Best way to prepare for private written?

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Giannid

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Gianni
I'm working towards getting my ppl and would to get the written done while the weather is still bad in Ohio. Have the Jeppesen books and test guide that I've been reading. Was wondering what the best way to attack this thing is? I've also seen that they have the weekend courses that they offer that you can take the test after your done with the class while everything is still fresh. The one instructor I fly with has done some ground school with me. I'm obviously not ready to take the test yet. Seems like he's not really liking to teach ground school. I have another instructor that will do the ground but is not very flexible. Another guy that got his private just said he studied the ASA test guide for 2 days and did fairly well. Just wondering what worked for some of you guys and what you recomend. Thanks
 
I bought the Gleim "Complete Private Pilot Kit" last year and found their test prep software a great way to prepare for the written. The Gleim test prep software can be purchased separately from the kit, so you don't have to pay the price for all the stuff you get in their kit. The test prep software contains pretty much the entire set of test questions and you do have to attempt to answer them all (pays to read the Gleim study material.) On completion it will generate an endorsement you can print and take to a test center; no need to convince an instructor you know your stuff.

I managed to screw up only one of the 60 questions on my written.
 
Use the test bank. Do not use an answer key for anything. Do the problems. When you aren't certain about something, look it up in your study materials. If you still aren't certain, have a CFI explain it to you. Do all the questions. When you're done, burn the answers and do it again. The idea is not to memorize all the answers, but to use your won lack of knowledge to guide your interrogation of your study materials. You will learn better and faster than any other method.
 
I have heard the Gleim Knowledge Test guides are pretty amazing to "pass the test". Read through each sub unit, and work the questions as you go.

Keep in mind, you don't want to memorize answers, and you should know more than just the test.
 
There are a lot of ways to do this.

I like practice tests and textbooks. I'm a reader, and watching videos of lectures rank up there with unnecessary root canals as fun ways to spend my time.

On line resources can be found by googling "private pilot practice test". Use the practice tests to become familiar with the questions, how the FAA phrases them and what they are looking for. Then use the results to guide your reading. Reread the parts you don't know cold.

The written test is a poor test of your real knowledge, like most multiple-guess standardized tests. But it does cover all the areas that will be part of the oral and most of them are on topics that will be useful in your flying.

Joe
 
I used the Gleim software. I have a laptop and I carry it everywhere anyway so I could use it to study whenever I had a few minutes. It also replicates the actual test SW experience pretty well.

I also went to a ground school offered by one of the local community colleges. Best $100 I spent for the whole PP process.

John
 
steingar said:
Use the test bank. Do not use an answer key for anything. Do the problems. When you aren't certain about something, look it up in your study materials. If you still aren't certain, have a CFI explain it to you. Do all the questions. When you're done, burn the answers and do it again. The idea is not to memorize all the answers, but to use your won lack of knowledge to guide your interrogation of your study materials. You will learn better and faster than any other method.
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Here is a dissenting opinion:

Use the textbook, videos, etc. to learn the materials. However, with regard to the multiple choice written test preparation, don't spend time studying WRONG answers. Read the question, then read ONLY the correct answer (and its explanation). As long as your written test prep book is current, the questions will be the same ones you will see on the actual FAA test.

Don't get me wrong--I am all for having a good grasp of the knowledge. Your original question was how to prepare for the test, and in my humble opinion, this is the best way to do so.
 
ajstoner21 said:
I have heard the Gleim Knowledge Test guides are pretty amazing to "pass the test". Read through each sub unit, and work the questions as you go.

Keep in mind, you don't want to memorize answers, and you should know more than just the test.
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Do both, memorize the answers and crush the score, then study hard and be sharp for that practical test. There is nothing "wrong" with knowing the answers to the questions.

I would highlight the correct answers to the questions in each chapter and read them over and over. You will kill the test in less than 30 mins.
 
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BTW, I've heard it said that the higher your written test score, the shorter/easier your oral portion of the practical test will be. I guess the examiner figures that you were well prepared for the "book" knowledge, which is really what the oral is designed to ascertain.
 
Erice said:
BTW, I've heard it said that the higher your written test score, the shorter/easier your oral portion of the practical test will be. I guess the examiner figures that you were well prepared for the "book" knowledge, which is really what the oral is designed to ascertain.
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I keep the oral standard for all checkrides regardless of the test score. A high test score does not necessarily mean the applicant understands the material.
 
Erice said:
BTW, I've heard it said that the higher your written test score, the shorter/easier your oral portion of the practical test will be. I guess the examiner figures that you were well prepared for the "book" knowledge, which is really what the oral is designed to ascertain.
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BTW I've also heard the opposite that if you score too high the examiner will think you're a know-it-all who needs a reality check.

I don't believe the written score affects the examiner very much if at all.

The written test is a measure of rote level knowledge. That's why the quick and dirty methods of study work so well. A weekend review course is said to be worth between 10 and 30 points depending on how well prepared you are to start. I don't have any stats to back it up but it sounds reasonable.

The oral portion of the checkride is on the comprehension level or ability to apply the knowledge level. For an easy example: the written test will ask is Angle A in Fig 1 A. the angle of attack, B. the angle of incidence, or C. the line of demarcation? Whereas the examiner will ask what is the difference between the angle of attack and the angle of incidence? And that's just the lead in to the discussion on stalls.

I believe if you study well for the written by which I mean study to understand the material not just answer the question, the oral portion will go faster because there will be less probing to see what you know, not because the examiner gives you credit for a good score on the written.

Joe
 
Erice said:
Here is a dissenting opinion:

Use the textbook, videos, etc. to learn the materials. However, with regard to the multiple choice written test preparation, don't spend time studying WRONG answers. Read the question, then read ONLY the correct answer (and its explanation). As long as your written test prep book is current, the questions will be the same ones you will see on the actual FAA test.
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For standardized tests, this is indeed the best way to pass the test.

Before I became a pilot, I got really good with standardized test because I had to - the Merchant Marine Third Mate's exam is 4 straight days, morning and afternoon, of multiple choice exams. For license prep, we studied the test bank for every exam and the best/fastest way was to read the question and then the correct answer. Do that over and over and eventually you will breeze through the test.

Obviously, you want to be able to work the problem questions out correctly, but for the rest, I recommend getting the Gleim books and going through and highlighting the correct answer for each question. Read them over and over again and within a week or two, you will probably be ready to score in the high 90's.

Now, you still need to understand the stuff for the oral, but for that, I recommend reading the references identified in the PTS for the rating you seek. Get an Oral Exam Prep Guide from ASA and use that as a study guide and go over the oral stuff separately. The way some of the written questions are and the way the prep books present them, you can think you understand the concept when in reality you don't.

I did a paid weekend written exam prep once for my IR and found that for me it wasn't worth the money - I could have accomplished the same thing on my own.
 
Areeda said:
BTW I've also heard the opposite that if you score too high the examiner will think you're a know-it-all who needs a reality check.

I don't believe the written score affects the examiner very much if at all.
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Totally depends on the examiner.....it seems that no two are alike.
 
Fearless Tower said:
For standardized tests, this is indeed the best way to pass the test.
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It is one of the poorest to actually learn the material though. Directed interrogation is the best way to imprint new data on the long-term potentiation centers in the brain.
 
steingar said:
It is one of the poorest to actually learn the material though. Directed interrogation is the best way to imprint new data on the long-term potentiation centers in the brain.
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Let's face it - the written multiple-choice tests are a joke! The commerical written is the biggest joke of them all!

I am not recommending learning the material with that method - I recommend getting the written done and out of the way and then focus on understanding the material to the oral exam standard which is far better than the written. Two different things.

If you try to use the written questions to learn the concepts, you can easily get mislead. You must have a solid foundation through other means.

In my above merchant marine example - keep in mind, we had 4 years of college level courses as well as hands on experience at sea that prepared us for the actual concepts.
 
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Fearless Tower said:
Let's face it - the written multiple-choice tests are a joke! The commerical written is the biggest joke of them all!

I am not recommending learning the material with that method - I recommend getting the written done and out of the way and then focus on understanding the material to the oral exam standard which is far better than the written. Two different things.

If you try to use the written questions to learn the concepts, you can easily get mislead. You must have a solid foundation through other means.

In my above merchant marine example - keep in mind, we had 4 years of college level courses as well as hands on experience at sea that prepared us for the actual concepts.
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The examination questions may indeed be inappropriate, but the method I've described is the most effective for most people for incorporating data into long-term memory, in combination with a written text. Quickly memorizing a series of answers is a good way to fill short-term memory, but the material will be quickly forgotten.

Re-reading text is virtually useless for knowledge acquisition for most students. But reading, followed by directed interrogation, is an excellent educational strategy. There are many ways to direct interrogation, with open-ended questions being perhaps the best. If someone has a supply of these, they could be usefully employed by student pilots. The test bank distributed by the FAA has three distinct advantages. The first is that it covers a wide range of aviation issues, indeed it covers all the issues the student will be required to address. The second is that if the student can answer all the questions, he or she will automatically be able to pass the test as a consequence, but will have a far easier time of the oral exam as their inculcation will have allowed them to process and store far more information. Lastly, the test bank is widely available.
 
I'm currently using the Gleim book as well as a Test Prep app on my iPhone. Sporty's also has a free test prep website that will go through the questions. I'm scoring consistently in the 80's and 90's on the practice tests and haven't finished covering all of the material in the book yet, so I think it's a good approach. The Gleim book is highly recommended.
 
steingar said:
will have a far easier time of the oral exam as their inculcation will have allowed them to process and store far more information.
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That is the part that I don't really agree with. Because of the nature of multiple choice, the questions do not go any deeper than the simple ask and answer. It is just the limitations of that testing style. Because of that, a person who 'thinks' they understand the concept involved in the question can easily get mislead which can bite them in the oral - Seen it happen.

On the flip side, I have seen a whole lot of people who really did understand the concepts, but were not great test takers get tripped up on the multi choice tests.

That is why I advocate handling the written prep separately from the oral.

To me solid ground instruction and written test prep are two different things.
 
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Fearless Tower said:
That is the part that I don't really agree with. Because of the nature of multiple choice, the questions do not go any deeper than the simple ask and answer. It is just the limitations of that testing style. Because of that, a person who 'thinks' they understand the concept involved in the question can easily get mislead which can bite them in the oral - Seen it happen.

On the flip side, I have seen a whole lot of people who really did understand the concepts, but were not great test takers get tripped up on the multi choice tests.

That is why I advocate handling the written prep separately from the oral.

To me solid ground instruction and written test prep are two different things.
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The thing with even a poorly written multiple choice test, you can interrogate your study materials for any concepts or facts that you don't understand. I advocate, in a multiple choice question setup, going through all the answers. If you do that, and you understand everything going on, you are prepared and will remain so for some time. Preparing for two examinations on the same materially separately is ludicrous.
 
I'm surprised nobody has suggested the King Schools class. I know opinions are polarized. Some like them, some can't stand them. I've used them for both my private and instrument writtens. That's what the class is aimed at - passing the written exam. And John and Martha make no bones about it. For me, it worked. 100 on the private and 97 on the IR. The other materials (Jepp books, etc) are great resources for all the learning you need to get preparing for the check ride and beyond, but the King class focuses on the written to the exclusion of all else. And, yes, I've used the Gleim books. And they've been great for inducing me to do something I don't do well, sleep on an airline flight. But, if that approach works for you, they are great.

IOW, there is no one best way to prepare. You need to know what works for you. The options are out there. Now, go forth and spend money finding what works for you. :D
 
steingar said:
Preparing for two examinations on the same materially separately is ludicrous.
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If you do it in a very focused way, it is hardly ludicrous - it can be alot more efficient and you end up (provided you have the solid oral prep) understanding the concepts just as well.
 
Ghery said:
I'm surprised nobody has suggested the King Schools class. I know opinions are polarized. Some like them, some can't stand them.
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I used the King VHS tapes for my private.

Frankly, I'd rather listen to my wife lecture for 14 hrs on how to properly load the dishwasher, than go through that again.

But as Ghery said it really personal preference. I found the King course went through the exact same material in the Cessna text book just with half the content and twice the time. They did add a few of the worst jokes I've ever heard. If Martha wasn't so hot I never would have made it.

That said, it did contain all the information needed to pass the oral and written. I've had students who like it. They learn more from hearing and seeing it than reading it.

If it works for you, God bless you.

Joe
 
I took the written 2 months ago. Used the Gleim test prep guide. I've not very good at memorization, I'm better at problem solving and practical application.

So, this is what I did: I would read the chapter then answer each question in the question bank without looking at any answers. I then checked my answers. If I got a question wrong I wrote down the question number and reviewed the question and answer to fully understand what they are testing for. Repeated this process several times. On each iteration I skipped the questions that I answered correctly on the previous tries. On my last 'pass' through the questions I only had a handful of wrong questions.

Score: 92%.

Don't forget to take your time and RTFQ.
 
Erice said:
BTW, I've heard it said that the higher your written test score, the shorter/easier your oral portion of the practical test will be. I guess the examiner figures that you were well prepared for the "book" knowledge, which is really what the oral is designed to ascertain.
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I was under that impression, and I was sadly mistaken. I studied and scored a 93, and my oral exam was still 3 hours long. I know another individual who scored 100, and that person's oral exam was even longer. I finally realized that as long as you pass, no one cares what the score is. Oh, the examiner picked out my three wrong answers and asked specific questions about them.

I used the Gleim book. I read through it a few times, and did a few practice tests on the Sportys website.
 
The Gleim software did it for me with my private and my instrument written.

There's also some great iPhone apps (if you have one) to test yourself while on the go or during any down time.
 
Fearless Tower said:
I am not recommending learning the material with that method - I recommend getting the written done and out of the way and then focus on understanding the material to the oral exam standard which is far better than the written. Two different things.
. . .
If you try to use the written questions to learn the concepts, you can easily get mislead. You must have a solid foundation through other means.
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This is what I was trying to say, but not quite as eloquently! :)
 
Erice said:
BTW, I've heard it said that the higher your written test score, the shorter/easier your oral portion of the practical test will be. I guess the examiner figures that you were well prepared for the "book" knowledge, which is really what the oral is designed to ascertain.
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I have heard you will really get "drilled" on what you get wrong...

but as far as "higher score", I dont know. I've heard a lot of DPE's hate to see when people do super well, because they suspect that all they did was memorize what the answer was (memorize the answer doesnt mean they really understood the question), so they might get drilled even more to make sure they understand stuff.
 
I've always had pretty reasonable orals (probably all in the neighborhood of 1-1.5 hours once the paperwork was done). I've also always gotten in the 90's and NOT 100 on my writtens. But, I think the orals were of reasonable length because I demonstrated that I knew my stuff, and that DEFINITELY includes the aspect of decisionmaking, which is something that can't be tested on the written.

One examiner ended my oral by replying to my last answer with "I like the way you think. Let's go fly." That is what I hope to show on all my checkrides, and I hope everyone else does too.
 
I was hammered on my oral and was later told that it was to prove that when you get a high score on the written it doesn't mean you know it all.

Maybe next time I'll shoot for high 80's instead to prove that I am not a know-it-all.
 
Areeda said:
I used the King VHS tapes for my private.

Frankly, I'd rather listen to my wife lecture for 14 hrs on how to properly load the dishwasher, than go through that again.


Joe
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:D:thumbsup: That is awesome!
 
There is a lot of really good material for preparing for your first written test. I think that your best chance is to get yourself a Jepesson Private Pilot book and the Gleim Private book. Gleim also has great test prep software, however it is important to realize that your actual written will cover much more then these practice tests. I recomend that once you start consistenly scoring in the 90's in these practice tests that you take your written asap. These resourses are seemingly costly but it is much better than paying for months of ground intruction. Learn this stuff on your own and then use a couple ground sessions to show your instructor what your know and get your endorsment. Good Luck and Fly Safe!
 
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