Use Study Guides for a Better Check Ride Experience

It’s important to go in well-prepared to thwart the Dunning-Kruger effect.

Tuesday, January 30, 2024 at 04:51 PM ET

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Although many learners don’t pick up a copy of the Commercial Pilot Oral Exam Guide until just before check ride, you may also find it useful earlier in your training. [Courtesy: ASA]

Key Takeaways:

Many pilot applicants, and sometimes their instructors, fall prey to the Dunning-Kruger effect, overestimating their knowledge and leading to inadequate preparation and potential failure during FAA check rides.
This lack of preparedness often stems from superficial study methods focused on memorizing answers for tests rather than deeply understanding the material for practical application.
The article highly recommends using comprehensive study tools like Aviation Supplies & Academics (ASA) oral exam guides, which provide organized, Q&A format content with FAA references to ensure learners acquire the necessary depth of knowledge.

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I spent three hours with a private pilot applicant getting him ready for his check ride. That was an hour longer than we both anticipated, but it was necessary. There was a lot missing from his knowledge base. He told me the fuel gauges of the Cessna 172 were vacuum powered. His nav log was incomplete, and he struggled to identify airspace even when allowed to use the legend panel on the VFR sectional. Yet he told his CFI that he had passed the mock check ride with flying colors.

The CFI didn’t believe the learner for one minute, as we had known each other for years, and he knew I made lots of notes during these evaluations. The debrief is extensive and considerably longer than “passed with flying colors.”