Getting past the knowledge test.

I’ve got a full schedule of rating candidates sitting on the sideline and not furthering their goals because they cannot muster the time and effort it takes to study for, then take the FAA knowledge exam for the rating.

As someone who has passed eight knowledge tests over a number of years, (each a bit more demanding than the last), I acknowledge from experience that they are difficult.

AOPA has all sorts of statistics about why pilots don’t finish their training and even though my aforementioned assumptions are not scientific, I think it would be interesting to find out how many people would start training for additional certificates and ratings if there were an easier way to prepare for the written tests.

I always advise customers to take the knowledge test early in their training. Getting it done early is the best way to have a shot of understanding the concepts and principals you will need as you prepare for the practical examination.

Myself, I’ve done it both ways and I prefer having the test behind me when I start out. My flight training for the Private license was complete early in 1986 yet I had not studied for, nor taken, the knowledge test. George Bianchi was my instructor at the time and I remember how disturbed he was when he asked for my test results while tallying up my time, endorsing my logbook getting ready to refer me to the examiner.

After that, quite a few evenings were spent grilling my instructor’s dinner as both he and Judy peppered me with questions from the test book he made me buy. A few weeks later I received an 86 on the test then I rode with Ray Noble for my practical.

Since then I have always passed the knowledge test prior to starting flight training. Flying is so much fun that encumbering it with the mental chore of memorizing a steaming pile of meaningless minutia ruins it for many participants.

I have used the King Schools material for seven exams. For me the computer based format the Kings have embraced over the past several years is much better than video only. Since my Commercial test I have always viewed the material on my laptop while exercising. I spend an hour a day on a treadmill five days a week. By watching the ground school while I exercise I manage to get through the material in about fourteen days, or three workweeks. I use the fifteenth day to take the practice exams and get the endorsement to take to the exam center.

Scoring consistently between 88 and 94 on the instrument (taken twice) the Commercial, Fundamentals of Instruction, Flight Instructor Airplane, Flight Instructor Instrument, and Airline Transport Pilot exams, my workout schedule fits very neatly within the confines of a self paced computer based training program.  The King Schools content runs $289 for the material either on CD/DVD  on-line through the internet delivery

Some people for whatever reason cannot carve an hour a day out of their day to dedicate to computer based training and for them the Aviation Seminars two-day ground school format works best. Aviation Seminars travels the country offering the courses in hotel conference rooms and suggests that you take the knowledge test as soon after the class as possible. Their classes are $429, start on a Saturday at eight am and run till six and four respectively. The knowledge test fee is not included for this offering.

I can’t remember the last time I saw a ground school advertised by a local flight school.  The Aviation Seminars  and King Schools offerings plus addition options from Sporty’s, Gleim, and Jeppensen has made the local twice weekly-two hour a night-for a number of  weeks ground schools obsolete.

Regardless of the method you choose, passing the written exam is a milestone residing in the critical path of achieving a new certificate or rating. Viewing the test requirement as a prerequisite for flying provides motivation to study and learn the material.  Eating your greens prior to having dessert is the parental mindset most of us grew up with. Taking care of the boring mundane elements upfront moves us forward to our goals, as we all love to fly, yet not many of us like to be subjected to testing.

Once again I’m reminded of the Nike slogan “just do it”, and to all of you sitting on the sideline waiting…there is no time like the present.