Don’t Limit Your Training: FAA’s Stance on Flight School DPEs

‘Comprehensive training’ remains paramount, so a single Designated Pilot Examiner shouldn’t dictate your flight instruction.

Meg Godlewski

Wednesday, January 14, 2026 at 12:13 PM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Travis Tingle

Flight instructor and student inside small Piper aircraft [Credit: Adobe Stock]

Key Takeaways:

Flight training should not be tailored to a specific DPE's testing style; it must provide comprehensive instruction meeting or exceeding FAA standards for overall pilot proficiency and safety.
The FAA explicitly states that its regulations are not designed for training specific to a preferred DPE, emphasizing thorough preparation for safe flying beyond just passing a test.
Flight schools can either use Designated Pilot Examiners (DPEs) or pursue examining authority, which allows them to administer FAA-approved certification tests themselves.
Examining authority can improve testing efficiency by reducing long wait times for checkrides and preventing skill degradation that might occur from delays.

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Question: The flight school I attend uses a particular Designated Pilot Examiner for the private pilot through commercial check rides. I wanted to go with another DPE who was recommended by a friend but was told that wasn’t possible, as the flight school only uses a particular DPE. Is it common for schools without examining authority to tailor students’ flight training to the testing style for preferred DPEs?

Answer: According to the FAA, “[agency] regulations are not designed to tailor flight training to a preferred DPE’s testing style. It is essential for pilot schools to ensure that students receive comprehensive training that meets or exceeds the applicable FAA ACS/PTS standards, aeronautical knowledge, flight proficiency, and aeronautical experience, and that best prepares them for safe flying beyond just passing the practical test.”