How to Prepare for Your Checkride with a DPE
The checkride, formally called the practical test, is the final evaluation for many pilot certificates and ratings. A Designated Pilot Examiner (DPE) or FAA inspector evaluates the applicant against the applicable Airman Certification Standards (ACS) or Practical Test Standards (PTS).
Reviewed against FAA guidance: July 9, 2026
Schedule early
DPE availability and fees vary substantially by region, certificate, aircraft, and examiner. Begin comparing authorized examiners when your instructor can reasonably estimate readiness, and confirm the fee, payment method, cancellation policy, aircraft requirements, and documents directly with the examiner.
The paperwork that fails applicants
The examiner must establish eligibility before beginning the practical test. Review the applicable ACS or PTS and verify every required item with your instructor before test day:
- IACRA application (FAA Form 8710-1) completed and signed by you and your recommending instructor
- A valid Airman Knowledge Test Report when required (generally valid for 24 calendar months, subject to the applicable exceptions)
- Logbook with all required aeronautical experience and current instructor endorsements
- Government-issued photo ID, pilot certificate, and evidence of the medical qualification required for the planned test operation, such as an FAA medical certificate or BasicMed when applicable
- Aircraft documents: airworthiness certificate, registration, operating limitations, and maintenance records showing required inspections and AD compliance
- Examiner’s fee, in the form the DPE requests
The oral portion
The ground portion covers the knowledge and risk-management elements in the applicable ACS or PTS. Its length and sequence vary with the certificate, scenario, and applicant performance.
Expect scenario-based questions involving weather, aircraft systems and performance, airspace, regulations, aeromedical factors, and the planned operation. Know how to use appropriate references, but do not assume that looking up an answer substitutes for knowledge the standard requires you to demonstrate.
The flight portion
In the air, the DPE evaluates each required task against the applicable ACS or PTS performance standards. The practical test also requires aircraft mastery, proficiency and competency within the approved standards, sound judgment, and safe performance.
- Explain relevant decisions and risk management so the examiner can assess your reasoning
- Perform each maneuver to the applicable ACS or PTS standards, and correct promptly when a deviation occurs
- Treat the entire flight as the test: collision avoidance, checklist use, and positive exchange of controls count throughout
- Maintain aircraft control and continue operating safely after a mistake unless the examiner directs otherwise
If something goes wrong
A practical test may be discontinued for weather, aircraft airworthiness, illness, or another safety-of-flight concern without being a failure. The examiner issues a Letter of Discontinuance identifying successfully completed Areas of Operation.
After a Notice of Disapproval, the applicant needs the required additional training and instructor endorsement before retesting. Credit for passed Areas of Operation is available only if the remaining test is completed within 60 days and the applicant presents the required notice or discontinuance letter and a properly completed application. Untested areas still must be completed, and the retest does not have to be conducted by the original examiner.
Official sources
Find a Designated Pilot Examiner near you
Search DPEs by location and checkride authorizations, and read reviews from other applicants.
This guide provides general preparation information. Use the current ACS or PTS and confirm eligibility, documents, endorsements, and retest requirements with your instructor, examiner, or the FAA.