SAFETY FIRST
★★★★★
Very safety and detail oriented. Pre-flight briefing explained everything there was. To my knowledge, this flight school is exceptional in their ability.
FAA knowledge test
Private Pilot Written Exam: 60 Questions, 2 Hours, A Score Of 70
The FAA Private Pilot Airplane knowledge test is 60 multiple-choice questions with a two-hour time limit and a minimum passing score of 70. Everything below applies equally if you call it the PPL written exam. This page covers the endorsement you need before you can book it, what is on it, and what to do with the report afterwards.
60 questions2.0 hoursPassing score 70Valid 24 calendar months
Book It Or Gift It
Fly It Yourself, Or Give The Flight To Someone Else
Every discovery flight below can be booked for yourself in the next few minutes, or bought as a gift certificate that is emailed within minutes and never expires. Same flight, same price, either way.
Most Given
Two Seats
The Nice One
Twin Engine
Discovery Flight For One
One person, one instructor, and no audience. Hands on the controls from the left seat, briefed before you go and debriefed after you land.
Hands-On Stick TimePre-Flight BriefingLoggable Flight Time
Flight Length
$229Book It Or Gift It
Same Price Either Way
Discovery Flight For Two
The same flight with a passenger in the back seat, briefed and on the intercom. Couples book it; so do parents who would rather watch than hear about it.
One Passenger SeatPiper Warrior Or ArcherHeadsets For Both
Flight Length
$299Book It Or Gift It
Same Price Either Way
Luxury Cirrus For Two
The nicest airplane we put a first-time flyer in. Glass cockpit, air conditioning, leather seats, and a parachute built into the airframe rather than strapped to the person.
Turbocharged Cirrus SR22Air ConditioningWhole-Airframe Parachute
Flight Length
Bring A PassengerInstructor + 2 is our maximum+$100
$399Book It Or Gift It
Same Price Either Way
Multi-Engine Seminole
Two engines, and the airplane instrument-rated pilots move into when they start thinking about a career. Flown from the left seat with a multi-engine instructor.
Piper Seminole TwinMulti-Engine DepartureCareer-Track Instructor
Flight Length
$499Book It Or Gift It
Same Price Either Way
Gift It issues a real gift certificate, emailed within minutes, which never expires and credits in full toward training. Flights are limited to 180 lb per person, 370 lb combined. Questions: (818) 290-8249, 9 AM–9 PM, seven days.
SAFETY FIRST
DISCOVERY FLIGHT
★★★★★
I recently had the chance to take my first-ever discovery flight, and it was nothing short of amazing! From the moment I stepped into the cockpit, the...
SUNSET CIRRUS
★★★★★
It was a great flight! I did a sunset flight and Alex let us fly an awesome. Website was easy to book, and the plane itself was really fun to fly...
FLYING LESSON
★★★★★
We had a great flying lesson with Ralph and came away with a much better understanding of both the aircraft and the principles of flight. Ralph is a...
KIDS LUXURY FLIGHT
★★★★★
I got 2 luxury discovery flights for my kids. I wanted them to have the experience of flying. Our instructor Alex was amazing he made sure they feel...
HONEYMOON SURPRISE
★★★★★
Last minute booking to surprise my wife on our honeymoon. She had no experience with flying and was scared of flying, but Alex was very easygoing and knew...
FULL-MOTION SIM
★★★★★
Amazing flight school in van nuys airport. I have been a student here for the past few months and i could not be happier. I started doing a lot of...
DISCOVERY FOR TWO
★★★★★
I booked a Discovery Flight for Two for my girlfriend's birthday and it was the perfect gift for her. She couldn't have been more excited to get to...
SIMULATORS
★★★★★
Very professional and great airplanes. I love the flight simulators. The pricing is very fair compared to any other flight school
TEEN FIRST LESSON
★★★★★
We gifted our teenage son his first flying lesson. He was so excited! Alex greeted us and gave a reassuring brief that made us all feel comfortable and at...
FIRST-TIME FLYER
★★★★★
Flying is my husband's hobby and I was incredibly anxious and apprehensive about the discovery flight. However, I felt completely safe and at ease once we...
SAFETY FIRST
★★★★★
Very safety and detail oriented. Pre-flight briefing explained everything there was. To my knowledge, this flight school is exceptional in their ability.
DISCOVERY FLIGHT
★★★★★
I recently had the chance to take my first-ever discovery flight, and it was nothing short of amazing! From the moment I stepped into the cockpit, the...
SUNSET CIRRUS
★★★★★
It was a great flight! I did a sunset flight and Alex let us fly an awesome. Website was easy to book, and the plane itself was really fun to fly...
FLYING LESSON
★★★★★
We had a great flying lesson with Ralph and came away with a much better understanding of both the aircraft and the principles of flight. Ralph is a...
KIDS LUXURY FLIGHT
★★★★★
I got 2 luxury discovery flights for my kids. I wanted them to have the experience of flying. Our instructor Alex was amazing he made sure they feel...
HONEYMOON SURPRISE
★★★★★
Last minute booking to surprise my wife on our honeymoon. She had no experience with flying and was scared of flying, but Alex was very easygoing and knew...
FULL-MOTION SIM
★★★★★
Amazing flight school in van nuys airport. I have been a student here for the past few months and i could not be happier. I started doing a lot of...
DISCOVERY FOR TWO
★★★★★
I booked a Discovery Flight for Two for my girlfriend's birthday and it was the perfect gift for her. She couldn't have been more excited to get to...
SIMULATORS
★★★★★
Very professional and great airplanes. I love the flight simulators. The pricing is very fair compared to any other flight school
TEEN FIRST LESSON
★★★★★
We gifted our teenage son his first flying lesson. He was so excited! Alex greeted us and gave a reassuring brief that made us all feel comfortable and at...
FIRST-TIME FLYER
★★★★★
Flying is my husband's hobby and I was incredibly anxious and apprehensive about the discovery flight. However, I felt completely safe and at ease once we...
60questions on the Private Pilot Airplane test
2.0hours allowed, per the FAA testing matrix
70minimum passing score, on screen before you leave
5.0★100+ reviews on Google
The short answer
60 Questions, Two Hours, And 42 Right Answers.
The FAA Private Pilot Airplane knowledge test — everyone calls it the written — is a 60-question multiple-choice exam with a time limit of 2.0 hours and a minimum passing score of 70, per the FAA Airman Knowledge Testing Matrix effective 22 October 2025. You sit it on a computer at an approved testing center and your score is on the screen the moment you finish.
A score of 70 on a 60-question test means 42 correct answers. You can miss 18. That sounds generous, and it is a trap, because every question you miss is printed on your Airman Knowledge Test Report as an Airman Certification Standards code, and your examiner is expected to revisit those codes during the oral portion of the practical test.
Do the arithmetic before you book. A score of 72 means you walk into the oral with a list of seventeen subjects the examiner is obliged to open. A score of 92 means five. The written is not a hurdle to scrape over; it is the agenda for the hardest conversation of your training.
Most candidates finish inside ninety minutes, so time pressure is rarely the problem. Weather and airspace are the two subjects that account for most failures, and between them they make up roughly a third of the paper.
The other tests
How The Private Written Compares With The Ones That Come After It
Same testing centers, same minimum passing score of 70, same 24 calendar month validity. All figures from the FAA Airman Knowledge Testing Matrix effective 22 October 2025.
| Knowledge test | Questions | Time allowed | Minimum age |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sport Pilot Airplane (SPA) | 40 | 2.0 hours | 15 |
| Private Pilot Airplane (PAR) | 60 | 2.0 hours | 15 |
| Instrument Rating Airplane (IRA) | 60 | 2.0 hours | 15 |
| Commercial Pilot Airplane (CAX) | 100 | 2.5 hours | 16 |
| Fundamentals of Instructing (FOI) | 50 | 1.5 hours | 16 |
| Flight Instructor Airplane (FIA) | 100 | 2.5 hours | 16 |
Note the row people get wrong most often. Two and a half hours is the commercial allowance, not the private one. If a school or a study app tells you the private written allows two and a half hours, it is quoting the wrong line of the matrix.
Before you can sit it
What The Regulation Requires Of You First
The written is the one part of a private pilot certificate you can finish entirely on the ground, but you cannot walk in off the street.
1
An Instructor Endorsement
14 CFR 61.35(a)(1) requires an endorsement from an authorized instructor certifying that you completed the appropriate ground training or home-study course and are prepared for the test. Your instructor signs it once you are consistently scoring well on practice tests, not before.
2
Photo Identification
14 CFR 61.35(a)(3) requires identification carrying your photograph, signature, date of birth and permanent mailing address. If your address is a PO box you must also provide a residential address.
3
An FTN
You need an FAA Tracking Number from IACRA before you book. It takes ten minutes online and it follows you through every certificate and rating you ever hold.
4
Age 15
The FAA testing matrix sets the minimum age for the PAR test at 15. You can sit the written two years before you are eligible for the certificate itself, which is 17 under 14 CFR 61.103(a).
5
What To Bring, And What Not To
An approved manual or electronic flight computer, a plotter and a non-programmable calculator. Scratch material and the FAA figure supplement are provided at the center. Nothing else goes in with you.
6
The 24-Month Clock
14 CFR 61.39(a)(1) requires you to have passed the knowledge test within the 24 calendar months preceding the month you take the practical test. Pass it too early and it expires before your checkride.
The subjects
Where The Questions Actually Come From
Every question maps to a code in the FAA Private Pilot Airman Certification Standards, FAA-S-ACS-6. The ACS is free, and reading it is the single most efficient thing you can do.
01
Regulations And Airspace
14 CFR parts 61 and 91, plus the airspace classes and their entry, equipment and weather-minimum requirements. Regulations and weather are the two biggest blocks at roughly nine questions each out of 60, and airspace is where careless candidates lose the most marks.
02
Weather
METARs, TAFs, prognostic charts, stability, fronts, icing, thunderstorms and the sources of a legal weather briefing. It is the subject that most rewards understanding over memorization, and the one most people underestimate.
03
Performance, Weight And Balance
Density altitude, takeoff and landing charts, cruise performance, moment arms and center of gravity limits. Arithmetic under time pressure, and entirely learnable.
04
Navigation And Flight Planning
Pilotage, dead reckoning, the E6B, magnetic variation and deviation, fuel planning and the 14 CFR 91.151 VFR fuel reserves.
05
Systems, Aerodynamics And Aeromedical
Engines, propellers, electrical and fuel systems, the flight instruments, stalls and load factor, plus hypoxia, hyperventilation, spatial disorientation and the effects of alcohol under 14 CFR 91.17.
06
Aeronautical Decision Making
Risk management, hazardous attitudes and the human-factors material. Short section, easy marks, frequently skipped.
Afterwards
The Test Report Follows You To The Checkride, And It Expires
You leave the testing center with an Airman Knowledge Test Report showing your score and a list of ACS codes for every question you missed. Keep it. 14 CFR 61.39(a)(1) requires the original at the practical test, and the examiner reads the codes before you sit down.
The report is valid for 24 calendar months. In practice that is plenty for a private pilot student flying two or three times a week, who will normally sit the written somewhere around the solo cross-country stage and take the checkride two to four months later. It is not plenty for somebody who takes the written first and then stops flying for a year.
If you fail, you may retake it. 14 CFR 61.49 requires an endorsement from an authorized instructor certifying that you have received additional training and are competent to pass. There is no fixed waiting period beyond arranging that instruction and a new appointment. Your failed report also lists ACS codes, which is a precise study plan handed to you for nothing.
Our private pilot written exam practice test is the place to find out whether you are ready. Do not book until your practice scores are consistently above 85.
Study plan
Six To Eight Weeks Around A Full-Time Job
Roughly 45 to 55 hours of study in total. On a full-time accelerated schedule the same material compresses to about three weeks at 20 hours a week.
| Week | Focus | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Regulations: 14 CFR parts 61 and 91, certificates, currency, required equipment | 6 |
| 2 | Airspace: classes A to G, entry requirements, VFR weather minimums under 14 CFR 91.155 | 7 |
| 3 | Weather theory: stability, fronts, icing, thunderstorms | 7 |
| 4 | Weather products: METAR, TAF, charts, briefings | 6 |
| 5 | Aerodynamics, systems and the flight instruments | 6 |
| 6 | Performance, weight and balance, density altitude | 7 |
| 7 | Navigation, flight planning, the E6B, fuel reserves | 6 |
| 8 | Aeromedical, decision making, two full timed practice tests | 6 |
Six weeks is achievable if you are disciplined and already flying most weeks. Eight is more realistic for most people. If your practice scores are not consistently above 85, add a week rather than booking the test.
The aircraft the performance questions are about
You Will Be Doing Weight And Balance For These
Every performance question on the written is the same arithmetic you will do before a real cross-country here.
Density altitude at Van Nuys on an August afternoon is not a textbook exercise. It is the number that decides your takeoff distance that day.
Redbird MCX
Where The Written Stops Being Theory
Airspace questions make sense the first time a controller clears you into Class C in the simulator and you have to read back the right thing.
Between 2 and 5 hours of Redbird MCX time sit inside every private pilot program. A single session is $189.
Your instructor
The Person Who Signs Your Endorsement
14 CFR 61.35(a)(1) makes the endorsement an instructor’s judgment, not a formality. Ours sign when your practice scores say you are ready, which is usually later than you would like and earlier than you fear.
Ground school is inside the price of every private pilot program — 3 hours on the Standard and Premium, 10 hours on the Comprehensive. A ground session that ends with you understanding why the answer is the answer is worth four hours of clicking through a question bank.
If you are studying alone and stuck on weather or airspace, book a consultation and bring the questions you keep getting wrong. That is a genuinely useful thirty minutes and it costs nothing.
What people say
5.0 Stars, 100+ Reviews
On Google, the same three things come up again and again.
★
Instructors Who Actually Teach
The most repeated compliment in our Google reviews is not the aircraft and it is not the price. It is the debrief.
★
Scheduling That Works
Eleven instructors and a fleet we own means the lesson happens on the day we said it would.
★
Prices That Do Not Move
The number you enroll at is the number you finish at. Reviewers mention it constantly.
Ground school is in the price
What The Training Behind The Written Costs
Ground school is not bolted on afterwards. Financing from $2,500 down.
Standard Private Pilot
$10,900
40 hours logged under 14 CFR 61.109(a), with 3 hours of ground school and the books included.
- Ground school 3 hrs
- Books & materials Included
- Redbird simulator 2 hrs
Most chosen
Comprehensive Private Pilot
$15,900
60 hours logged and 10 hours of ground school — the package for anyone who wants the written taught rather than crammed.
- Ground school 10 hrs
- Redbird simulator 5 hrs
- Dual instruction 50 hrs
Discovery Flight For One
$229 / 60 min
No written, no medical, no commitment. You fly the aircraft and the time is loggable under 14 CFR 61.51.
- 90 minutes $299
- 120 minutes $399
- Credited on enrollment In full
Back to School: $500 off any private pilot program through 30 September 2026. Standard $10,400 · Comprehensive $15,400 · Premium $22,000. Ask when you enroll.
Your next step
Bring The Questions You Keep Getting Wrong
Thirty minutes, free, at Van Nuys or on the phone. Bring your practice scores and we will tell you honestly whether you are ready to book the test.
Discovery Flight For One
$229
60 minutes · you fly the aircraft · credited in full on enrollment within 24 hours
The Written Exam
FAA checkride guidePrivate pilot written exam practice testGround school in Los AngelesFlight classes near meAirspace classes explained
FAQ
Private Pilot Written Exam — Common Questions
Sixty multiple-choice questions, each with three answer choices. You are allowed 2.0 hours and the minimum passing score is 70, per the FAA Airman Knowledge Testing Matrix effective 22 October 2025. Seventy on a 60-question test is 42 correct answers, so you can miss 18.
Two hours. Not two and a half — 2.5 hours is the allowance for the Commercial Pilot Airplane test, which has 100 questions. Most private candidates finish inside 90 minutes, so time pressure is rarely what causes a failure.
A minimum score of 70, which on the 60-question private pilot test means 42 correct answers. Aim much higher: every question you miss is printed on your Airman Knowledge Test Report as an ACS code and your examiner is expected to cover those codes at the oral.
Yes. 14 CFR 61.35(a)(1) requires an endorsement from an authorized instructor certifying that you have completed the appropriate ground training or a home-study course and are prepared for the test. You also need photo identification meeting 14 CFR 61.35(a)(3) and an FAA Tracking Number.
Twenty-four calendar months. 14 CFR 61.39(a)(1) requires you to have passed the knowledge test within the 24 calendar months preceding the month in which you take the practical test. Time it so it does not expire before your checkride.
You retake it. 14 CFR 61.49 requires an endorsement from an authorized instructor certifying that you have had additional training and are competent to pass. There is no fixed waiting period beyond arranging that training and a new appointment, and your failed report lists the ACS codes you missed.
Regulations, airspace, weather theory and weather products, navigation and flight planning, performance and weight and balance, aircraft systems and instruments, aerodynamics, airport operations, radio communications, aeromedical factors and aeronautical decision making. Regulations and weather are the two biggest blocks at roughly nine questions each out of 60.
Six to eight weeks around a full-time job, which is roughly 45 to 55 hours of study. On an accelerated full-time schedule the same material compresses to about three weeks at 20 hours a week. Do not book the test until your practice scores are consistently above 85.
Yes, and plenty of people do. The minimum age for the Private Pilot Airplane test is 15, against 17 for the certificate itself under 14 CFR 61.103(a). The only caution is the 24 calendar month clock in 14 CFR 61.39(a)(1) — passing very early and then pausing your flying wastes it.
Yes. PPL is the everyday abbreviation for a private pilot license, and the PPL written exam is the FAA Private Pilot Airplane knowledge test — 60 questions, 2.0 hours, minimum passing score 70. The FAA does not use the word license anywhere in 14 CFR part 61, but no examiner has ever failed anybody over the noun.
It is memorization-heavy rather than conceptually hard, and a passing score of 70 is forgiving. The two subjects that account for most failures are weather and airspace, which together make up roughly a third of the 60 questions. Most candidates who work through the ACS systematically pass first time.
No Cost, No Obligation
Get The Full Training Plan And Price Sheet
The three private pilot packages, what each one includes, the financing options and a realistic timeline built around how often you can actually fly. Sent to you in one email. Nobody will pressure you.
- Every package price, itemised
- Financing from $2,500 down
- A timeline based on your schedule
Loved On Google
Over 100 Reviews. 5.0 Stars.
Every review below is real and shown verbatim, in the reviewer’s own words — written by the people who learned to fly here, not by us.
SAFETY FIRST
★★★★★
Very safety and detail oriented. Pre-flight briefing explained everything there was. To my knowledge, this flight school is exceptional in their ability.
DISCOVERY FLIGHT
★★★★★
I recently had the chance to take my first-ever discovery flight, and it was nothing short of amazing! From the moment I stepped into the cockpit, the...
SUNSET CIRRUS
★★★★★
It was a great flight! I did a sunset flight and Alex let us fly an awesome. Website was easy to book, and the plane itself was really fun to fly...
FLYING LESSON
★★★★★
We had a great flying lesson with Ralph and came away with a much better understanding of both the aircraft and the principles of flight. Ralph is a...
KIDS LUXURY FLIGHT
★★★★★
I got 2 luxury discovery flights for my kids. I wanted them to have the experience of flying. Our instructor Alex was amazing he made sure they feel...
HONEYMOON SURPRISE
★★★★★
Last minute booking to surprise my wife on our honeymoon. She had no experience with flying and was scared of flying, but Alex was very easygoing and knew...
FULL-MOTION SIM
★★★★★
Amazing flight school in van nuys airport. I have been a student here for the past few months and i could not be happier. I started doing a lot of...
DISCOVERY FOR TWO
★★★★★
I booked a Discovery Flight for Two for my girlfriend's birthday and it was the perfect gift for her. She couldn't have been more excited to get to...
SIMULATORS
★★★★★
Very professional and great airplanes. I love the flight simulators. The pricing is very fair compared to any other flight school
TEEN FIRST LESSON
★★★★★
We gifted our teenage son his first flying lesson. He was so excited! Alex greeted us and gave a reassuring brief that made us all feel comfortable and at...
FIRST-TIME FLYER
★★★★★
Flying is my husband's hobby and I was incredibly anxious and apprehensive about the discovery flight. However, I felt completely safe and at ease once we...
SAFETY FIRST
★★★★★
Very safety and detail oriented. Pre-flight briefing explained everything there was. To my knowledge, this flight school is exceptional in their ability.
DISCOVERY FLIGHT
★★★★★
I recently had the chance to take my first-ever discovery flight, and it was nothing short of amazing! From the moment I stepped into the cockpit, the...
SUNSET CIRRUS
★★★★★
It was a great flight! I did a sunset flight and Alex let us fly an awesome. Website was easy to book, and the plane itself was really fun to fly...
FLYING LESSON
★★★★★
We had a great flying lesson with Ralph and came away with a much better understanding of both the aircraft and the principles of flight. Ralph is a...
KIDS LUXURY FLIGHT
★★★★★
I got 2 luxury discovery flights for my kids. I wanted them to have the experience of flying. Our instructor Alex was amazing he made sure they feel...
HONEYMOON SURPRISE
★★★★★
Last minute booking to surprise my wife on our honeymoon. She had no experience with flying and was scared of flying, but Alex was very easygoing and knew...
FULL-MOTION SIM
★★★★★
Amazing flight school in van nuys airport. I have been a student here for the past few months and i could not be happier. I started doing a lot of...
DISCOVERY FOR TWO
★★★★★
I booked a Discovery Flight for Two for my girlfriend's birthday and it was the perfect gift for her. She couldn't have been more excited to get to...
SIMULATORS
★★★★★
Very professional and great airplanes. I love the flight simulators. The pricing is very fair compared to any other flight school
TEEN FIRST LESSON
★★★★★
We gifted our teenage son his first flying lesson. He was so excited! Alex greeted us and gave a reassuring brief that made us all feel comfortable and at...
FIRST-TIME FLYER
★★★★★
Flying is my husband's hobby and I was incredibly anxious and apprehensive about the discovery flight. However, I felt completely safe and at ease once we...
See Discovery Flight Details — $229
Reviews shown verbatim, exactly as each reviewer published them.
Aviation News
Latest From The Field
Notes from the flight line at Van Nuys — weather, regulation changes, checkride questions and the cost of training, written up as they come.
Van Nuys Airport · KVNY
(818) 290-8249
7900 Balboa Blvd. Suite 108A
Van Nuys, CA 91406 Get directions →
Open the full contact page
Open 7 days · 9:00 AM – 9:00 PM
Los Angeles Flight School7900 Balboa Blvd. Suite 108A
Van Nuys, CA 91406 Get directions →
★★★★★
5.0 · 100+ Google reviews