Written Test
Richard Kiray
the ASA Private Pilot Test Prep?
Joe Parrish
>Can someone tell me how closely the computerized FAA glider test follows
>the ASA Private Pilot Test Prep?
The question pool used by the ASA test prep book is the same one that the
FAA uses, except for any updates that may have been made in the time since
the ASA book was printed. The updates are infrequent, and usually not
very many questions are changed. As for the mix of questions that appear
on the test, only the FAA can tell you for sure.
I've taught a few ground school prep courses and my students often debrief
me on their actual test experiences. One thing I hear a lot is that the
glider-specific questions appear with higher frequency on the knowledge
exam; i.e., only 20-30% of the possible questions are glider-specific, but
they make up 40-50% of the test. The glider-specific questions appear in
a separate chapter in the ASA book.
From this, I don't believe that the question sets on the knowledge exam
are chosen ramdomly.
Please check out some interesting web-based resources to augment the ASA
Test Prep book:
http://w3.one.net/~kip/faatest.html
FAA Test Practice Exams -- includes glider tests (but the questions are
taken at random from the question pool). Free, but a couple of years old.
http://www.sharpnet.com/glider/
HTML-based glider ground school. Commercial, new.
Good luck.
--Joe
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Joe C. Parrish Skyline Soaring Club
CFI-G, PP-ASEL, always a student pilot New Market Airport (8W2)
Reston, VA New Market, VA
j...@parrish.net http://www.ssl.umd.edu/skyline
John Bohnert
>
> Can someone tell me how closely the computerized FAA glider test
> follows the ASA Private Pilot Test Prep?
I have taken the written test twice in the past 3.5 years. The question
pool used by the FAA is contained within the ASA Private Pilot Test
Prep. There are some changes in the pool over time. I have the 98 Test
Prep and there are minor changes in the wording associated with the
issue of private pilots and compensation. There was a supplement
included in my 98 edition. One glider specific question is a change in
the answer stems for the requirements of a tow pilot.
Glider questions tend to be a significant portion of the written test.
On both occasions I took the written there were no questions with regard
to VOR or DF...One or two questions regarding airspace...Several
questions with regard to the functioning of the compass...No dead
reckoning questions (if I remember there is only one deadreckoning
question for the glider test in the FAA pool flying from Redbird Airport
to some other airport in the Dallas area!)...Two questions on the
location of an airport in terms of latitude and longitude...At least one
question about the angle of attack...Determination of base of cumulus
clouds...Two questions about the use of weather services (prog, surface
weather, area forecasts, etc)...cause of all weather related
phenomena...one or two questions re turbluence, stages of growth of
thunderstorms. The remainder of the questions tend to focus on
regulations. There were many questions which were the same between the
tests taken at different times and with different testing services.
Passed the written, second time around, two weeks ago...so this is all
pretty 'fresh' for me. Good luck.
John Bohnert
Elmhurst, IL