(818) 290-8249 · Open 9 AM–9 PM, 7 Days a Week · ★★★★★ 4.9 · 500+ Reviews · Van Nuys Airport
The private pilot checkride is a practical test with an FAA examiner, usually a designated pilot examiner (DPE), made up of an oral exam on the ground and a flight in the airplane. It is graded against the Private Pilot for Airplane Category Airman Certification Standards, FAA-S-ACS-6C. If you meet the experience in 14 CFR 61.109, bring the right paperwork and fly to ACS tolerances, you walk away with a temporary pilot certificate the same day.
FAA-S-ACS-6C, effective May 31, 2024, lists every task, element and tolerance the examiner uses.
Most checkrides start with a ground evaluation of knowledge and risk management, then move to the airplane.
14 CFR 61.109 requires at least 40 hours of flight time, including 20 hours of instruction and 10 hours of solo.
You need 3 hours of checkride prep with an instructor within the 2 calendar months before the test.
Your knowledge test must be passed within the preceding 24 calendar months under 14 CFR 61.39.
A failed or discontinued test can be retaken; credit for passed areas lasts 60 days after a discontinuance.
Before your instructor signs you off, you must meet the eligibility requirements for a private pilot certificate, including being at least 17 years old, and the aeronautical experience of 14 CFR 61.109. For an airplane single-engine rating, that means at least 40 hours of flight time with these minimums:
Under 14 CFR 61.39, you also need a passed knowledge test within the 24 calendar months before the month of your checkride, at least a third-class medical certificate if one is required, and an instructor endorsement certifying that you received the required training within the preceding two calendar months, are prepared for the test, and have shown satisfactory knowledge of the subjects you missed on the knowledge test. Forty hours is the regulatory minimum, not a typical finishing point; how long it takes depends on how often you fly and how you learn. Our pilot license cost guide explains how to budget realistically.
Paperwork problems end more checkrides than flying problems. Pack this the night before and have your instructor review it with you:
The examiner usually starts by reviewing your paperwork and the airplane's records, then moves into a scenario-based discussion built around your assigned cross-country. The ACS Area of Operation I, Preflight Preparation, has eight tasks for airplane single-engine land applicants: Pilot Qualifications, Airworthiness Requirements, Weather Information, Cross-Country Flight Planning, National Airspace System, Performance and Limitations, Operation of Systems, and Human Factors.
Each task in the ACS has knowledge, risk management and skill elements. The examiner is not only checking whether you can recite a rule, but whether you can apply it to a decision. Expect questions like: is this airplane airworthy today, and how do you know? Can you legally and safely make this flight with tonight's forecast? What would you do if the marine layer moved in early along your route? Answer clearly, use your references when appropriate, and say "I would look that up in" a specific source if you are unsure. Our private pilot oral exam questions guide has sample questions with answers.
The flight portion typically begins with your planned cross-country, then diversions, lost procedures, and a series of maneuvers. For airplane single-engine land, the ACS covers preflight procedures, airport operations, takeoffs and landings, performance and ground reference maneuvers, navigation, slow flight and stalls, basic instrument maneuvers, emergency operations, night operations and postflight procedures. The examiner selects tasks according to the ACS.
Know your numbers. Here are some of the standards in FAA-S-ACS-6C:
Beyond the numbers, the examiner watches your judgment: clearing turns, collision avoidance, checklist use, radio communication and positive exchange of flight controls. Fly the airplane first. If something goes wrong, such as a ballooned landing, a go-around is a sign of good judgment, not failure.
If you pass, the examiner completes your IACRA application and issues a temporary airman certificate, valid for up to 120 days under 14 CFR 61.17, while the FAA processes your permanent certificate. You are a private pilot from that moment.
If you do not meet the standard on any task, 14 CFR 61.43 says you fail the entire practical test, and the examiner issues a Notice of Disapproval. You will need additional training and an instructor endorsement before retesting, and the retest typically covers the failed areas plus anything the examiner chooses. If a test is stopped for weather, an aircraft problem or another safety concern, you receive a Letter of Discontinuance. Under 61.43(f), you keep credit for areas already passed if you complete the rest within 60 days and bring the original letter.
A failed checkride is frustrating but common enough that examiners and instructors treat it as part of training. Debrief honestly, train the weak areas and go back.
Learning at a busy towered airport like Van Nuys means your radio skills, traffic awareness and airspace knowledge are tested every flight, which pays off on checkride day. You can train for your private pilot license in the Cessna 162 Skycatcher, Piper PA-28 Warrior or Diamond DA20, or in the Cirrus SR22 Turbo with its glass cockpit and CAPS parachute. Practice procedures in our Redbird MCX full-motion FAA-approved simulator, and if you can only fly on weekends, see weekend flight training. Financing is available.
We are at 7900 Balboa Blvd, Main Terminal, Van Nuys Airport, open 9 AM to 9 PM, seven days a week.
Call us to start training at Van Nuys Airport or to plan your final checkride preparation.
Real students, real first flights, real ratings — straight from Google and Yelp.
The fastest way to know if the left seat is for you is to stand on the flight line. Book a free consultation — or reach us whichever way you like.
Tour the school, meet your instructors, sit in the cockpit, and leave with a personal training plan and exact pricing. Your Discovery Flight fee is credited toward training when you enroll within 24 hours.
One minute, a few details, fast answers from a real person on our team.
