Airworthy PrepThe Private Pilot Airplane written test (FAA test code PAR) has 60 scored questions, a 2-hour time limit and a passing score of 70% (FAA Airman Knowledge Testing Matrix, September 25, 2026, p. 13). You need an instructor’s endorsement before you can book it, and you must pass it within the 24 calendar months before your checkride (14 CFR 61.39). This guide covers the format, the 11 areas the test draws from and how much of the test each one is, what you need on test day, retakes, and a simple study plan.
The test at a glance
| Item | Private Pilot Airplane (PAR) | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Scored questions | 60 | FAA Testing Matrix, p. 13 |
| Extra unscored questions | 5 validation questions, not counted in your score | PSI PAR Information Bulletin, March 2024, p. 4 |
| Time allowed | 2 hours (120 minutes) | FAA Testing Matrix, p. 13; PSI bulletin, p. 4 |
| Passing score | 70% | FAA Testing Matrix, p. 13 |
| Minimum age to take the test | 15 | FAA Testing Matrix, p. 13 |
| Minimum age for the certificate | 17 (airplane) | 14 CFR 61.103(a) |
| Authorization needed | Yes: instructor endorsement or pilot school graduation certificate | FAA Testing Matrix, p. 13 |
| Figures book | FAA-CT-8080-2H testing supplement (2018) | FAA Testing Matrix, p. 13 |
| How long a pass lasts | 24 calendar months, counted to the month you finish the practical test | 14 CFR 61.39(a)(1) |
Some websites still say the test is 2.5 hours. The current FAA matrix lists 2.0 hours for PAR, so plan your pacing around 2 hours: that is 2 minutes per question.
The 11 areas on the test (and their weights)
The test follows the Private Pilot for Airplane Category Airman Certification Standards (FAA-S-ACS-6C). The ACS has 12 Areas of Operation, but the PAR knowledge test draws on 11 of them: Area X, Multiengine Operations, is not on the PAR weight table. PSI, the FAA’s testing company, publishes how much of the test each area makes up (PSI PAR Information Bulletin, p. 4):
| ACS area | Name | Share of the test |
|---|---|---|
| PA.I | Preflight Preparation | 22% |
| PA.II | Preflight Procedures | 13% |
| PA.III | Airport and Seaplane Base Operations | 7% |
| PA.IV | Takeoffs, Landings, and Go-Arounds | 20% |
| PA.V | Performance Maneuvers and Ground Reference Maneuvers | 3% |
| PA.VI | Navigation | 8% |
| PA.VII | Slow Flight and Stalls | 8% |
| PA.VIII | Basic Instrument Maneuvers | 7% |
| PA.IX | Emergency Operations | 7% |
| PA.XI | Night Operations | 3% |
| PA.XII | Postflight Procedures | 2% |
Two areas make up more than 40% of the test between them. Preflight Preparation is the big one: it is where the ACS puts pilot qualifications, airworthiness, weather, cross-country flight planning, the national airspace system, performance and limitations, aircraft systems, and human factors. Takeoffs, Landings, and Go-Arounds is the second largest. If your study time is short, spend it there first.
What the questions look like
Every question is multiple choice, and you pick the one best answer (PSI bulletin, p. 4). The FAA’s sample questions show three options (A, B and C) for each. Many refer to a figure: a sectional chart excerpt, a weather report, a performance chart or a weight and balance table. On test day you get the printed testing supplement, FAA-CT-8080-2H, which holds those figures (PSI bulletin, p. 5).
The FAA is also moving figures into the questions themselves. Its September 2026 advisory lists the Private Pilot test among the exams that already “feature questions with embedded images”, and says the supplement stays available until a removal date is announced (FAA Airman Testing Community Advisory, September 2026 Special Edition, p. 5). So practice reading charts both from the supplement and from current FAA charts.
You may bring your own plotter, navigation computer (an E6B), straightedge, protractor and an electronic calculator that is directly related to the test, and the center supplies the supplement book, scratch paper and something to write with (PSI bulletin, p. 5).
What you need before you book
- An FTN. Create a profile in IACRA, the FAA’s online application system, to get a Federal Tracking Number before testing (FAA Testing Matrix, p. 1).
- Test authorization. One of these: a graduation certificate from an FAA-certificated pilot school, or a written statement or logbook endorsement from an authorized ground or flight instructor saying you completed a ground training or home-study course and are prepared for the test (FAA Testing Matrix, p. 13; 14 CFR 61.35(a)(1) and 61.103(d)). A practice test website cannot give you this. Your instructor signs it.
- ID. Valid, current identification with your photo, date of birth, signature and residential address (FAA Testing Matrix, p. 1; 14 CFR 61.35(a)(3)).
- A booking with PSI. You schedule and pay through PSI, at a testing center. Our guide to what the Private Pilot written test costs covers the fee.
PSI recommends arriving at least 15 minutes early, and warns that if you are late you may not be admitted and may lose your registration fee (PSI bulletin, p. 2).
How the test is scored
You need 42 correct answers out of 60 to reach 70%. The 5 extra validation questions do not count (PSI bulletin, p. 4). The bulletin does not say how to tell which ones they are, so answer every question as if it counts.
Your Airman Knowledge Test Report (AKTR) lists an ACS code for each topic you got wrong (FAA-S-ACS-6C, p. 66). Your examiner can test you on those topics during the checkride (FAA-S-ACS-6C, p. 66), and your instructor must endorse that you have shown satisfactory knowledge of them before it (14 CFR 61.39(a)(6)(iii)). You can look up what any code means with our free knowledge test code lookup.
How many people pass?
In calendar year 2025 the FAA recorded 44,657 PAR tests with a pass rate of 89.56% (FAA CY2025 Airman Knowledge Test statistics). That counts tests, not people, so retakes are included. Most people pass, but about 1 in 10 tests is not a pass, and a retake needs extra instructor training (see below).
If you fail: retakes
There is no fixed waiting period in Part 61 for a failed pilot knowledge test, but you need two things before you retest (14 CFR 61.49(a)):
- Additional training from an authorized instructor who has decided you are proficient to pass.
- An endorsement from that instructor.
At the testing center you also hand over the failed test report. The instructor’s endorsement can be a signed statement, a logbook entry, or the instructor’s statement section on the failed report itself (FAA Testing Matrix, p. 13). Plan on a new booking and test fee for each retake.
If you pass and want a higher score, the matrix also accepts a passing AKTR as retest authorization (FAA Testing Matrix, p. 13). Most people do not bother: the checkride is what counts.
A four-week study plan
This assumes about an hour a day. Adjust it to your own pace.
Week 1: the big areas. Read the chapters of the Pilot’s Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge (FAA-H-8083-25C) on aerodynamics, flight instruments, regulations and airspace. Then work through practice questions in Preflight Preparation.
Week 2: weather and charts. Learn to decode METARs and TAFs and to read a sectional chart: airspace boundaries, airport data and obstacle heights. Practice with chart figures until you can find what a question asks in under a minute.
Week 3: performance and flight. Density altitude, takeoff and landing distance charts, weight and balance, and the Airplane Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8083-3C) chapters on takeoffs, landings, slow flight, stalls and emergencies.
Week 4: full timed tests. Take full 60-question, 2-hour practice tests. Review every miss, including the ones you guessed right. Book the real test once you score well above 70% on tests you have not seen before.
Common mistakes
- Memorizing answers instead of learning the material. The FAA changes and adds questions, and the five unscored questions are new ones being tried out. If you understand why an answer is right, a reworded question will not throw you.
- Skipping the figures. Chart, weather and performance questions take longer. Practice them under time pressure.
- Forgetting the endorsement. The testing center needs it before you start. Ask your instructor for it when you book, not on the day.
- Leaving it too long before the checkride. A pass counts for 24 calendar months (14 CFR 61.39). Most students take the written during training, so the knowledge is fresh for the oral part of the checkride.
Free FAA study materials
- Private Pilot Airplane ACS, FAA-S-ACS-6C: exactly what can be tested.
- Pilot’s Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge and Airplane Flying Handbook.
- FAA PAR sample questions: shows the question style.
- Testing supplement FAA-CT-8080-2H: the figures book used on test day.
You can also try a free 10-question Private Pilot mock with no sign-up, or see the full Private Pilot practice test course. Our guide to the best Private Pilot written test prep compares the paid and free options.
Common questions
How many questions are on the private pilot written test?
60 scored questions, plus 5 unscored validation questions that PSI adds during the test (FAA Testing Matrix, p. 13; PSI bulletin, p. 4).
How long do you get for the private pilot written exam?
2 hours, as of the FAA testing matrix dated September 25, 2026 (p. 13).
What score do you need to pass?
70%, which is 42 of the 60 scored questions.
Do I need an endorsement to take the PAR test?
Yes. You need an instructor’s written statement or logbook endorsement, or a graduation certificate from an FAA-certificated pilot school (FAA Testing Matrix, p. 13).
How long is the private pilot written test good for?
You must pass it within the 24 calendar months before the month you complete your practical test (14 CFR 61.39(a)(1)).