FAQ: Common reasons for check ride disapproval

By far the most asked question I receive from applicants prior to their exam is ‘what is one thing you’re noticing people fail their exam on?’ or some variation of that question. It’s difficult to boil this down to one answer because the fact of the matter is, no two exams are the same. It’s rare for the flight portion of the exam to result in a disapproval due to ‘just one thing’. The power-off 180 maneuver on the commercial pilot exam comes to mind. Other than that, it’s difficult to pinpoint one common issue during flights. It’s usually a combination of poor ADM and maneuvers that consistently fall outside the ACS standards.

During the pre-exam briefing, I will remind applicants that they are allowed to reference FAA materials to help answer questions if they’re unsure. I encourage them to do this instead of guessing and saying the first thing that comes to mind, which is often not the correct answer. When applicants receive NOD’s during the ground portion of the exam, they are continually guessing the wrong answer, instead of using the FAR/AIM, PHAK, AFH they have with them. These applicants are usually the same ones whose books have no creases or rips and have the fresh paper smell.

During some exams, I get the feeling that applicants don’t even know where to begin looking up the answer. CFI’s should help students gain comfort with dealing with FAA materials. It can be intimidating to handle such large texts and maybe students get discouraged from even trying to look.

While the FAA exams are not “open book” tests, applicants are generally allowed to look up answers using FAA resources. I have yet to see a situation where an applicant is excessively looking answers up however a DPE can prohibit looking up an answer at their discretion.