What advice would you give someone for a CFI checkride?

[Princesspilot206]

In all seriousness, looking for some stellar advice on knocking this out of the park. Please and thank you!

 

[Walboy]

You're gonna make a mistake, somewhere, somehow. Admit it, then turn it into a teaching moment.

Know the Private, Commercial, and CFI ACS inside and out. There should be zero questions in your mind on anything in any of those publications.

Know every single endorsement you'll be able to provide cold. And if you stumble, know exactly where to find the answer in the FARs and AC 61-65.

Tabbing the FAR/AIM ain't gonna impress anyone.

 

[Lndwarrior]

Maybe take some pressure off yourself by not trying to hit a home run, and instead, be ok with getting to home plate on stolen bases and walks.

A win is a win.

 

[Lindberg]

You're gonna make a mistake, somewhere, somehow. Admit it, then turn it into a teaching moment.

This 100%. Your flying will not be perfect on the ride. Own it and critique yourself as if you were a student.

Know the Private, Commercial, and CFI ACS inside and out. There should be zero questions in your mind on anything in any of those publications.

No examiner should expect you to know everything, but you should be very familiar with these and have copies.

Know every single endorsement you'll be able to provide cold. And if you stumble, know exactly where to find the answer in the FARs and AC 61-65.

Again, your examiner shouldn't expect you to have these memorized. But have a copy of the AC, and maybe a flow chart of what endorsements are needed when.

Tabbing the FAR/AIM ain't gonna impress anyone.

My examiner appreciated that mine was tabbed and highlighted. There was only one reg that I had to look in the TOC for. And there was plenty that I had to look in the book for. In fact, he expected me to. I'd say it's poor form to rely solely on your memory for complicated and important details unless you're Rainman.

 

[farangutan]

It was daunting to teach until I spent all day for a couple weeks leading up to my checkride working remotely in the main study room of the flight school. Every private, instrument, commercial, multi, other CFIs and CFI applicants came into the study room I would tell them that any question or doubt on any material to ask me to teach it to them.
Even on some topics I thought I had a solid knowledge I was hot garbage at explaining it until I practiced dozens of times. It was a big confidence boost for the checkride.

 

[ateamer]

Don’t try to BS your way through something you don’t know. Be upfront with your student/DPE (who will roleplay as a student) about your limitations and work with it. Also expect for your “student” to drag the lesson off on some tangent, and be able to keep him from going down a rabbit hole, and stay on the relevant matter. Or for the “student” to argue about a technique that he was taught differently by another instructor. Another opportunity for a guided learning discussion.

 

[RussR]

While you're flying, do not use 100% of your attention trying to fly well. The examiner already knows you can fly the maneuvers within standards, after all, you've passed at least 3 checkrides by this point.

For example, the examiner asks you to demonstrate steep turns. So you focus on nailing it - you're within 10 feet and roll out exactly on your heading, etc. Except to do that took 100% of your attention, and likely you didn't explain much, or very well, during the maneuver. And more importantly, you didn't give yourself a chance to show how to correct anything.

If I'm demo-ing a maneuver to a student, and I happen to be absolutely nailing it, that's not ideal - because there's nothing to talk about correcting. Heck, if this is starting to happen I will intentionally introduce some error so I have something to talk about. But it's easier to just let things happen as they do - "okay, see, I'm getting a little steep here, so I'll roll out a few degrees of bank. As I'm doing that I want to make sure I don't climb...." Of course you need to be aware enough of what's going on to do this, but you should be at that point by now anyway.

It's the same on the CFI checkride. DON'T do everything perfectly. The examiner would much rather you show how to correct a situation than to just nail everything.

In some ways, this actually makes it easier.

 

[MauleSkinner]

Look at the questions that people ask here. Wade through the responses and identify which ones are correct, which aren’t (and find supporting material). Of the stuff that’s correct, would it be appropriate for the level of a Student? Private Pilot? Commercial? Does it apply with or without an instrument rating? Or is it just “nice to know” stuff that would be good when you’ve got a pilot who’s proficient but sees the ACS as a minimum rather than a maximum?

 

[Walboy]

This 100%. Your flying will not be perfect on the ride. Own it and critique yourself as if you were a student.

No examiner should expect you to know everything, but you should be very familiar with these and have copies.

Again, your examiner shouldn't expect you to have these memorized. But have a copy of the AC, and maybe a flow chart of what endorsements are needed when.

My examiner appreciated that mine was tabbed and highlighted. There was only one reg that I had to look in the TOC for. And there was plenty that I had to look in the book for. In fact, he expected me to. I'd say it's poor form to rely solely on your memory for complicated and important details unless you're Rainman.

OP wants feedback to "knock it out of the ballpark".

OP didn't ask if that's a worthy goal.