Embarrassing Day for yours truly!

[CBpilot]

So I have two task's to complete before my check ride:

1)Long x-xountry solo
2)Private Pilot written exam


So I go up to my flights school to go on my long x-country and the winds are howling. 15knot x-winds and outside my solo limits. So I decide that I am going to study for hour and take my written. Drum roll please.... I failed.

I have been studying on and off for the last 3 months or so and I thought I was ready to take it , but I guess my brain had other plans. Oh and to top it all off I missed passing by one question and I went back and change my answer on a question that I had originally had correct.

I feel pretty stupid right now. I have not failed a test in a long time and I forgot how humbling it is.

So my plan is to do it old school. Lock my office over the weekend, hit the gleim book and try again next week.

Enjoy the weekend all!

[flyingmaniac]

Did you consult your instructor before taking the test? Normally I don't sign my students off until I feel that they are comfortable with taking the test.

I was in a rush when I took the test the first time and only made a 71. Took it twice and slowed down considerably and made an 85 the next time.

Consult with your instructor before you take it again, please.

[BillErvin]

I always thought "old school way" was actually studying the Airplane Flying Handbook and the Pilots handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge, not memorizing the answers out of the Gleim book.

Silly me

[CBpilot]

Flying, Yeah my CFI signed me off on this like three weeks ago after him and I did a review. I waited till today to take the test because of my hectic work schedule.

I had taken 6 gleim test and gotten between 85 and 95 on all of them. I just rushed today.

I should have done a night of review instead of an hour.

Oh, well. I am still 100% confident in my flying ability just not my test taking ability

[Jshutt64]

It happens. Don't stress too much about it.

Just study hard for a couple nights and take it again, you'll pass it. Do you have Rod Machado's Private Pilot Handbook? That will teach you everything you need to know for both the knowledge and the oral portion of the practical.

[flyingmaniac]

Originally Posted by Jshutt64

It happens. Don't stress too much about it.

Just study hard for a couple nights and take it again, you'll pass it. Do you have Rod Machado's Private Pilot Handbook? That will teach you everything you need to know for both the knowledge and the oral portion of the practical.

Exactly

[CBpilot]

Thanks for the vote of support guys.

I have the ASA Oral Exam Review and have been using both FAR Manual and Gleim.

I think I just should have done a better refresher before I took it.

I am going on the road again this week for work so I am going to use the time to study and then take it next weekend again.

[flyingmaniac]

Originally Posted by CBpilot

Thanks for the vote of support guys.

I have the ASA Oral Exam Review and have been using both FAR Manual and Gleim.

I think I just should have done a better refresher before I took it.

I am going on the road again this week for work so I am going to use the time to study and then take it next weekend again.

Just sayin' that the Rod Machado book is the BEST in aviation if you ask me. I have been using it ever since my private and even more as an instructor.

[BillErvin]

Originally Posted by Jshutt64

Do you have Rod Machado's Private Pilot Handbook? That will teach you everything you need to know for both the knowledge and the oral portion of the practical.

Actually a real good book for aspiring pilots. I still refer back to it on occasion.

[CBpilot]

I will pick it up this weekend.

[blaise723]

Originally Posted by CBpilot

I have been studying on and off for the last 3 months....

That may be the problem right there. I did this for my private and instrument writtens and scored in the 80s. For my commercial and instructor writtens I went through the Gleim book in 2-4 days (for my FOI 4 hours before I took the actual test) and found that I scored much higher....94-98. With those study books it's really best just to sit down and knock them out within a few days, take some online practice tests, then go knock out the written while it's fresh in your head. Just my advice...strike while the iron's hot. Studying on and off made me forget a lot of the stuff in the beginning of the book by the time I had reached the final chapters.

Maybe go back through the book...shouldn't take as long the second time around, and then take more practice exams online. Most instructors I know wouldn't sign off on their students until they provided proof of 3 90+ scores from online practice tests. By the time you're ready to take the actual exam you should have all the info locked in your mind.

Good luck.

[Mike H]

Originally Posted by flyingmaniac

I was in a rush when I took the test the first time and only made a 71. .

All you need is 70 to pass. It's not like you get extra credit or anything for a higher score.

1. No, I don't remember what I got on my private pilot written-errr, KNOWLEDGE TEST. That was nearly 20 years ago. Instrument was 88%, Commercial was 86%, CFI was 90% and FOI was 94% Haven't done the AGI yet. Only thing a higher than passing score really does is help your self confidence, though that's rarely a bad thing

2. I've never had any DPE ever check the missed item codes and tailor the oral part of the checkride for the missed questions. In fact, it's always seemed to me that the DPE's have a pretty definite outline of the stuff they go over in the oral exam and it's only if you're having apparent trouble in an area of knowledge that they go into more depth until they're satisfied that you either know it and can explain it reasonably, or don't know it.

3. Rote memorization isn't entirely a bad thing when it comes to the knowledge tests. In fact, if you do any prep using the actual test questions, there are some items that you just can't help but memorize becaue you've seen the question & answer more than a few times. In a lot of cases, that's sufficient not only to pass the test, but for everyday flying too. You should probably do your best to NOT memorize any performance, navigation, instrument, weight & balance, & any E6B problems though.

4. Failing a test (or a checkride) is hardly the end of the world, otherwise they wouldn't let you try again. So... get prepared & try again.

[flyingmaniac]

Originally Posted by Mike H

All you need is 70 to pass. It's not like you get extra credit or anything for a higher score.

1. No, I don't remember what I got on my private pilot written-errr, KNOWLEDGE TEST. That was nearly 20 years ago. Instrument was 88%, Commercial was 86%, CFI was 90% and FOI was 94% Haven't done the AGI yet. Only thing a higher than passing score really does is help your self confidence, though that's rarely a bad thing

2. I've never had any DPE ever check the missed item codes and tailor the oral part of the checkride for the missed questions. In fact, it's always seemed to me that the DPE's have a pretty definite outline of the stuff they go over in the oral exam and it's only if you're having apparent trouble in an area of knowledge that they go into more depth until they're satisfied that you either know it and can explain it reasonably, or don't know it.

3. Rote memorization isn't entirely a bad thing when it comes to the knowledge tests. In fact, if you do any prep using the actual test questions, there are some items that you just can't help but memorize becaue you've seen the question & answer more than a few times. In a lot of cases, that's sufficient not only to pass the test, but for everyday flying too. You should probably do your best to NOT memorize any performance, navigation, instrument, weight & balance, & any E6B problems though.

4. Failing a test (or a checkride) is hardly the end of the world, otherwise they wouldn't let you try again. So... get prepared & try again.

Yes I am aware of the qualifying score. The untold information that I didn't state was that I was training at a Part 141 school that required an 80 for the class.

[Mike H]

Ultimately, all that matters is that you passed.

Also, I agree with you about the Machado materials. Good stuff there