Private Pilot Written Exam Practice Test (Free, 40 Questions)

This is a free 40-question practice test for the FAA private pilot knowledge exam, written from scratch rather than scraped from a question bank, with an explanation and a regulatory or handbook reference behind every answer. The real exam is 60 multiple-choice questions in 2 hours 30 minutes, and the pass mark is 70 percent, so 42 correct out of 60. On this test, 28 out of 40 is the equivalent.

Work through it on paper or on your phone, then use the scoring button to mark it. If you want the full picture of the exam itself — how to get the endorsement, what the subject areas are, how results and codes work — read our guide to the private pilot written exam first. For where and how to sit it in Los Angeles, see FAA written test centers in Los Angeles.

Student pilot going through a preflight checklist with an instructor beside the aircraft

How To Use This Test

Set a timer for 100 minutes, which is the same per-question pace as the real exam. Answer every question before you look at anything, including the answers below each one. Then press the scoring button, read the explanation for each question you missed, and write down the subject area it came from rather than the question itself.

That last step is the one that matters. The FAA gives you a knowledge test report listing Airman Certification Standards codes for the areas you missed, and your examiner will use that report to decide what to ask you about on the oral. Studying the specific questions you got wrong teaches you those questions. Studying the areas they came from is what changes the score, and it is what prepares you for the checkride rather than just the exam.

If the scoring button does not appear, your browser has JavaScript disabled and the page falls back to a plain list. Everything still works: each question carries its own answer and explanation in a collapsible block, and you can mark yourself.

What Is Actually On The Real Exam

The private pilot airplane knowledge test draws from the areas listed in 14 CFR 61.105, and the rough weighting has been stable for years. Regulations and airspace together make up the largest block. Weather is the second largest and is where most candidates lose marks, because interpreting a forecast is harder than recalling a definition. Performance, weight and balance and navigation involve computation and are where a rushed candidate makes arithmetic errors. Systems, aerodynamics, aeromedical factors and aeronautical decision making fill the rest.

The 40 Questions On This Test, By Subject Area
Subject Area Questions
Federal aviation regulations 1 to 7
Weather theory and services 8 to 12
Airspace and VFR weather minimums 13 to 18
Aerodynamics, performance, weight and balance 19 to 26
Navigation, charts, instruments and flight planning 27 to 32
Aircraft systems 33 to 36
Aeromedical factors and decision making 37 to 40

You will need no plotter, no E6B and no figures supplement for this test. The computational questions are designed to be done with mental arithmetic so that you can take it anywhere, which also means it does not substitute for practicing with the FAA Figures Supplement. Do that separately, under time pressure, before you sit the real thing.

The 40 Questions

Choose one answer for each question. The explanation and reference sit behind the answer link under each question, so you can check as you go if you prefer, though you will learn more by scoring the whole test at once.

  1. A Pilot's Most Recent Flight Review Was Completed On 12 March 2025. Without Another Review, Through Which Date May That Pilot Act As Pilot In Command?

    Show The Answer And Reference

    Answer: B. A flight review is valid for 24 calendar months, and a calendar-month period runs to the end of the last day of that month. A review completed on 12 March 2025 therefore carries the pilot to 31 March 2027.

    Reference: 14 CFR 61.56(c)

  2. To Carry Passengers By Day, A Private Pilot Must Have Made, Within The Preceding 90 Days:

    Show The Answer And Reference

    Answer: C. The day recency requirement is three takeoffs and three landings within the preceding 90 days, as the sole manipulator, in the same category, class and type if a type rating is required. Full-stop landings are only specified for tailwheel airplanes and for night recency.

    Reference: 14 CFR 61.57(a)

  3. The Night Passenger-Carrying Recency Requirement Applies To Flights Made Between:

    Show The Answer And Reference

    Answer: A. For night passenger recency the three takeoffs and landings must be to a full stop and must be made in the period from one hour after sunset to one hour before sunrise. Note that this is a different definition of night from the one used for logging night flight time.

    Reference: 14 CFR 61.57(b)

  4. Which Of These May A Private Pilot Legally Do?

    Show The Answer And Reference

    Answer: B. A private pilot may share operating expenses with passengers provided the pilot pays at least the pro rata share of fuel, oil, airport expenditures and rental fees. Being paid to fly, or charging for a sightseeing flight, is compensation or hire and is outside private pilot privileges.

    Reference: 14 CFR 61.113(c)

  5. Beginning A Night VFR Flight, You Must Carry Enough Fuel To Reach The First Point Of Intended Landing And Then Fly, At Normal Cruising Speed, For At Least:

    Show The Answer And Reference

    Answer: A. The VFR fuel reserve for airplanes is 30 minutes by day and 45 minutes at night, calculated at normal cruising speed and taking wind and forecast weather into account. It is a legal floor, not a sensible personal minimum.

    Reference: 14 CFR 91.151(a)

  6. Which Of These Is NOT Required To Be Carried Aboard The Aircraft On A Local Training Flight?

    Show The Answer And Reference

    Answer: A. The aircraft must carry its airworthiness certificate, registration, operating limitations and weight and balance data. A certificated pilot's logbook stays at home; a student pilot, however, must carry the logbook containing the required endorsements when flying solo.

    Reference: 14 CFR 91.203 and 61.51(i)

  7. No Person May Act Or Attempt To Act As A Required Crewmember Within How Long After Consuming Alcohol?

    Show The Answer And Reference

    Answer: C. The rule is eight hours from bottle to throttle, and separately prohibits acting as a crewmember while under the influence, while using any drug that affects the person's faculties contrary to safety, or with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.04 or greater.

    Reference: 14 CFR 91.17(a)

  8. The Surface Temperature Is 24 Degrees C And The Dew Point Is 15 Degrees C. Using The Standard Rule Of Thumb, The Base Of Convective Cumulus Cloud Will Be Near:

    Show The Answer And Reference

    Answer: A. Divide the temperature and dew point spread by 2.5 and multiply by 1,000 to get the approximate convective cloud base in feet above the surface. A spread of 9 degrees C gives 9 divided by 2.5, or 3.6, and therefore about 3,600 feet AGL.

    Reference: FAA Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge, weather chapter

  9. A Temperature Inversion Is Most Often Associated With:

    Show The Answer And Reference

    Answer: B. In an inversion, temperature increases with height, so the air below is stable. That gives a smooth ride but traps moisture and pollutants, which is why the Los Angeles basin can be hazy beneath an inversion on an otherwise clear morning.

    Reference: FAA Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge, weather chapter

  10. Advection Fog Forms When:

    Show The Answer And Reference

    Answer: B. Advection fog needs horizontal movement of moist air over a cooler surface and, unlike radiation fog, can form in windy conditions. Radiation fog is the clear calm night case and upslope fog is the rising terrain case.

    Reference: FAA Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge, weather chapter

  11. Structural Icing Requires:

    Show The Answer And Reference

    Answer: A. Both conditions must be present at once. Visible moisture alone is harmless above freezing, and sub-freezing temperatures in dry air will not build ice on the airframe.

    Reference: FAA Aeronautical Information Manual 7-1-20 and the Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge

  12. Which Stage Of A Thunderstorm Contains Both Strong Updrafts And Strong Downdrafts And Is Considered The Most Hazardous?

    Show The Answer And Reference

    Answer: B. The mature stage begins when precipitation reaches the surface. Updrafts and downdrafts coexist, producing severe turbulence, wind shear and hail. The cumulus stage is dominated by updrafts and the dissipating stage by downdrafts.

    Reference: FAA Aeronautical Information Manual 7-1-26

  13. The Basic VFR Weather Minimums For Day Flight In Class C Airspace Are:

    Show The Answer And Reference

    Answer: C. Class C, Class D and Class E below 10,000 feet MSL all share the same basic minimums: three statute miles flight visibility with the 500, 1,000 and 2,000 foot cloud clearances.

    Reference: 14 CFR 91.155(a)

  14. The Basic VFR Weather Minimums In Class B Airspace Are:

    Show The Answer And Reference

    Answer: C. Class B is the exception to the usual cloud clearances. Because every aircraft inside it is under positive ATC control, the requirement is three statute miles visibility and remaining clear of clouds.

    Reference: 14 CFR 91.155(a)

  15. Flying By Day In Class G Airspace At 1,000 Feet AGL, The Minimum Flight Visibility And Cloud Clearance For An Airplane Are:

    Show The Answer And Reference

    Answer: B. At or below 1,200 feet AGL in Class G by day, an airplane needs one statute mile flight visibility and must remain clear of clouds. At night in the same airspace it becomes three statute miles with the standard cloud clearances.

    Reference: 14 CFR 91.155(a)

  16. At Or Above 10,000 Feet MSL In Class E Airspace, The Basic VFR Minimums Are:

    Show The Answer And Reference

    Answer: C. The higher figures reflect the greater closing speeds permitted above 10,000 feet MSL, where the 250-knot speed limit below that altitude no longer applies.

    Reference: 14 CFR 91.155(a)

  17. To Enter Class D Airspace At A Towered Airport Such As Van Nuys, You Must:

    Show The Answer And Reference

    Answer: A. Class D requires two-way radio communication to be established, which means the controller has responded using your call sign without a restriction. A specific clearance is the Class B requirement, and the words to listen for there are cleared into the Class Bravo.

    Reference: 14 CFR 91.129(c)

  18. Cruising VFR At More Than 3,000 Feet AGL On A Magnetic Course Of 090 Degrees, Which Altitude Is Appropriate?

    Show The Answer And Reference

    Answer: B. On a magnetic course from 0 to 179 degrees you fly odd thousands plus 500 feet; from 180 to 359 degrees, even thousands plus 500. The rule applies above 3,000 feet AGL, not above 3,000 feet MSL.

    Reference: 14 CFR 91.159

  19. In A Level Turn At 60 Degrees Of Bank, The Load Factor Is Approximately:

    Show The Answer And Reference

    Answer: C. Load factor in a level turn is one divided by the cosine of the bank angle. The cosine of 60 degrees is 0.5, so the load factor is 2.0, meaning the wings carry twice the aircraft's weight.

    Reference: FAA Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge, aerodynamics chapter

  20. An Airplane Stalls At 50 KIAS In Level Flight. Its Approximate Stall Speed In A 60-Degree Banked Level Turn Is:

    Show The Answer And Reference

    Answer: A. Stall speed increases with the square root of the load factor. The square root of 2.0 is about 1.41, and 50 multiplied by 1.41 is roughly 71 KIAS. This is why steep turns close to the ground are dangerous.

    Reference: FAA Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge, aerodynamics chapter

  21. As An Airplane's Gross Weight Decreases, Its Design Maneuvering Speed:

    Show The Answer And Reference

    Answer: B. A lighter airplane accelerates more readily in response to a gust or an abrupt control input, so it reaches the limit load factor at a lower speed. Manufacturers publish maneuvering speed at maximum gross weight, and it must be reduced as weight falls.

    Reference: FAA Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge, aerodynamics chapter

  22. Ground Effect Occurs When An Airplane Is Within Approximately One Wingspan Of The Surface And Causes:

    Show The Answer And Reference

    Answer: C. The surface interferes with the wingtip vortices and reduces downwash, which reduces induced drag. The hazard is lifting off inside ground effect below a speed the airplane can sustain once it climbs out of it.

    Reference: FAA Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge, aerodynamics chapter

  23. P-Factor, The Asymmetric Loading Of The Propeller, Is Most Pronounced:

    Show The Answer And Reference

    Answer: A. At a high angle of attack the descending blade on the right takes a greater bite of air than the ascending blade on the left, producing more thrust on the right side and yawing the airplane left. This is why right rudder is needed in the climb.

    Reference: FAA Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge, aerodynamics chapter

  24. Best Angle Of Climb Speed Gives:

    Show The Answer And Reference

    Answer: B. Best angle of climb is the obstacle-clearance speed and is the slower of the two climb speeds in most trainers. Best rate of climb gives the greatest altitude gain per unit of time. The two converge at the airplane's absolute ceiling.

    Reference: FAA Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge, aircraft performance chapter

  25. Field Elevation Is 800 Feet, The Altimeter Setting Is 29.92 And The Outside Air Temperature Is 38 Degrees C. The Density Altitude Is Closest To:

    Show The Answer And Reference

    Answer: A. With the altimeter at 29.92 the pressure altitude equals the field elevation, 800 feet. Standard temperature at 800 feet is about 13 degrees C, so the deviation is about 25 degrees C. At roughly 120 feet per degree C, that adds about 3,000 feet, giving a density altitude near 3,750 feet.

    Reference: FAA Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge, aircraft performance chapter

  26. Loading Baggage In The Rear Compartment, Keeping The Center Of Gravity Within Limits But Near Its Aft Edge, Will:

    Show The Answer And Reference

    Answer: A. An aft center of gravity reduces the tail-down force needed for balance, which lowers stall speed a little and improves cruise performance, but it also reduces longitudinal stability and makes a stall more likely to develop into a spin.

    Reference: FAA Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge, weight and balance chapter

  27. You Fly From An Area Of High Pressure Into An Area Of Lower Pressure Without Resetting The Altimeter. The Altimeter Will:

    Show The Answer And Reference

    Answer: B. Going from high to low pressure, the altimeter over-reads and the aircraft is lower than the instrument shows. The memory aid is high to low, look out below. The same caution applies flying from warm air into colder air.

    Reference: FAA Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge, flight instruments chapter

  28. Flying At A Constant Indicated Altitude From Warm Air Into Significantly Colder Air, Your True Altitude Will Be:

    Show The Answer And Reference

    Answer: A. Cold air is denser, so pressure levels lie closer to the ground and the aircraft is physically lower than the altimeter indicates. This matters most on an instrument approach in winter, but it is a terrain-clearance issue for VFR pilots crossing high ground too.

    Reference: FAA Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge, flight instruments chapter

  29. Your True Course Is 090 Degrees, Magnetic Variation Is 12 Degrees East And Compass Deviation Is Zero. Your Magnetic Course Is:

    Show The Answer And Reference

    Answer: B. East variation is subtracted from a true course to give a magnetic course, and west variation is added. The memory aid is east is least, west is best. 090 minus 12 gives 078 degrees.

    Reference: FAA Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge, navigation chapter

  30. A Leg Measures 68 Nautical Miles And Your Groundspeed Is 110 Knots. The Time En Route For That Leg Is Closest To:

    Show The Answer And Reference

    Answer: B. Distance divided by groundspeed, multiplied by 60, gives minutes. 68 divided by 110 is 0.618 hours, which is about 37 minutes. That leg length is close to the direct distance from Van Nuys to Santa Barbara.

    Reference: FAA Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge, navigation chapter

  31. Your Airplane Burns 8.5 Gallons Per Hour. For A Day VFR Flight Of 1 Hour 54 Minutes Plus The Required Reserve, The Minimum Fuel On Board At Takeoff Is Closest To:

    Show The Answer And Reference

    Answer: C. 1 hour 54 minutes is 1.9 hours, and the day VFR reserve is 30 minutes, or 0.5 hours, giving 2.4 hours. Multiplied by 8.5 gallons per hour that is 20.4 gallons. Note that this is the legal minimum, and unusable fuel must be accounted for separately.

    Reference: 14 CFR 91.151(a)(1)

  32. On A Sectional Chart, A Blue Segmented Circle Surrounding An Airport Indicates:

    Show The Answer And Reference

    Answer: C. Blue dashed lines mark Class D. Class C is shown by solid magenta lines, Class B by solid blue lines, and Class E surface areas by dashed magenta. The ceiling of the Class D appears in a bracketed number nearby in hundreds of feet MSL.

    Reference: FAA Aeronautical Chart User's Guide

  33. During The Runup, Selecting One Magneto Produces An RPM Drop Larger Than The Limit In The Pilot's Operating Handbook. The Most Likely Cause Is:

    Show The Answer And Reference

    Answer: A. An excessive drop points at the ignition system on that side. No drop at all is equally significant and usually means a magneto is not being grounded by the switch, which makes the propeller live even with the switch off.

    Reference: FAA Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge, aircraft systems chapter

  34. Applying Carburetor Heat In Flight:

    Show The Answer And Reference

    Answer: C. Carburetor heat routes induction air across a heat exchanger on the exhaust. The warmer air is less dense, so the engine makes less power and the same fuel flow produces a richer mixture. Fuel-injected engines have no carburetor and use an alternate air source instead.

    Reference: FAA Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge, aircraft systems chapter

  35. Detonation Is Best Described As:

    Show The Answer And Reference

    Answer: A. Detonation is the remaining charge burning explosively rather than progressively after the spark, producing high cylinder pressures and heat. Preignition, offered as the hot-spot option, is ignition before the spark. Both are aggravated by a lean mixture, high power and low airspeed.

    Reference: FAA Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge, aircraft systems chapter

  36. With A Completely Blocked Static Port And No Alternate Static Source Selected, During A Descent:

    Show The Answer And Reference

    Answer: A. The trapped static pressure holds the altimeter at the altitude where the blockage occurred and pins the vertical speed indicator at zero. As the airplane descends, ram pressure rises against a static pressure that is now too low, so the airspeed indicator over-reads.

    Reference: FAA Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge, flight instruments chapter

  37. The Most Effective Immediate Response To Suspected Hypoxia Is To:

    Show The Answer And Reference

    Answer: C. Hypoxia degrades judgment before the pilot notices any of the other symptoms, so the response must be immediate and mechanical rather than considered: oxygen on, descend, land. Night vision is affected well below the altitudes at which oxygen is legally required.

    Reference: FAA Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge, aeromedical factors chapter

  38. A Passenger Becomes Anxious And Reports Dizziness And Tingling In The Fingers, With Rapid Shallow Breathing. The Most Likely Cause And The Correct Response Are:

    Show The Answer And Reference

    Answer: B. Hyperventilation and hypoxia share several symptoms, which is why the standard practice is to apply oxygen first if there is any doubt, then slow the breathing. Carbon monoxide poisoning is treated by shutting off cabin heat and opening the vents, not by closing them.

    Reference: FAA Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge, aeromedical factors chapter

  39. The Graveyard Spiral Is Caused By:

    Show The Answer And Reference

    Answer: B. After a prolonged constant-rate turn the inner ear stops sensing rotation, so rolling level feels like a turn in the opposite direction. The pilot re-enters the turn, loses altitude and pulls back, tightening the spiral. The instruments are the only reliable reference.

    Reference: FAA Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge, aeromedical factors chapter

  40. The Antidote For The Hazardous Attitude Of Invulnerability Is:

    Show The Answer And Reference

    Answer: B. Each of the five hazardous attitudes has a specific antidote. Taking chances is foolish answers macho, and not so fast, think first answers impulsivity. The other two are anti-authority, answered by follow the rules they are usually right, and resignation, answered by I am not helpless.

    Reference: FAA Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge, aeronautical decision making chapter

What Your Score Means

Reading Your Result On This Practice Test
Score Out Of 40 Equivalent Percentage What To Do Next
36 to 40 90 to 100 You are ready. Sit two full-length timed tests with the Figures Supplement and book the exam.
32 to 35 80 to 87 Comfortably above the pass mark. Work the two weakest subject areas and re-test.
28 to 31 70 to 78 A pass, but with no margin for a bad day. Another week of study is usually worth it.
Below 28 Under 70 Not ready. Identify the two areas producing most of the errors and go back to the source material rather than to more questions.

One caution about practice tests generally. It is entirely possible to reach 90 percent on a question bank by recognizing the questions rather than knowing the material, and candidates who do that tend to pass the written and then struggle badly on the oral, because the examiner asks the same knowledge in a form they have never seen. If you can explain your answer aloud to someone else without reading it, you know it. If you can only pick it from three options, you do not.

How To Study The Areas You Missed

Almost every question on this test, and on the real one, comes from one of four sources, and going back to the source is more effective than doing another hundred questions.

  • 14 CFR parts 61 and 91 for the regulatory questions. Read the actual section on eCFR rather than a summary of it. The regulations are shorter and clearer than their reputation.
  • The Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge for aerodynamics, weather theory, performance, weight and balance, systems and aeromedical factors. It is free from the FAA and it is the source the test writers used.
  • The Aeronautical Information Manual for airspace procedures, communications, wake turbulence and the operational weather sections.
  • The Airplane Flying Handbook and your own aircraft's flight manual for anything specific to the airplane you fly. Systems questions are best learned in the airplane with the cowling open and an instructor beside you.

Ground instruction is the other lever. We charge $110 per hour for it, and two hours spent on the two subject areas you are weakest in will move a score further than twenty hours of self-study across everything. Our page on ground school in Los Angeles explains how we run it.

Before You Book The Real Exam

Three things need to be in place. You need an endorsement from an authorized instructor certifying that you have received the required ground training and are prepared for the test. You need an FAA Tracking Number, obtained by registering in IACRA, because it is how the test result is attached to your airman record. And you need acceptable government-issued photo identification showing your name, date of birth, signature and residential address.

The test itself is delivered by PSI at authorized testing centers and costs approximately $175, paid to the testing center rather than to us. Scheduling and identification rules are covered in detail on our page about taking the FAA written test in Los Angeles. The result is valid for 24 calendar months, which is the window inside which you must pass the practical test.

Student pilot wearing a headset in the cockpit during a training flight over Los Angeles

Related Reading

Private Pilot Written Exam Practice Test FAQ

How Many Questions Are On The Real Private Pilot Written Test?

Sixty multiple-choice questions with a time limit of 2 hours 30 minutes. The pass mark is 70 percent, which is 42 correct answers.

Is This Practice Test The Same As The FAA Exam?

No. These 40 questions are original, written to the same subject areas and difficulty as the real exam, but the FAA does not publish its current question bank. Use this to find your weak areas, not to memorize answers.

What Score Should I Get Before Booking The Real Test?

Consistently 85 percent or better on full-length timed practice tests, which is 34 out of 40 here. Booking at exactly the pass mark leaves no margin for a question you misread or an area the real exam happens to emphasize.

How Much Does The FAA Written Test Cost?

Approximately $175, paid to the PSI testing center on the day. It is separate from any flight school package and is not something we charge for.

Do I Need An Endorsement To Take The Written Test?

Yes. An authorized instructor must endorse your logbook certifying that you have received the required ground training and are prepared for the knowledge test. You also need an FAA Tracking Number from IACRA and acceptable photo identification.

How Long Is A Passed Written Test Valid?

The Airman Knowledge Test Report is valid for 24 calendar months. You must pass the practical test within that window or take the written again.

What Happens If I Fail The Written Test?

You may retake it after receiving additional ground training and a new endorsement from an authorized instructor certifying that you are prepared. There is no limit on attempts, but each one costs the full test fee.

Does This Test Cover The Sport Pilot Written As Well?

Partly. The sport pilot knowledge test is shorter and built on the areas in 14 CFR 61.309, and it omits some of the material here, but the regulations, weather, airspace and human factors questions are relevant to both. Our sport pilot license requirements page lists the sport pilot knowledge areas.

Turn A Score Into A Certificate

Passing the written is the easy half, and it is the half you can do from a sofa. The flying is the part that takes a schedule. If you have not started yet, a discovery flight is $229 for 60 minutes, you fly it from the left seat with an instructor, and it logs as dual instruction toward your certificate; enroll within 24 hours and it credits in full. If you are mid-training and stuck on a subject area, an hour of ground instruction will fix it faster than another practice test. Book a free consultation or call (818) 330-1318 any day between 9 AM and 9 PM. We are at 7900 Balboa Blvd, Van Nuys, CA 91406, on Van Nuys Airport.
Flight Training At Van Nuys Airport

See Yourself In The Left Seat.

Our fleet, our instructors and the view over Los Angeles — every discovery flight and every course starts right here on the ramp.

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