about the individual and give advice based on their work, family, lifestyle, learning style, etc... instead of just saying, "knock it out early".

I don't even want to think about how many hours of re-studying I saved by taking it slow and having all the written info fresh and ready for my oral during the checkride.

 

[MAKG1]

Ken, you're already a professional. That means, in a nutshell, you know how to study.

You would be surprised how many people can graduate from high school or even college, even with decent grades, who can't study worth a ****. Studying does have to be learned, and if you learned it really early, it will seem a lot more natural than it really is.

Even college students fall for the cramming trap in a big way. The best ones don't so much, but everyone does to some extent.

 

[uncreative]

Thanks for the advice everyone. The instructor I took my discovery flight with recommended getting the written out of the way. In his experience, once people start flying, they don't want to go back and hit the books.

I don't understand the 'rote memorization' comments- isn't the written all about minutiae like airspace classes, scuba diving time intervals, etc?

 

[Blackhawk]

Thanks for the advice everyone. The instructor I took my discovery flight with recommended getting the written out of the way. In his experience, once people start flying, they don't want to go back and hit the books.

I don't understand the 'rote memorization' comments- isn't the written all about minutiae like airspace classes, scuba diving time intervals, etc?

While there are some archaic questions on the written and some of the answers can be rediculous (being too precise on a planning problem can give you the wrong answer), most of them have applications to daily flying and it takes more than just memorizing answers to become a skilled pilot.
Let's take weather as an example. Okay, so you can read a METAR and TAF. Do you understand what you are reading? Can you apply the weather to the airspace? Can you correlate certain reports to the possibility of unforecasted hazardous weather? How will the higher temperature later in the day affect performance?
Some things such as weight and balance and performance may be very different on the written than in your training airplane. For example, you will not see a Diamond Aircraft performance chart on the written.
Unfortunately what I often (actually usually), see happen is if a pilot has passed the written his/her CFI will spend little to no time on ground filling in the gaps and helping the student apply and correlate what they have learned.

 

[Blackhawk]

tldr: GO DO IT!!

I started flying when I was a teenager. Had more time than money. I took the written when I was 16, after reading just about every training book I could get my hands on and taking a formal groundschool from a CFI who subsequently trained me, and signed me off for the written. It all worked out OK, and I can assure you I passed that test with far more than a rote understanding of what was being tested.

If you have the time, my suggestion is go to explain your predicament to some of the local CFIs. Use it as an opportunity to interview them (you will be hiring one in the near future). You may need to pay for their time to quiz you and/or review your study for the signoff, but again you're investing in finding the right person to train you when ready. Then, by all means, go off and knock out the knowledge test.

So you did do a somewhat integrated approach supplementing what you read with ground instruction.

I will also add that different people do learn differently at different stages of their lives.

 

[kenjr]

Thanks for the advice everyone. The instructor I took my discovery flight with recommended getting the written out of the way. In his experience, once people start flying, they don't want to go back and hit the books.

I don't understand the 'rote memorization' comments- isn't the written all about minutiae like airspace classes, scuba diving time intervals, etc?

The written essentially breaks down to rote memorization. You could, theoretically, just memorize the test bank and do well enough to pass - if you wanted to take that approach...and I'm sure you don't.

However, what's more important - and why I recommended studying properly and waiting to take the written until you are a few weeks out from your checkride - is because the oral portion of the checkride is essentially the PRACTICAL application of what you learned to pass the written.

You'll need to know what you are studying for the written as well or better (depending on how you study for that) by the time you get to the checkride. Your DPE will not just ask you to regurgitate answers - it will be more conversational and will test your actual knowlege of the material.

This is why I say it's better not to DELAY studying until the end but to CONTINUE studying throughout...of course, bearing down at the end to prepare for the written.

In the end, the amount of re-studying you'll have to do by doing them so close together will be minimal and you'll do better on both.

You don't have to be a 40+ year old college graduate to figure that out. I cannot see how any learning 'style' could not benefit from that approach. To be fair, I thought through all the various approaches when starting my training too - and I'm doing the same thing as I start thinking about doing my IFR.

 

[kevmor99]

Certainly, it depends on the individual and how well they 'test'. I was 42 when I got my PPL last year, a college graduate and an IT professional who has taken over 40 various certification exams. I know how to study. Some people don't.

That said, there's a difference between 'waiting' until the end and simply being 'prepared' at the end. I took a few mock exams early in my training and not surprisingly did horrible. But, I learned more through ground school (self-paced) and picking my CFI's brain about stuff I was learning at each lesson. My other guidance was to at least do 10 questions a day...EVERY DAY...during your training. If you get to the 'end' and you've done thousands of sample questions and can't or aren't ready to go take the written you have other problems that aren't in a CFI's wheelhouse to fix or solve.

Personally, I think that method for me took the stress out of it. I knew I had plenty of time...because I knew it was going to take 6-8 months to get my PPL...and once I was doing my XC solo's I knew I needed to start really getting ready. I had done enough studying that I actually knew the material...now just needed to pound through the test bank to get ready.

I agree with this, a lot of people want to learn to fly but don't want to bother with the "book work" or studying for the written. Thus doing flying lessons and then getting toward the end without the book knowledge becomes a hurdle trying to pass the knowledge test. It ends up costing more because either you continue flying additional lessons when you can't take the practical test or you stop flying and then later have to brush-up on all the maneuvers.

 

[Blackhawk]

The written essentially breaks down to rote memorization. You could, theoretically, just memorize the test bank and do well enough to pass - if you wanted to take that approach...and I'm sure you don't.

However, what's more important - and why I recommended studying properly and waiting to take the written until you are a few weeks out from your checkride - is because the oral portion of the checkride is essentially the PRACTICAL application of what you learned to pass the written.

You'll need to know what you are studying for the written as well or better (depending on how you study for that) by the time you get to the checkride. Your DPE will not just ask you to regurgitate answers - it will be more conversational and will test your actual knowlege of the material.

This is why I say it's better not to DELAY studying until the end but to CONTINUE studying throughout...of course, bearing down at the end to prepare for the written.

In the end, the amount of re-studying you'll have to do by doing them so close together will be minimal and you'll do better on both.

You don't have to be a 40+ year old college graduate to figure that out. I cannot see how any learning 'style' could not benefit from that approach. To be fair, I thought through all the various approaches when starting my training too - and I'm doing the same thing as I start thinking about doing my IFR.

I agree with this. I would never recommend against studying. Normally I've used either thr Jepp program which integrates test questions with what a student is studying (such as aerodynamics written questions after studying aerodynamics), or computer based programs that do the same thing. If the student is doing the program correctly there should be no need to take a break and prepare for the written, just as there should be no need to "prepare" for the check ride. As I tell students I will teach them to fly to a high standard. A check ride just makes sure I have at least trained them to a minimum standard.

 

[upstateny]

For what it's worth -

I self-study very well, so rather than paying for a CFI to tell me things I could read for myself, I studied for and took the knowledge test without ever sitting in the cockpit of a plane. (scored a 97%)

It saved a lot of money, gave me a deadline for completion (24 calendar months), and let me concentrate on flying, not ground school.

As for the sign-off, I had talked with my future CFI ahead of time and told him my plan. He wasn't crazy about the idea (lost revenue), but once I convinced him I knew my stuff, he signed off for the exam.

YMMV

 

[northtechsan]

Check with your local community college. I took ground school through the continuing education program. When I passed the final exam the instructor ( a CFI) gave me a written endorsement to take the PAR exam

 

[write-stuff]

In his experience, once people start flying, they don't want to go back and hit the books.

That's an accurate but unfortunate fact. Please understand that homework is not just to pass the written test. There is a large amount of conceptual learning required on topics that aren't even covered in the written test. You still have to know it.

The one single thing that will save you the most money during your training is doing your homework.