Preparing for the Oral

[StanN]

I am wanting to start my preperations for the oral examination portion of my PPL training. Does anyone have any advice on the best way to prepare. I don't know why and if it is just me, but this is the part that intimidates me the most, so any advice is welcomed.

Thank you
Stan

 

[gibbons]

Stan,

I've always used the little ASA Oral Exam Guide books. They have a bunch of stuff in there that I think is way over the top, but reading through it usually makes me feel like I'm at least doing something to prepare.

The best approach, however, is your CFI. The good CFI's I know have a pretty good idea what the examiner will be looking for and can really help prep a student. It's worth the two or three hours of ground to prepare specifically for the oral.

Finally, I know of at least two examiners who allow students getting close to taking the check ride to sit in on orals that other students are taking. Ask your CFI.

 

[dmccormack]

I am wanting to start my preperations for the oral examination portion of my PPL training. Does anyone have any advice on the best way to prepare. I don't know why and if it is just me, but this is the part that intimidates me the most, so any advice is welcomed.

Confidence comes from preparation.

Read the Airplane Flying Manual, the Pilot's Encyclopedia of Aeronautical Knowledge, and the Private Pilot Oral Exam guide (ASA) and you'll be plenty prepared!

 

[kevin47881]

I hope Ron will chime in but in case he doesn't....RELAX.

 

[gprellwitz]

I am wanting to start my preperations for the oral examination portion of my PPL training. Does anyone have any advice on the best way to prepare. I don't know why and if it is just me, but this is the part that intimidates me the most, so any advice is welcomed.

Thank you
Stan

First, go with the advice below and "RELAX." Second, I have a DPE talking about the way she gives the oral examination and what to expect at http://www.aandmaviation.com/resources_Multimedia.html. Note that the files are VERY big, so just set it to download and check in the AM!

 

[colomtnflyer]

We used to put our PPL candidates through 3 hrs of what we called the "HOT SEAT".... They would be sitting in the Pilot Center, and anybody who came in could ask any PPL level question... this was in addition to the grilling being served up by ALL the CFI's in the office...
After that, any oral the DPE could serve up was a piece of cake!

 

[Tristar]

Just remember that anything in the PTS is fair game. Sectionals and FARs seem to be some of their favorites. To make you feel a little at ease, you are usually given permission to look up answers but do not rely on this technique. Answering every question out of the FAR/AIM obviously wont look good on you.

My best advice is to know at least the basics on each section of the PTS. Also, as everyone says, relax. If you don't, he may make you do push ups like my examiner! In the end, he was just testing me to see if I was safe enough to take his dog for an airplane ride.

 

[RMCN172RG]

Forget the word EXAMINATION and treat it as a REVIEW.

You and a different person than your CFI will cover the basics and a flight plan. Be confident in your abilities and knowledge per the above posts.

You are not expected to know everthing. If there is something you don't know or are not sure of look it up. Knowing where information can be found is more important than how much can you remeber on any given morning.

The CFI's can chime in here but I suspect that everytime they review your planning before signing you off on a cross country they have been giving you a little dose of the "oral exam".

 

[Ted]

The PTS and the little ASA oral exam books I found to be helpful.

Your CFI has the best idea of what the test will be like, and he/she will try to make sure you are appropriately prepared for it.

The biggest tip I can give, though, is RELAX. Chances are, the DPE is not out to get you. You'll be surprised how your check ride is less like an exam and more like a really good lesson. DPEs are picked from among the best and most experienced instructors out there, so think about that going in. The PPL is a license to learn. It is not about being perfect, it is about being proficient enough to safely operate an aircraft and learn more how to be a better pilot. If you keep these in mind, you are better off.

I would suggest not saying more than is necessary, though. It is easy to talk yourself into a corner. If a question is asked, answer the question. Be humble, too. Being cocky isn't a good trait in any pilot, especially in a pilot with some 40 hours.

I paid very close attention to every word out of the DPE's mouth at my check ride. He's someone who I not only identified as extremely knowledgeable from the get-go, but also a nice person who I wanted to listen to. I learned a lot on my check ride, and it seemed to me it was just as much (if not more) about him teaching me what he could in a few hours as him evaluating my ability as a student pilot eager to get my license to learn and continue the never-ending learning process.

 

[Skip Miller]

I knew I had passed when the DPE's cat jumped in my lap and proceeded to settle in for a nap. "She never does that!" said the DPE. -Skip

 

[dmccormack]

The CFI's can chime in here but I suspect that everytime they review your planning before signing you off on a cross country they have been giving you a little dose of the "oral exam".

How about every free moment?

Seriously -- I think anytime we are droning from X to Y is a great time to quiz -- the student has to manage the airplane while thinking, practices PIC authority ("Hang on"--"Zero Four Mike, switching to 123.4, good day..."), is completely immersed in flying (not worrying about the proposal due tomorrow), is paying for the time (so instead of filling it with idle chitchat about the game we talk flying until the student understands we can chitchat but it will be in short chunks, and low priority) -- all within an atmosphere of "pressure."

While a dedicated ground oral practice can be valuable prep close to the practical, I think there's usually enough dead time during dual (especially XC) to use as quiz opportunities.

Obviously the question rate and difficulty increase as the student gains experience and knowledge.

(It's poor form to rapid fire wake turbulence questions on a Discovery flight)

The objective is to be so prepared that by the time the practical rolls around he/she has heard class of airspace and VFR minimums so many times it's all very, very routine.

 

[poadeleted20]

The old oral exam books were useful back when the oral was a simple Q&A session with specific objective questions that have clear answers. Unfortunately, the FAA has changed the way orals are supposed to be done to the "situationally-based" test. That is, instead of handing you a weather printout and asking you to read a METAR, the examiner will assign a flight to plan, and then ask you if the flight can be conducted safely -- and how you came to that conclusion. That will require you to identify and pull up all the weather data relevant to the flight, interpret it correctly, and make a sound decision based on your analysis. You'll also have to compute your aircraft's performance from the POH and compare it to airport data for runway length and obstructions to departure, as well as figuring fuel burn and fuel available, W&B, etc. IOW, no spoon-feeding of what to check -- you have to cover all the bases on your own initiative, just like you would in the real world. Likewise, the examiner will ask you if you and your plane are legal for the planned flight, not "What documents must you have with you, how long is an annual inspection good for, etc." The oral exam books often don't help much in this area.

The best way to practice for a properly-administered situationally-based oral exam is for your instructor (and maybe another instructor, just to be sure yours doesn't miss anything) to administer a few practice oral exams over a few days so you get to look at a wider range of environmental conditions. This will take a couple of hours for the first one, and up to an hour for succeeding ones, but you'll be better prepared for the oral exam. It also requires that your instructor be familiar with the way orals are administered these days, which is best learned by sitting in on the orals for some of his/her students.

 

[dmccormack]

The old oral exam books were useful back when the oral was a simple Q&A session with specific objective questions that have clear answers. Unfortunately, the FAA has changed the way orals are supposed to be done to the "situationally-based" test.

Ron,

For my instrument practical, the DPE pulled out the ASA book and flipped through and asked some random questions after we'd spent an hour doing nav planning, approach plates, and emergency procedures.

After that I can't remember a single question asked during the Comm or CFI oral that matched what was in the ASA Oral Exam prep books.

Yet I found them useful as tests of knowledge holes.

My wife doesn't get sick reading in a car -- so she would read me random questions. Most of the time I would tell her to ignore the answers -- I just needed to think through the question and come up with a reasonable response.

If there was a lot of "ummm..." then I knew that was an area that needed more study.

 

[ScottM]

Stan,

I've always used the little ASA Oral Exam Guide books. They have a bunch of stuff in there that I think is way over the top, but reading through it usually makes me feel like I'm at least doing something to prepare.

Ditto, works great. I also tab my FAR/AIM so I can look stuff up easily

 

[poadeleted20]

For my instrument practical, the DPE pulled out the ASA book and flipped through and asked some random questions after we'd spent an hour doing nav planning, approach plates, and emergency procedures. After that I can't remember a single question asked during the Comm or CFI oral that matched what was in the ASA Oral Exam prep books.

I can't speak to DPE's who don't do things the way the FAA wants them done. The FAA very much wants "scenario-based" orals, and if the applicant is prepared for that, an objective Q&A should be a breeze, but the reverse is not true.

 

[dmccormack]

I can't speak to DPE's who don't do things the way the FAA wants them done. The FAA very much wants "scenario-based" orals, and if the applicant is prepared for that, an objective Q&A should be a breeze, but the reverse is not true.

The first hour+ was scenario based -- I talked him through an IFR flight based on my plan. Lots of what ifs, how comes, and whys.

But I don't think a scenario-based approach precludes questions on the more rote or comprehension level before, during, or after.

 

[StanN]

Man I appreciate all of the advice and information. You all are easing my mind. If the exam will stay for the most part, scenario based and flight planning, I believe I will be fine. I know my plane, I can read sectionals, understand airspaces and have a general knowledge of weather and weather reports, etc., but I am not a mechanic nor a meteorologist nor an eye doctor. I have the ASA study guide and honestly, I started reading through that book and thought, WOW! If I have to spit all of this back out word for word, I may be in trouble.

Again, thank you all very much for easing my mind and by all means, keep the advice coming my way.

Stan

 

[flyingcheesehead]

Man I appreciate all of the advice and information. You all are easing my mind. If the exam will stay for the most part, scenario based and flight planning, I believe I will be fine. I know my plane, I can read sectionals, understand airspaces and have a general knowledge of weather and weather reports, etc., but I am not a mechanic nor a meteorologist nor an eye doctor. I have the ASA study guide and honestly, I started reading through that book and thought, WOW! If I have to spit all of this back out word for word, I may be in trouble.

Again, thank you all very much for easing my mind and by all means, keep the advice coming my way.

You probably don't need to be an eye doctor, but you should know the signs of hypoxia and carbon monoxide poisoning and how to tell the difference, etc. You should also know your systems well. You won't be asked how many bolts are holding your prop on, but you'd better know whether your alternator is powered via belt or gears and how many amps it puts out.

I guess what I'm getting at is, know your stuff and don't let us put you TOO much at ease.

 

[gprellwitz]

The old oral exam books were useful back when the oral was a simple Q&A session with specific objective questions that have clear answers. Unfortunately, the FAA has changed the way orals are supposed to be done to the "situationally-based" test. That is, instead of handing you a weather printout and asking you to read a METAR, the examiner will assign a flight to plan, and then ask you if the flight can be conducted safely -- and how you came to that conclusion. That will require you to identify and pull up all the weather data relevant to the flight, interpret it correctly, and make a sound decision based on your analysis. You'll also have to compute your aircraft's performance from the POH and compare it to airport data for runway length and obstructions to departure, as well as figuring fuel burn and fuel available, W&B, etc. IOW, no spoon-feeding of what to check -- you have to cover all the bases on your own initiative, just like you would in the real world. Likewise, the examiner will ask you if you and your plane are legal for the planned flight, not "What documents must you have with you, how long is an annual inspection good for, etc." The oral exam books often don't help much in this area.

Ron, why do you say "unfortunately" here? Admittedly, it isn't as objective as the old "rattle off the answer to these canned questions", but that's handled adequately by the knowledge exam. I think that this sort of questioning provides at least the opportunity to ensure that the student can correlate the things they've learned and can exercise some modicum of judgment, even if they'll never exercise it in their real-world flying.

 

[StanN]

You probably don't need to be an eye doctor, but you should know the signs of hypoxia and carbon monoxide poisoning and how to tell the difference, etc. You should also know your systems well. You won't be asked how many bolts are holding your prop on, but you'd better know whether your alternator is powered via belt or gears and how many amps it puts out.

I guess what I'm getting at is, know your stuff and don't let us put you TOO much at ease.

Absolutely. I hear what you're saying. You can rest assured that I will not sit on my butt and hit the cruise control, I will be studying my butt off to learn and figure out the finer points of what is in the ASA. I think the biggest part is, fear of the unknown. For those of us that have not been through it yet, it is nerve rattling. Hopefully, when I have as many ratings and tickets of most of you, it will be old hat.

Thanks again. (and keep the tips coming!!!)

 

[flyingcheesehead]

Absolutely. I hear what you're saying. You can rest assured that I will not sit on my butt and hit the cruise control, I will be studying my butt off to learn and figure out the finer points of what is in the ASA. I think the biggest part is, fear of the unknown. For those of us that have not been through it yet, it is nerve rattling. Hopefully, when I have as many ratings and tickets of most of you, it will be old hat.

Y'know, I really enjoy the oral. I wasn't quite sure what to expect for my private either, but I knew I was prepared because my CFI (and every other CFI in the room) peppered me with questions, and when we were all done, Phil (who is the flight school manager and DPE) happened to walk in. My CFI asked him what his toughest oral question was for private pilots (I wish I could remember what it was!) and I answered it. So, I knew it wouldn't be too bad!

I really enjoy soaking up aviation knowledge and I like sharing it too, so getting quizzed on it is fun for me! I knew I was well-prepared for the IFR oral too, and now that Ron mentions it, that was a lot more scenario-based than my Private oral was. But to me, it was a fun session of "what-ifs" and such, and I actually really enjoyed it. When we were done, Phil said "I really like the way you think. Let's go fly." (After he left the room, Cindy the receptionist said "I've never heard him say that to anyone on a checkride before!" which was enough to boost my confidence to the point that I... Busted the checkride on the last approach. Doh!)

So, have fun.

 

[poadeleted20]

Ron, why do you say "unfortunately" here?

Because a lot of folks spend money on the old test prep books that don't adequately prepare them for the way the FAA wants orals done now and are then surprised when they aren't prepared for what really happens.

 

[ScottM]

Y'know, I really enjoy the oral.

I really enjoy soaking up aviation knowledge and I like sharing it too, so getting quizzed on it is fun for me!

I am with you on this. I enjoy a good scenario based exam. My commercial was really good. We started with teh typical Q&A on rules and regs and then moved the XC based questions. We really went in deep into some fot eh decision and then asked each other questions that we really did not know the answer to, just had opinions.

I knew I was well-prepared for the IFR oral too, and now that Ron mentions it, that was a lot more scenario-based than my Private oral was. But to me, it was a fun session of "what-ifs" and such, and I actually really enjoyed it. When we were done, Phil said "I really like the way you think. Let's go fly." (After he left the room, Cindy the receptionist said "I've never heard him say that to anyone on a checkride before!" which was enough to boost my confidence to the point that I... Busted the checkride on the last approach. Doh!)

I heard the DPE tell my CFI that he ran out of things to ask, "that guy knows everything", I walked to plane about 3 inches taller. It was a great check ride too! On th way back the DPE took a nap, when he woke up as we were getting close to doing the landings he said I fly really nice and he felt very comfortable and safe. Consider the DPE was a retired many thousand hour former Eastern jet jock I took that as quite the compliment.

 

[gprellwitz]

Because a lot of folks spend money on the old test prep books that don't adequately prepare them for the way the FAA wants orals done now and are then surprised when they aren't prepared for what really happens.

Thanks. That's more in line with what I expected your response to be! The only way in which I use something like the ASA Prep guides is as a quick review to cover the types of areas that should be included. More detail than in the PTS, but less than going to all the source documents. A lot easier to carry around, too! No one should be either trying to learn the base material by looking at it or expecting that it's going to be at all similar to what is covered during the oral.

 

[KennyFlys]

Because a lot of folks spend money on the old test prep books that don't adequately prepare them for the way the FAA wants orals done now and are then surprised when they aren't prepared for what really happens.

It's not just test prep books. I have a young student whose father gave him some Jepp books from 1988. We had to mark out some areas for him to completely ignore such as airspace and weather services.

 

[dmccormack]

It's not just test prep books. I have a young student whose father gave him some Jepp books from 1988. We had to mark out some areas for him to completely ignore such as airspace and weather services.

It would seem that effort would be more trouble than ordering some new books!


I kept some old texts for nostalgia's sake -- but old AIMS, test prep books, and the like go into the burn pile.

 

[KennyFlys]

It would seem that effort would be more trouble than ordering some new books!


I kept some old texts for nostalgia's sake -- but old AIMS, test prep books, and the like go into the burn pile.

Were he not soon to be borrowing the current Jepp book from the son of one of our employees, I'd have had him get a Jepp kit we no carry or the FAA books.

 

[rottydaddy]

I started reading through that book and thought, WOW! If I have to spit all of this back out word for word, I may be in trouble.

Although it's nice to be able to recite that stuff word for word, it's better to be able to show you understand it.
Beware of cramming- just make sure you get what you're reading. If you can describe it in your own words accurately, you'll know you've got it nailed.

One of my techniques for study with this material was to imagine I was teaching it to someone, in a normal conversational way... it really works your brain, as opposed to just trying to cram a bunch of words into your skull.
Helps to say it all aloud, too... I used to "practice teaching" in the car, or sometimes I'd use my dog as my pupil. She's a great listener.

 

[dmccormack]

Although it's nice to be able to recite that stuff word for word, it's better to be able to show you understand it.
Beware of cramming- just make sure you get what you're reading. If you can describe it in your own words accurately, you'll know you've got it nailed.

One of my techniques for study with this material was to imagine I was teaching it to someone, in a normal conversational way... it really works your brain, as opposed to just trying to cram a bunch of words into your skull.
Helps to say it all aloud, too... I used to "practice teaching" in the car, or sometimes I'd use my dog as my pupil. She's a great listener.

Excellent advice.

You really don't understand something until you can explain it to someone else.

 

[flyersfan31]

Just Relax!!!!

Why does an airplane fly?

How do you figure out where to fly?

Why does the government allow an airplane to fly?

What sort of things might you do to an airplane that might stop it from flying?

How might you fix those things?



answer these questions and you should be golden !!!

 

[flyingcheesehead]

Just Relax!!!!

Why does an airplane fly?

How do you figure out where to fly?

Why does the government allow an airplane to fly?

What sort of things might you do to an airplane that might stop it from flying?

How might you fix those things?

Wow - That's the most succinct description of an oral I think I've ever seen.

 

[gprellwitz]

Just Relax!!!!

Why does an airplane fly?

How do you figure out where to fly?

Why does the government allow an airplane to fly?

What sort of things might you do to an airplane that might stop it from flying?

How might you fix those things?



answer these questions and you should be golden !!!

And the answer to all of them....





MONEY!

 

[ScottM]

And the answer to all of them....





MONEY!

No Bucks, No Buck Rogers.

 

[KennyFlys]

No Bucks, No Buck Rogers.

But, you keep bucking the system!

 

[StanN]

And the answer to all of them....





MONEY!

You got that right!!!!