Preparing for Knowledge Tests

Student Experiences
1

My start date is November 26th at Tampa (PIE), and I got my training bundle yesterday. I know that ATP uses King Schools for the private pilot knowledge test and Shepard Air for the remaining tests. Should I focus only on King Schools/Shepard Air to prepare for the knowledge tests, or should I supplement that with material from the training bundle (PHAK, etc.)?

2

Chris,

The good news is you have time. The writtens really don’t follow the curriculum and are simply a box to be checked so I would bang those out first and be done with it. All the recommended and required other manuals I’d save for when you get closer to your start date so the info is fresh.

Adam

3

Thanks buddy

4

Chris,

Preparing for the written tests can be accomplished through repetition and memorization, but since you have so much time, I would use your books just for the sake of getting familiar with where to look to find information. As a student you will need to be resourceful and independent. Now is a good time to develop good study habits. YouTube also has a lot of helpful information.

Tory

5

Thanks for the advice!

6

Hey Chris,

I got my PAL done before I showed up at Chicago and I almost exclusively used Kings Schools for the prep. I threw in a few sessions of Sporty’s but it was mostly King. The questions that King quizzes you on are nearly word for word what you’ll see on the FAA exam, so pay attention to them. The thing I liked about King Schools is that if you get a new question that isn’t in any of the test prep banks yet, you will know how to figure the answer out yourself. Remember, a great score on your written may influence how your checkride goes. My DPE said, “We won’t be here very long, today” after seeing my written score. You don’t have to go overboard to have a legit shot at scoring at 100% on the PAL.

Tory is right that you can back up what John and Martha teach you with finding stuff in the PHAK and other sources. Use what works for you, though! I use the ‘WIN’ mindset (What’s Important Now). I focused on crushing the written. Once that was complete, I dove deep into the text books and Cessna POH (Chicago is a Cessna location) to prepare for the checkride itself.

Josh

2 Likes
7

Thanks! I really appreciate it.