How to Pass the Instrument Written Test
an approach to preparing for and taking the knowledge test
Update: The r/flying community strongly recommended using Sheppard Air to prepare for the instrument written test. I can’t personally recommend the software, but wanted to pass on the tip to future readers.
I had only planned to write about the figures in the testing supplement[1], but two experiences on the instrument written test motivated a second post.
- I was much more stressed than I expected during the test. This testing strategy helped me avoid (several) silly mistakes.
- My approach seemed to work! I only missed two answers (97%) on the final test.
It’s useful to break preparing and testing into three stages.[2]
- Months Before ~ Learn the Material
- Weeks Before ~ Find and Fill Knowledge Gaps
- Night/Day Of ~ Make the Most of Test Day
- You can find that post here.⌃
- To keep focused, I used my system for personal task management. I added tasks for each publication chapter and each ground school lesson. Then as the test got closer, I added tasks for taking practice tests and filling knowledge gaps.⌃
