10 Private Pilot Oral Exam Questions You Should Be Able to Answer Before Your Checkride.
Your checkride is coming up. You’re stressed.
AAT is here to help with questions for you to find the answers to so you have the confidence to take on your checkride.
These are not necessarily the exact questions your DPE will ask. The point is to make sure you can explain the concept, apply it to a real situation, and know where to find the answer when you don’t know something off the top of your head.
1. What are the privileges and limitations of a private pilot?
The obvious question. It’s asked on every single private pilot checkride. If you get it wrong, it can set the tone for the rest of the ride.
The answer:
A private pilot can act as pilot in command of an aircraft for which they are appropriately rated, but generally cannot act as PIC carrying passengers or property for compensation or hire, or act as PIC for compensation or hire.
There are exceptions. For example, certain flights incidental to a business or employment may be allowed, and a private pilot may share certain operating expenses with passengers as long as the pilot pays at least their pro rata share.
The regulation you really need to know here is 14 CFR §61.113. Don’t just memorize “private pilots can’t get paid.” Know that there are exceptions and be prepared to look them up.
2. Why did you pick that route?
It sounds crazy, but some students don’t have a reason they picked the route they did for their cross-country flight planning. Flatland flyers might not need great justification, but in the mountains or complicated airspace you need to prove to your DPE that you can plan an effective flight.
The answer:
There isn’t one correct route.
Your job is to demonstrate that the route you selected makes sense given the weather, terrain, airspace, aircraft performance, fuel requirements, available airports, navigation considerations, and alternatives if the flight cannot be completed as planned.
Under 14 CFR §91.103, the PIC must become familiar with all available information concerning the flight. For a flight away from the vicinity of an airport, that specifically includes weather, fuel requirements, alternatives, and known ATC delays. Runway lengths and relevant performance information are also required.
A good checkride answer should sound less like:
“I drew a straight line.”
And more like:
“I selected this route because…”
Then explain your reasoning.
3. What is density altitude?
Most pilots memorize the book definition of density altitude, and that’s great. But you better know how to explain what it is in a practical sense.
The answer:
The FAA defines density altitude as essentially pressure altitude corrected for nonstandard temperature.
But the practical answer is more important:
Density altitude tells you how the airplane is going to perform based on the density of the air.
Higher density altitude means thinner air. That generally means:
less engine power in normally aspirated engines,
less propeller efficiency,
less lift at a given true airspeed,
longer takeoff rolls,
reduced climb performance.
An airplane sitting at a 4,000-foot-elevation airport on a hot day might perform as though it were operating thousands of feet higher.
So if your DPE asks why density altitude matters, don’t stop at the definition. Talk about aircraft performance.
4. How do you determine if an aircraft is airworthy?
From required inspections to your own judgment, many pilots tend to misunderstand the whole “airworthy” thing. Don’t forget that inoperative equipment!
The answer:
The FAA uses a two-part concept of airworthiness:
The aircraft must conform to its approved type design, and
It must be in a condition for safe operation.
That means checking more than whether the annual inspection is current.
You should be thinking about:
required inspections,
Airworthiness Directives,
required documents,
required equipment,
maintenance status,
aircraft condition,
discrepancies found during preflight,
and any inoperative equipment.
Under §91.7, the PIC is responsible for determining whether the aircraft is in condition for safe flight.
If something is broken, §91.213 becomes very important. In many common small-aircraft operations without an MEL, you need to determine whether that equipment is required by the aircraft certification basis, equipment list or KOEL, §91.205 or another regulation, or an AD. If it is not required, there are still procedures for removing or deactivating and placarding it, and the item cannot constitute a hazard.
In other words:
“It has a current annual” is not a complete airworthiness answer.
5. What is the ACS?
You would think that most students would know what the ACS is, right?
Well, most say they do. But many don’t actually spend time with it. Knowing what the ACS is is an integral part of your checkride, and I’ve encountered situations where DPEs will ask you about it directly. Pretending you know when you don’t does not make you look good.
The answer:
The Airman Certification Standards, or ACS, tell you what the FAA expects you to demonstrate during your practical test.
For Private Pilot Airplane, the current standard is FAA-S-ACS-6C.
The ACS organizes the checkride into Areas of Operation and Tasks and integrates three things:
Knowledge
Risk Management
Skill
That is why checkride preparation should not just be memorizing facts or maneuver tolerances. You need to understand the subject, identify the risks associated with it, and demonstrate the applicable skill.
If you have a checkride coming up and have barely opened the ACS, start there.
6. A question about any regulation you haven’t yet memorized...
Your checkride is more than just you answering random questions off the top of your head.
A DPE wants to see how you handle difficult and unknown situations, and a good one will put you in an unknown situation one way or another.
Learn how to use and reference both the regulations and the AIM to find what you’re looking for.
The answer:
Sometimes the correct answer is:
“I don’t know, but I know where to find it.”
That is much better than confidently inventing a regulation.
You should be comfortable navigating:
Part 61 for certification, privileges, currency, and training requirements,
Part 91 for operating rules,
the AIM for operating procedures and explanatory guidance,
your POH/AFM for aircraft-specific information,
and the ACS for the standards you’re being tested against.
The goal is not to memorize the entire FAR/AIM.
The goal is to know enough to recognize a regulatory issue and then efficiently locate and correctly interpret the controlling information.
7. Go or no-go?
This is a big one. Making that fateful go or no-go decision.
This question will probably come up at least twice on your checkride: once during your simulated scenario and once before the checkride starts.
To make this easier, write down your personal minimums before your checkride and stick to them.
Remember, no one expects the brand-new private pilot to take on a 45-knot crosswind in a 152.
The answer:
There usually isn’t a magic FAA number that answers every go/no-go scenario.
You need to compare the conditions with:
regulatory minimums,
aircraft limitations,
your experience and proficiency,
weather,
runway conditions,
terrain,
aircraft performance,
and your personal minimums.
The FAA specifically promotes written personal minimums as a risk-management tool and recommends establishing them when you are not under the pressure of making a specific flight decision.
So if the DPE gives you marginal weather, don't just say:
“It’s legal, so I’m going.”
Explain whether it is legal, within aircraft limitations, and appropriate for you as the pilot.
Those are three different questions.
8. Restricted vs. MOA vs. prohibited
A pretty common airspace question on a private checkride is about one, two, or maybe all three of these airspaces.
Can you fly in this airspace?
The answer:
They are not the same.
Prohibited Area: Flight is prohibited. These areas exist for security or other reasons associated with national welfare.
Restricted Area: Flight is not necessarily completely prohibited, but it is subject to restrictions because potentially hazardous activities may be taking place. You need to determine whether the area is active and obtain the appropriate authorization before entering when required.
Military Operations Area (MOA): A MOA separates certain military training activities from IFR traffic. VFR pilots are not automatically prohibited from entering an active MOA, but the FAA advises pilots to exercise extreme caution and contact the controlling agency for traffic advisories when possible.
The important distinction is that prohibited and restricted areas are regulatory special-use airspace, while MOAs are nonregulatory special-use airspace.
Don’t just memorize the chart symbols. Know what the airspace means operationally.
9. What causes a stall?
My personal favorite: aerodynamics.
If I was a DPE looking to find somebody’s weak point, this is the subject I would ask about.
All together now, fill in the blanks:
“A wing can stall at any __________ but only __________ __________ __________ __________.”
The answer:
A wing stalls when it exceeds its critical angle of attack.
Not because the airplane reaches one particular airspeed.
A stall can occur:
fast,
slow,
level,
turning,
climbing,
descending,
or at essentially any attitude.
Airspeed affects when you might reach the critical angle of attack, but angle of attack is what actually causes the stall.
That is why increased load factor matters so much: increasing load factor increases the wing’s lift requirement and increases stall speed.
The sentence you should understand is:
A wing can stall at any airspeed, but only when its critical angle of attack is exceeded.
Don't just memorize that sentence. Be able to explain why.
10. What is load factor?
I get students on this one all the time.
Most people don’t really understand load factor. Even many commercial students don’t really get it.
The answer:
Load factor is the ratio of the aerodynamic load supported by the wings to the actual weight of the aircraft, normally expressed in Gs.
In straight-and-level, unaccelerated flight, the airplane is generally experiencing about 1 G.
In a level banked turn, the wings have to produce additional lift to both support the airplane and turn it. As bank angle increases, the required load factor increases.
And here is the part your DPE actually cares about:
As load factor increases, stall speed increases.
That is why an airplane can stall at an airspeed significantly above its normal published 1-G stall speed during a steep turn or abrupt maneuver.
The FAA specifically emphasizes the relationship between bank angle, load factor, stall speed, maneuvering, and structural limits.
If your explanation of load factor ends at “it means Gs,” keep studying.
How did you do?
If you could answer all ten questions and explain the why behind your answers, you’re moving in the right direction.
If you found yourself knowing the memorized answer but struggling with the follow-up questions, that is exactly what checkride preparation is for.
A Private Pilot checkride is not just a trivia test. The ACS requires you to demonstrate knowledge, identify and manage risk, and apply what you know to realistic situations.
If you want another CFI to expose the gaps before your DPE does, AAT offers live online Private Pilot ground instruction and checkride preparation, including targeted ground review and mock oral sessions.
Book an online ground or checkride-prep session with AAT and find the weak areas before checkride day.
FAA References
This article is based primarily on the current Private Pilot Airplane ACS, applicable portions of 14 CFR Parts 61 and 91, the FAA Pilot’s Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge, and the Aeronautical Information Manual. Regulations and FAA guidance can change, so pilots should verify current source material when preparing for a practical test.
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