Airline Transport Pilot and type rating — Airplane practical test (checkride) prep
Prep for the airline checkride — systems and limitations oral, flows and callouts, V1 cuts, single-engine approaches, rejected takeoffs, steep turns, upset recovery, stall prevention and CRM.
About the exam
The ATP practical test is the checkride for the airline transport pilot certificate, almost always taken together with a type rating in a full flight simulator at a Part 142 training center or under an airline's Part 121/135 training program. It starts with an oral exam on aircraft systems, limitations, performance, weather, high-altitude aerodynamics, air carrier operations, human factors and the regulations, then a simulator (or airplane) check of normal, abnormal and emergency procedures flown as a crew. A DPE, an airline or training-center evaluator (APD/TCE) or an FAA inspector grades every task against FAA-S-ACS-11A.
It's for pilots finishing an ATP-CTP and type rating course, airline new-hire classes, upgrades to captain, and anyone adding a type to an existing ATP. Before an ATP multiengine checkride you need the ATP Certification Training Program graduation certificate, a passed ATM knowledge test, and 1,500 hours (or the restricted ATP minimums of 750, 1,000 or 1,250 hours with qualifying military service or an aviation degree). A type rating added on its own needs no knowledge test.
This hub gives you scenario-based mock-oral questions built on the ACS, oral flashcards, mock checkride scenarios, a checklist and flows trainer, a glass PFD panel trainer, a radio and crew callouts drill, maneuver guides with the ACS tolerances, and checkride-day prep. They're study aids: your type's AFM/FCOM and QRH, your operator's or training center's procedures and your instructor's guidance always govern.
How we track your progress
Every blueprint domain moves through five levels as you study:
- Not startedNo questions answered in this domain yet.
- Getting startedFirst questions answered — not enough yet to judge.
- DevelopingAt least 5 answered and 50% or better on your recent questions.
- ProficientAt least 15 answered and 70% or better on your recent questions.
- Exam readyAt least 25 answered, 80% or better recently, and holding up on hard questions.
The exam blueprint
FAA-S-ACS-11A Airline Transport Pilot and Type Rating for Airplane Category ACS (effective May 31, 2024) — Preflight preparation, preflight procedures, takeoffs and landings, in-flight maneuvers, stall prevention, instrument procedures, emergency operations and postflight procedures — the eight ACS areas of operation. Tap a domain to see its topics.
1 Operation of Systems ACS Area I (Task A) of the exam
28 practice questions in this domain so far
2 Performance, Limitations and High-Altitude Aerodynamics ACS Area I (Tasks B, D) of the exam
24 practice questions in this domain so far
3 Weather Information ACS Area I (Task C) of the exam
12 practice questions in this domain so far
4 Air Carrier Operations, Regulations and Human Factors ACS Area I (Tasks E–G) of the exam
20 practice questions in this domain so far
5 Preflight Procedures ACS Area II of the exam
12 practice questions in this domain so far
6 Takeoffs, Landings and Rejected Takeoff ACS Area III of the exam
20 practice questions in this domain so far
7 In-flight Maneuvers and Stall Prevention Areas IV–V of the exam
16 practice questions in this domain so far
8 Instrument Procedures ACS Area VI of the exam
16 practice questions in this domain so far
9 Emergency Operations ACS Area VII of the exam
12 practice questions in this domain so far
What you get when you access this exam
Free with your QuizMe account.
Scenario-based mock oral
Original three-choice questions built on the ACS areas — systems, limitations, performance, air carrier ops and CRM framed the way an evaluator asks them — with rationale and references for every answer.
Checklists & flows trainer
Practice generic transport-category flows and checklist sequences — before start, before takeoff, after takeoff, approach and non-normals — until the order is automatic.
Glass PFD panel trainer
Read a primary flight display — speed tape, V-speed bugs, FMA modes, flight director and approach guidance — and pick the right action.
Radio & callouts drill
Clearances, readbacks and the standard crew callouts for takeoff, V1 cuts, approaches, minimums and go-arounds.
Maneuvers & tolerances
Illustrated guides to steep turns, stall prevention, upset recovery, rejected takeoffs, V1 cuts and single-engine approaches with the ACS standards.
Mock checkrides & oral flashcards
Full mock checkride scenarios you reason through step by step, plus flashcards for limitations, V-speeds, memory items and regulations.
Test at home or at a center
Most ATP and type-rating checkrides are scheduled by your training center or airline as the last event of the course; you finish the IACRA application, and the evaluator (DPE, APD/TCE or FAA inspector) conducts the oral and the simulator check.
Before you book
- For the multiengine ATP, complete the ATP-CTP and pass the ATM knowledge test — the CTP graduation certificate is required before the test.
- Confirm your experience: 1,500 hours under 61.159, or the restricted ATP minimums under 61.160 (750 military, 1,000 bachelor's, 1,250 associate's).
- Finish the type-rating ground and simulator training and get the training-completion or instructor endorsement your program requires.
- Hold at least a third-class medical for the test — airline captains need a first-class to exercise ATP privileges.
- Start the FAA Form 8710-1 in IACRA with your FTN and check every hour total against your logbook.
Finding an examiner
- Part 142 training centers and airlines usually assign a TCE, APD or DPE — the slot is booked with the course.
- If you're arranging it yourself, find a DPE with ATP and the right type authorization through the FAA's designee search or your FSDO, and confirm the simulator or airplane is approved for the test.
- DPEs set their own fees; training centers often bundle the fee into the type-rating course price.
- Ask what the evaluator expects for crew members — most tests are flown with a qualified pilot or a candidate in the other seat.
Exam-day game plan
How to walk in ready — and how to pace 40-question mock oral in 60 minutes.
Pacing checkpoints
Our mock oral is 40 scenario questions in 60 minutes. The real oral is a conversation with the evaluator, not a timed test, and the simulator portion is graded task by task against the ACS.
The week before
- Rehearse memory items and limitations out loud until they're word-perfect.
- Chair-fly flows and callouts for normal takeoff, V1 cut, single-engine ILS, go-around and rejected takeoff.
- Review your type's V-speeds, performance charts and the takeoff/landing performance method you'll be asked to use.
- Brief CRM and threat and error management with your sim partner — agree on callouts and who does what.
- Check your IACRA application, logbook totals, AKTR, CTP certificate and medical.
Checkride day — bring
- Government photo ID, pilot certificate and medical certificate
- Logbook and training records
- AKTR and ATP-CTP graduation certificate (ATP multiengine)
- Your IACRA application number and FTN
- Approved FCOM/AFM, QRH and charts your training center specifies
- The examiner's fee if not covered by your course
During the checkride
- Use the QRH and checklists — the evaluator grades crew discipline, not memory alone.
- Fly the airplane first: aviate, navigate, communicate, then run the checklist.
- On a V1 cut, keep the centerline with rudder, rotate at VR, hold V2 and call for the engine failure procedure.
- Brief every approach completely, including the missed approach and engine-out considerations.
- Speak up as a crew member — CRM and threat and error management are graded throughout.
- If you make a mistake, say so, correct it and keep flying to the standard.
After the checkride
- Pass and the evaluator issues a temporary airman certificate through IACRA (valid 120 days) with your ATP and type rating; the plastic card follows by mail.
- If you're under 23 or used the R-ATP hours, the certificate is restricted per 61.167 until you meet the age and 61.159 experience — no new checkride needed to remove it.
- A letter of discontinuance (weather, equipment, illness) or a notice of disapproval gives credit for the tasks you passed if you retest within 60 days (61.43).
- After a disapproval you need additional training and an instructor endorsement before you retest (61.49).
- Next steps: airline initial operating experience (IOE) and recurrent checks, and additional type ratings as your career needs.
Official sources and further reading
- ATP and Type Rating for Airplane ACS (FAA-S-ACS-11A) ↗Official areas of operation, tasks, knowledge, risk management and skill elements.
- 14 CFR Part 61 Subpart G — Airline Transport Pilots ↗Eligibility, the ATP-CTP (61.156), experience (61.159) and the restricted ATP (61.160).
- Airplane Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8083-3C) ↗Transition to multiengine and jet airplanes, upset recovery and stall prevention.
- Aeronautical Information Manual ↗ATC procedures, approaches, holding and wake turbulence.
- IACRA ↗Where you complete the FAA Form 8710-1 application for the checkride.
Ready to start?
160 questions and scenarios across the blueprint — and growing.
QuizMe is not affiliated with or endorsed by the FAA. Practice content is original and summarizes FAA sources (ACS, handbooks, 14 CFR, AIM). Checklists and flows are generic training aids — always use your aircraft's POH/AFM and your instructor's procedures. Rules change — confirm at faa.gov.