I’ve taken three out of six writtens, and I just want to reiterate for anyone who still isn’t sure: trust the process! Here are my results so far.
PAR- 93% with Sporty’s Study Buddy
IRA- 98% with Sheppard’s IRA Study Guide (Flight Test X20 app)
FII- 98% taken same day as the IRA using the same study guide
I still have so many questions about how all that knowledge gets put into practice, but that’s what school time is for. For the writtens, just follow the program and trust that you’ll understand it all eventually.
Alright, update time. I wanted to get the remaining exams done before our family vacation, so I studied like crazy and got them all in this week! It was rough, but the Sheppard system is very effective. Here are the results.
CAX- 97% with Sheppard’s CAX Study Guide
FIA- 98% with Sheppard’s FIA Study Guide (definitely needed this, the material is way to different to double-up like the IRA/FII)
FOI- 94% with Sheppard’s FOI Study Guide
Now that’s taken care of, any recommendations of what to start looking at next? I’ve got a month before I start at ATP. I’ll be on vacation for most of that, but I can probably find some time to crack a book or watch some videos.
Id make sure you’ve got all the boxes checked on the pre-start page. If you have take this time to relax and enjoy your family because once you start you’ll be MIA!
I recently was approved for financing, have already completed an admissions flight and have been in contact with admissions about possible start dates for the location I am interested in and will be going in with Private credit. By early next week I plan on securing a start date of early September. I understand once you have a start date with ATP secured they ship you a bundle of books and gear and online modules to get you rolling, but my question is… Is there a discount code for Sheppard air test prep programs once enrolled or should I just buy those and begin working on those now?
Congrats on getting those first steps done! Sheppard does offer a discount for ATP students, so I would wait until you’re officially enrolled to get started with them. Here’s a link with more info about knocking out the writtens before classes start. The only thing I’d change is the recommended order to: PAR (you already have), CAX, FIA, IRA, FII, FOI. Hope this helps!
Eli is absolutely right. Start on your written exams prioritizing the CAX first since that is most similar to the PAR bank which you already completed. I believe the Sheppard Air discount is 10-15% so it’s worth it to wait until you’re an enrolled student. Each database is roughly $60 so it can add up.
Thank you for the information and taking time to respond! Also, I see on the website it states that the FIA & CAX are taken immediately back to back as well as the IRA & FII in a lot of cases. Do you recommend just purchasing the CAX & IRA test preps to study for all 4 knowledge exams or should I purchase all 4 test preps separately?
I received a 98% on the PAR and I just want ensure all the questions I need to memorize for the exam will be there as I would like above at least a 90% on each remaining exam!
Since you have some time, get the CAX out of the way ASAP, then immediately start on the IRA/FII. Honestly if you know you’re going to submit for an enrollment, I would not wait for the discount for the CAX, start it NOW and FINISH it as soon as possible with a solid score. Get the writtens out of the way ASAP. You also do get a returning discount on the Sheppard Air website if you purchase a bundle of product.
I would recommend studying separately for the CAX and FIA, only reason is because they have different focuses on test questions. While they are for commercially rated pilot, the FIA goes into the “why” and “how” of the question. The IRA and FII can be taken same day, and use the IRA test bank.
You will also have some material required to complete before Day 1 ATP as well, ATP Orientation Modules as well as familiarizing yourself with the Training Supplement for type aircraft.
I’m with Brady. 15% on one test won’t change your life but completing just one more will. Order the CAX and start working on it. Use the discount for the rest.
How do you suggest starting with the Sporty’s app? I just downloaded the app, but i’m a bit confused on where to begin. Are you literally just going through the multiple choice questions and guessing/memorizing the answers?
That is EXACTLY what you’re supposed to do. It’s straight rote memorization. There are many threads on the subject but after decades of analysis this is the best way to prepare for the exams. No you won’t learn the material but that’s fine because until you start flying you have no context. Trust the process.
I struggled with that a bit, too. I’d recommend using Sheppard’s approach modified for Sporty’s. Here’s what I’d do if I could go back.
Select Flashcard Mode and choose 1 category (i.e. ADS-B Surveillance Systems). This mode will just show you the correct answer. Don’t worry about answering/grading, just get familiar with the questions and answers.
Then go through that same category in Learning Mode where you have to select the answer.
Repeat Steps 1 and 2 for each category.
Take a Practice Test in Test Mode. If you get above a 90%, screenshot it and do it 2 more times. If you get less than 90%, go back to Learning Mode and Select All categories. Work through everything again flagging every question you get wrong or struggle with. Then go back through those questions before taking another Practice Test.
Also, I’d go through the 62 Guided Independent Study Modules in your extranet first. Those will give you a foundation of knowledge and some context for the PAR material.
Since you haven’t started yet, a lot won’t make sense to you. When I went through, my approach was to go through all of the ~1,000 questions in learning mode before I even thought about taking any of the practice exams. Some will come pretty easy (for example, “what’s the definition of angle of attack”). Others will make almost zero sense without experience (like understanding VORs). The questions on the PAR are almost identical to Sporty’s in my experience. If you can get thru all 1000 questions, the practice quizzes were a breeze with that method. If you’d really like to understand some of the difficult concepts for some questions, there are plenty of helpful youtube videos but I wouldn’t do that for many as it’s time consuming.
