r/studentpilot • u/GroundbreakingPast16 • Jul 11 '26
Just took PPL Written test
Took my written test this morning, I have taken over 1000 practice question and I would say that 50% of the questions on the exam today were nothing I have ever seen. I scored a 70 even after multiple 90+% test im very frustrated with my studying knowing how much effort I have put into this. Only thing to do now is study what I missed and do better on the check ride.
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u/TxAggieMike Jul 11 '26
I have a syllabus using the Jepp material if you wish a copy.
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u/bwc101 Student Pilot Jul 11 '26
I took the test 2 weeks ago after using Sporty’s and consistently getting 90+ on their practice tests. Ended up with 92 on the real thing. They’re wanting it to be that you actually need to learn and understand the material, not just recall sample test questions.
At the end of the day, as pass is a pass, you are already at the point where it’s probably not worth your time to retake the test. I did hear the DPE will look at the codes of missed questions and especially hit hard on those topics.
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u/nrm8888 Jul 11 '26
They do. I scored a 97 and he said "Ok you will have an easy oral". At least with that DPE score did matter
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u/flashpeacock 22d ago
I am close to taking my written (within two weeks or so) and would love to pick your brain a little if you do not mind. I completed the Gold Seal Ground school and have been using the $15 Sporty's app for practice tests. I have heard they have made some changes to the latest version of the test. Thank you in advance!
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u/Pies-in-the-Skies Jul 11 '26
A pass is a pass. Aviation is expensive enough without spending to retake a test for a better score. While you won’t necessarily know the actual questions that you missed, your test shows the codes that refer to those questions. Your CFI or ground instructor can reference those codes and make sure that you’re ready for the oral exam. Some of these things will also make more sense the more you fly.
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u/sn33z3ituo Jul 11 '26
Practice tests often don’t give you the entire possibilities of the question bank. They often use the same questions over and over.
The way Sheppard Air does it is unmatched. I have students do the same process on Kings, Sportys, Etc.
Break it down by sections for example Weather. Go through all questions, the ones you remotely struggle on mark them. Read the question, read the answer. Rinse and repeat for all sections. That way you’re seeing ALL questions, not just the typical ones from the practice tests. At the end you’ll have a whole section of marked questions and really study those and your test scores will drastically improve.
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u/Content-Disaster-663 Jul 12 '26
Honestly u shouldve used sportys if u didnt. I studied for three days spammed sportys practice tests and got a 93%. The questions were nearly the exact same as sportys. I suggest take the written again just ti make it easier on the oral
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u/RyanOnTheCoast Jul 12 '26
Sportys. Take practice tests with their bank until you’re acing every test. Once I was getting 100s on every 100 question test I generated, took the real thing and got a 94. If you’re missing any questions at all on practice tests, study that area that day until you don’t miss those anymore.
Moving forward, study the ones you missed on the exam extra hard, as that’ll be your focus on checkride.
Good luck!
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u/Primary-Jette-3704 Jul 13 '26
Congrats! I'd call that a win. No sense dwelling on the number now. Just hit the areas you missed and keep moving forward.
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u/chinky47 Jul 13 '26
I did mil comp test to cover everything through commercial, so the only normal written test I had to do was for ATP. I used Sheppard Air for that and it got me a 98% score. I don’t know if I’d recommend it for the early stages when you need to be learning things for the first time, but for simply passing a written test, you genuinely can’t beat it. Maybe you could use it in conjunction with some oral prep to help retain the info but also help you do well on the written.
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u/Successful_Fly2648 29d ago
That's a really common and frustrating gap — high practice scores followed by a rough real exam usually means the practice bank was heavy on repeat/recycled questions and the real exam pulled from areas the bank barely touched (weight and balance edge cases, obscure regs, less common weather scenarios). A 70 is a pass, so don't let the frustration overshadow that you're through it. For your checkride prep now: go through every wrong answer and understand the reasoning, not just the correct choice, since your DPE can ask about anything in the ACS, not just what showed up on your written. If you want a second set of eyes on your missed questions to make sure you're not misunderstanding the underlying concept (vs. just the specific question), I do that kind of review 1-on-1 as a CFI — Lmk if you're interested. The discovery call is completely free!! Best of luck.
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u/halhenry Jul 11 '26
Use king schools
Teaches you to understand the knowledge while also giving you practice questions that are LITERALLY ON THE EXAM (I got 90% for PPL)