The FAA used to make their question banks publicly available, which made passing the Private Pilot Knowledge Exam a breeze.
You would just have to spend some time memorizing the answers to questions and that would be it. No college degree necessary.
Despite this change, the FAA Private Pilot Written Test isn’t particularly hard, and the vast majority of students manage to pass the first time, especially if they enrol in a great online ground school.
While there is no shortcut – which is a good thing to ensure only safe and competent pilots are allowed to take to the skies – any motivated student will have no problem passing.
The private pilot written test consists of 60 questions with a 2 hour 30 minute time limit.
Questions are asked in a multiple-choice format.
A score of 70% is required to pass the exam.
Knowledge areas and the number of questions you can expect to answer include:
Regulations: 3-9 Questions
Accident Reporting: 3-6 Questions
Performance Charts: 3-6 Questions
Radio Communications: 3-6 Questions
Weather: 3-6 Questions
Safe and Efficient Operations: 3-9 Questions
Density Altitude Performance: 3-6 Questions
Weight and Balance: 3-6 Questions
Aerodynamics, Powerplants, and Aircraft Systems: 3-6 Questions
Stalls and Spins: 3-6 Questions
Aeronautical Decision-Making (ADM): 3-6 Questions
Preflight actions: 3-6 Questions
Very High Pass Rate
The average score and pass rate vary slightly each year, but the typical pass rate is 90% with an average score of 84.
As you can tell, the vast majority of pilots pass first time and become a private pilot in no time.
So as long as you put the work in, you have very little to worry about.
What Happens If You Fail
Despite the very high pass rate, don’t worry if you don’t do as well as you expected to and fail the exam.
You are able to retake the test 30 days from the date of your previous attempt.
There is no limit to how many times you can retake the test.
The main reason for failing the exam is more to do with not studying enough or poor studying methods than anything else.
So don’t try to cram the night before, but plan to study for an hour or two every day several weeks in advance of the test.
This way you will better retain what you learn.
Best Study Resourcess
Rod Machado is comfortably the go-to resource for any pilot who wants to pass the FAA exam the first time of asking.
We recommend his Private Pilot Handbook that contains 656 full-color pages and more than 1,200 illustrations and photos.
If you learn better through video and interaction, we recommend Rod’s eLearning Ground School course. It consists of 26-course modules, spanning 40-hours.
How Long Should You Study For?
It’s hard to be too specific when recommending a number of hours to study for, as some students are better learners than others, and manage to retain knowledge more easily.
However, as a general rule, you know you’re ready to take the exam if you can score 90%+ on the practice tests.
Helen Krasner holds a PPL(A), with 15 years experience flying fixed-wing aircraft; a PPL(H), with 13 years experience flying helicopters; and a CPL(H), Helicopter Instructor Rating, with 12 years working as a helicopter instructor.
Helen is an accomplished aviation writer with 12 years of experience, having authored several books and published numerous articles while also serving as the Editor of the BWPA (British Women Pilots Association) newsletter, with her excellent work having been recognized with her nomination of the “Aviation Journalist of the Year” award.
Helen has won the “Dawn to Dusk” International Flying Competition, along with the best all-female competitors, three times with her copilot.
