What is the best way to study for the Instrument Written Test?

Happy to finally be able to contribute to this thread - Passed my IR written this morning with a 98%.

I used Sporty's and Sheppard and highly recommend both. Sporty's was excellent for an overview of how the IFR system works - I watched it twice and will probably do so again before my checkride. But as other's have pointed out, it is not great for written prep. Sheppard did an awesome job for that. It was more time consuming than I thought it would be with over 1100 questions, but I followed their method and am very pleased. I had seen every question before (although some were slightly re-worded, it was all testing the same concepts).

For those that say Sheppard is just memorization and not learning - I would disagree. Part of the reason it took me so long was that my first time through the questions I read the explanations (and if I did not have a complete comprehension I would seek our additional sources until it made clicked). Granted, when it was all said and done, I had "marked" about 50 questions that were not really helpful knowledge-wise and I did just memorize the answers for the test (which really only helped with 1-2 questions on the actual test). So I think it depends on how you approach it, but there is definitely learning that can happen with Sheppard.

I did not use their memory aid sheet at all - I found it worthless. For the compass questions, the ANDS and UNOS mnemonics are all that are needed. For the stupid holds (so sick of hold questions!), I used the thumb trick I learned from Sporty's, which is way easier than trying to memorize the answers.

Best of luck to those tackling the written. I started studying a year ago with Sheppard and finally just hunkered down and got it done. Now back to flying!
 
I did Shep for my Commercial - yes you are studying the questions, but you won't get the right answers unless you understand the material - or at least I won't. It took me about 10 days of grind - I'm a slow learner. Also, there are several questions that are just plain bad - Shep will discuss what the FAA says is the correct answer, and maybe why the FAA is scoring it the way they do. You will memorize those - but for me only after doing all the calculations and remembering the little side explanations from Shep. I also used the Jeppeson Instrument Commercial book, and Instrument Flying Handbook. I don't have much real experience with an HSI, so the drills from Shep really helped me there.
 
For anyone reading who is studying only for a PPL, Sheppard no longer has any test prep for the written. Their link sends you to Sporty’s!

EDIT: I wrote the above comment not realizing this thread topic is for *instrument* only.
 
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I should also point out this great resource I came across for the PPL written. I enrolled in the Sporty's online course, which I think is very well done and helpful. But looking to boost my understanding of a few topics by digging into them a little deeper, I discovered that MIT (which obviously has a world renowned aeronautics program) has created an entire lecture series of the entire FAA topic list, geared for student pilots and the PPL. For free!

Both of the professors are pilots.

The Sporty's (and I assume Kings) program is more user-friendly and may be easier to navigate and study along with, since it is geared for paying customers. But if you're dedicated enough and read the materials you could probably do the same or better with MIT. In my case, I am glad I did Sporty's and am now using MIT to go back and dig a little deeper into the subjects I'm not as strong on. Link to the entire course series here:

https://ocw.mit.edu/courses/aeronau...chool-january-iap-2019/class-videos/index.htm
 
@Sudburian - Did you notice this thread topic is the INSTRUMENT written? I ask because you posted twice about PPL.
 
I did the IFR written primarily with Gleim (book and online) but I also bought Sheppard several days before the test as a backup based on POA recommendations. Got a 93 primarily due to failure to RTFQ (read the freaking question!), speeding through the test. I know exactly the 4 questions I missed and why. I already knew a lot of the material from my AF days, and that's the key I think, gaining understanding of the material not test taking. I would say Gleim is more geared to you knowing the material whereas Sheppard is about passing the test. In regards to that, Sheppard seems to have sample test questions I never saw in Gleim. Sheppard's packaging is clunky, inability to be on more than one platform. Answering all the test bank questions at the Gleim website, I got the Gleim instructor endorsement electronically. I also had Machado's IFR Unltimate course, and I would say his series on IFR approach is very good material if you have the patience stand for extra time he wastes at attempts of humor.
 
Personally, I think asking about the best way to study for the Instrument Written is like asking for the best way to have teeth pulled. Just my humble thoughts.
 
steingar said:
Personally, I think asking about the best way to study for the Instrument Written is like asking for the best way to have teeth pulled. Just my humble thoughts.
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It’s a close second. I say that having taken and passed it twice. No way I was going to let it expire again.
 
I used Sporty's Instrument course for the written, then "Pilot Cafe" has a pretty good IFR quick review sheet!

Best of luck!
 
I've had teeth pulled that were easier than this.
I've complete Sporty's online but not testing well.
Started Shep but want to learn better.
60% through IFR class with fly8MA but not testing better. Frustrated today.
Will finish what I am on, then do the test prep with Fly8MA, hope to pass well enough for endorsement.
I think I am learning but sure isn't showing in the test numbers.
I wonder if getting some time in the plane with CFII will help out?
 
steingar said:
Personally, I think asking about the best way to study for the Instrument Written is like asking for the best way to have teeth pulled. Just my humble thoughts.
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I must be weird. I loved studying for it, and I never even took it.
 
Just scored 100% on the instrument written.

I used Shepherd test prep for this, exclusively, and used their preparation strategy as well.

The test is so full of wrong answers or potentially strangely worded questions, that the shepherd was the best test prep method, and I found other test prep had outdated questions or didn't allow me to really understand the test logic well.

Having done the shepherd test prep, I pretty much recognized all the questions, and just had to verify that my thinking was correct, rather than try to interpret everything.

The one big learning for me though, was that there was the physical booklet present in the test center, and I should have bought a copy and become really familiar with it, as it would have saved me from memorizing tons of stuff that's all included in the legends and upfront materials in that booklet.
 
SloRoam said:
Just scored 100% on the instrument written.

I used Shepherd test prep for this, exclusively...

The test is so full of wrong answers...
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I'm happy for you, but if the test is full of wrong answers and you scored 100% on it aren't you likely to be confused about which is which in the future? :dunno:
 
dtuuri said:
I'm happy for you, but if the test is full of wrong answers and you scored 100% on it aren't you likely to be confused about which is which in the future? :dunno:
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Of course not.

This is called studying for the test.

About 90% of the stuff that's on the test I will never use in real life, and I will never need to know in the way that it was asked. In one ear and out the other.

I recommend anybody studying for their instrument first focus on the written, get done with that, and then expunge most everything they learned about the test from their brain.
 
SloRoam said:
About 90% of the stuff that's on the test I will never use in real life
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You're right. You'll never need to enter a hold, interpret an HSI, know clearance limits, plan and file in the system, make mandatory reports to ATC.

The only reason for the test is to give revenue to the testing center.
 
SloRoam said:
Of course not.

This is called studying for the test.

About 90% of the stuff that's on the test I will never use in real life, and I will never need to know in the way that it was asked. In one ear and out the other.

I recommend anybody studying for their instrument first focus on the written, get done with that, and then expunge most everything they learned about the test from their brain.
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I really hope you’re kidding.
 
RyanB said:
kidding
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Not kidding.

Hard to express this in a simple way, but the key above was the last part of the sentence: ", and I will never need to know in the way that it was asked"

Real life is just not like a multiple choice question, where one is trying to choose the least worst answer, and where the true nuances that you need to know are not captured.

I get why we need to have a knowledge test, to have some kind of grounding in the key pieces of knowledge that you would need, but I find that being good at answering those test questions does not really help to prepare one for the skills you need to be a safe and successful pilot.

For instance, on the test, you might need to know that at a certain airport, in order to answer the questions correctly, you should use the opposite from the FAA logic for holding entry. I will never need to know that again.

To pass the test, I have to learn how to interpret an outdated HSI presentation which I'm never going to see again in my life. I may indeed see other kinds of HSIs which I'll need to learn to interpret as well, but this is just a limitation of multiple choice test taking, budget, and time.

In order to answer another question, I had to learn which TSO codes would relate to what kind of GPS capability. In reality, everybody would look at the AFM supplement and clearly read out what their GPS is capable of.

In many many questions, there is just one slight wording issue that invalidates an answer, and I can see a lot of good pilots would get wrong answers even though they might in the cockpit know exactly what to do.

Let's just agree that multiple choice tests are just not the best way to understand if someone actually knows what they're doing or not.
 
SloRoam said:
Let's just agree that multiple choice tests are just not the best way to understand if someone actually knows what they're doing or not.
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That’s why there’s an oral and practical test, but the base knowledge stems from written test.

By your logic, I suppose you’ve never needed to use weight and balance, cross-country flight planning, aeronautical regulations or basic aerodynamic rules - because all of those things are on the Private Pilot written exam.

To your credit, I’ll agree that some people might just memorize questions and answers, but that’s besides the point. Having the fundamental knowledge to interpret a question about a given scenario you may encounter is paramount, so saying that it all goes in one ear and out the other is frightening to me as a fellow pilot.
 
SloRoam said:
I get why we need to have a knowledge test, to have some kind of grounding in the key pieces of knowledge that you would need...

Let's just agree that multiple choice tests are just not the best way to understand if someone actually knows what they're doing or not.
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Imo, the "key pieces" are too numerous to fit into a knowledge test, so I don't look at it the way you do. Instead, I see the test as a way to verify that an individual has studied widely enough and has retained most of it. Someone scoring 100%, in say only 60 key areas, doesn't know as much as someone who studied all the FAA's recommended resources and only retained 80% of it, imo. Not only that, but by memorizing "correct" answers that aren't really correct for the purpose of passing the test only encourages the FAA to make the tests harder still rather than fix the erroneous questions everybody would be missing if they hadn't all agreed with the incorrect answers. Thank you so much, Sheppard Air. :rolleyes:
 
dtuuri said:
Thank you so much, Sheppard Air
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I second that. I also scored 100 on the written using Sheppard. Aced the practical, too using things like - Studying the FAA publications (FAR/AIM, Instrument Flying Handbook, Instrument Procedures Handbook), Jeppesen instrument/comm textbook, the ASA IR practical study guide, my CFII....

Sheppard is one tool in the toolbox. For me it was, anyway. Not like people are going to just use Sheppard, take the written then go take the practical. For me, it got the written out of the way in short order so I could focus on the practical (the real learning). Guess it is different for everyone.
 
Deelee said:
I second that. I also scored 100 on the written using Sheppard. Aced the practical, too using things like - Studying the FAA publications (FAR/AIM, Instrument Flying Handbook, Instrument Procedures Handbook), Jeppesen instrument/comm textbook, the ASA IR practical study guide, my CFII....

Sheppard is one tool in the toolbox. For me it was, anyway. Not like people are going to just use Sheppard, take the written then go take the practical. For me, it got the written out of the way in short order so I could focus on the practical (the real learning). Guess it is different for everyone.
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Definitely -- I think Sheppard is a must. Not just their questions, but following their method really worked for me.
 
Sportys website says 12 hours of IFR ground school video

anyone know how long king is? Aviation seminars?

Thanks
 
Randomskylane said:
Sportys website says 12 hours of IFR ground school video

anyone know how long king is? Aviation seminars?

Thanks
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I don't know how long Kings is but I used both Sheppard Air and Sporty's IFR. Made it about 2/3rds of the way thru Sheppard then went thru the entirety of Sporty's IFR. Took the two practice quizzes in Sporty's then went and passed the written. In hindsight, Sheppards Air would have sufficed but I did like the video segments of Sporty's.....made things a bit easier to understand.
 
For those that used Sheppard, did you do it on a computer or an iPad?

the rep said iPad was difficult for some.
Thanks
 
I used a MacBook Pro. It worked ok but was always thinking I should have used an iPad since it is more portable. I don’t know how the app would look on an iPad though. A computer gives you more real estate on the screen which allows for decent viewing of the figures in conjunction with the questions. Too bad Sheppard air doesn’t allow u to load it on both without buying 2 separate licenses.
 
I'm just getting started in on this myself; I've gone through the full bank of Sporty's videos and now I'm into their study sessions. Any way I slice it - this is a daunting amount of material. One step at a time...
 
Anyone with experience with the Jeppesen online IFR course? Debating between Jeppesen and Ron Machado currently. Any thoughts on both are welcome.
 
Hypoxic said:
Anyone with experience with the Jeppesen online IFR course? Debating between Jeppesen and Ron Machado currently. Any thoughts on both are welcome.
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Not online but I have both analog books. Both will get you there although Machado’s writing style is painful.
 
Still grinding on this. I've gone through 6/7 chapters of study notes, and each associated quiz; scored over 80% on all of them. I plan to do the final chapter & quiz tomorrow and then start their practice exams.

Reading the thread again though, I think I'll end up doing Sheppard as well. Thanks for the Pilot's Cafe tip earlier in the thread.

To be honest the biggest obstacle is doing this studying in a vacuum with nobody around to bounce questions/concepts off.
 
There's a company that makes index card sized paper flash cards for instrument training. So if you have a bored friend, they could quiz you with something like that and make it maybe less boring...at least for you.
 
I finally scored 80% on one of the Sporty's practice exams. Feels like progress. I think with two or more passing (80% or better) practice exams I can get the endorsement to write the real exam. I'm frustrated because the Sporty's study material does not overlap with the exam questions. Combine that with random PPL questions (Basic Med eligibility, etc) I do not feel ready to score 100% on the real written.
 
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