When Is the Best Time To Take the Test?

Variable test center availability makes it more challenging.

Tuesday, May 09, 2023 at 10:30 AM ET

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When you take your knowledge exam, you should know how to use a mechanical E6-B because some testing centers will not allow an electronic one. [Credit: Shutterstock]

Key Takeaways:

The FAA pilot knowledge exam system has centralized under PSI, leading to a significant reduction in available testing centers due to drastically decreased compensation for vendors, making it more challenging and costly for applicants to find and access test sites.
Applicants must meticulously plan for their exam, ensuring they have an appointment, valid government ID, and appropriate proof of readiness (e.g., instructor endorsement or ground school certificate), and should be aware of potential logistical and procedural issues at test centers.
Effective preparation, including consistently scoring 90% or higher on practice tests, and strategic timing of the exam (considering its 24-month validity) are crucial for passing and can positively influence the subsequent practical check ride.

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Did you take a written test or knowledge exam for your private pilot certification? What is the difference, you ask?

The written test was completed using a pencil on a paper exam form. You wrote in or circled the correct answer on the answer sheet. By the early 1990s, you were using a number 2 pencil to fill in bubbles on an answer sheet. By the late 1990s, the only writing you did when you reported for the test was signing in and out of the testing center—everything else was done on the computer—yet pilots still persist in calling it the ‘written test’.