FAA Private Pilot Glider (PGL) knowledge test — also preparing for Commercial Pilot Glider (CGX), with a head start on Flight Instructor Glider (FIG)
The written test for your glider certificate — polar curves and speed to fly, aerotow and ground launch, thermal, ridge and wave soaring, out-landings, weather and airspace, with the commercial glider test covered too.
About the exam
A private pilot certificate with a glider category rating lets you fly gliders, including self-launching motorgliders, for personal flying and carry a passenger, but not for compensation or hire. The Private Pilot Glider (PGL) knowledge test is the written test you pass before the private glider checkride. The same bank prepares you for the Commercial Pilot Glider (CGX) test, which goes deeper on performance, soaring and cross-country technique. If you plan to instruct, the Flight Instructor Glider (FIG) test builds on the same knowledge plus teaching — QuizMe covers the glider knowledge, and the separate Fundamentals of Instructing page covers FOI. QuizMe does not cover the Sport Pilot Glider test (SPI).
PGL has 60 multiple-choice questions in 2 hours 30 minutes; the FAA testing matrix lists CGX at 100 questions in 3 hours, FIG at 100 questions in 2 hours 30 minutes and the instructor added-rating test (AFG) at 25 questions in 1 hour. Every question has three answer choices, and you need 70% to pass. You test on computer at a PSI test center with a photo ID and an FAA Tracking Number (FTN) from IACRA. Minimum testing age is 14 for PGL and 16 for CGX, FIG and AFG; the private glider certificate itself needs age 16 and no medical certificate. PGL and CGX need an endorsement from an authorized instructor or a pilot school graduation certificate; FIG and AFG need none. A passing result is valid for 24 calendar months. If you already hold an airplane, rotorcraft, powered-lift, weight-shift, powered-parachute or airship rating at the same certificate level, adding a glider rating needs no knowledge test (61.63(b)). The 2025 MOSAIC rule rewrote sport pilot and light-sport aircraft rules (effective October 22, 2025 and July 24, 2026) but did not change private or commercial pilot requirements or these knowledge tests; the sport pilot practical test standards were revised in September 2026 and test banks are still catching up, so confirm details with your instructor.
Our practice covers every area with original questions mapped to the Private and Commercial Pilot Glider PTS, with step-by-step worked solutions for every calculation — glide distance from altitude and L/D, speed to fly into a headwind or sink, ballast and wing loading, density altitude and weight and balance. Add flashcards for glider regulations, launch signals and soaring weather, worked case walkthroughs of rope breaks, out-landing field selection and thermal-versus-ridge decisions, illustrated guides to the polar curve and the aerotow positions, and timed practice tests at the PGL length — 60 questions in 2 hours 30 minutes — with a score.
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-8081-22A, Private Pilot Practical Test Standards for Glider Category (November 2023; effective May 31, 2024), with FAA-S-8081-23B Commercial Pilot Glider PTS — no glider ACS has been published — Glider regulations, aerodynamics and performance, glider systems and instruments, launch methods, soaring weather and techniques, landings and emergencies, weather, navigation and airspace, and human factors — one bank for PGL and CGX. Domain weights are QuizMe estimates — the FAA does not publish them. Tap a domain to see its topics.
1 Glider Regulations and Pilot Qualifications about 13% (est.) of the exam
30 practice questions in this domain so far
2 Glider Aerodynamics and Performance about 13% (est.) of the exam
30 practice questions in this domain so far
3 Glider Components, Systems and Instruments about 8% (est.) of the exam
19 practice questions in this domain so far
4 Launch and Tow Procedures about 10% (est.) of the exam
22 practice questions in this domain so far
5 Soaring Weather and Techniques about 12% (est.) of the exam
26 practice questions in this domain so far
6 Glider Operations, Landings and Emergencies about 10% (est.) of the exam
22 practice questions in this domain so far
7 Weather Information about 13% (est.) of the exam
52 practice questions in this domain so far
8 Navigation, Airspace and Flight Planning about 12% (est.) of the exam
62 practice questions in this domain so far
9 Human Factors and Aeronautical Decision-Making about 8% (est.) of the exam
18 practice questions in this domain so far
What you get when you access this exam
Free with your QuizMe account.
Questions built on the PTS
Every question is original and tagged to a Private or Commercial Pilot Glider PTS area of operation — three choices like the real test, with polar curves, glide tables and sectional excerpts described in text, and weather reports.
Hints and worked solutions
Reveal the rule, reference or formula behind the question when you're stuck. Every answer has the full rationale, and every calculation is solved step by step.
Adaptive practice
Questions steer toward your weakest areas, weighted like the real test, and get harder as you get stronger.
Timed practice tests
Full-length tests at the real pace — 60 questions in 2 hours 30 minutes, the PGL length — with a pacing indicator, full review and a percent score against the 70% pass mark.
Flashcards, walkthroughs and guides
Flashcards for glider regulations, tow signals, soaring weather and weather codes, worked case walkthroughs that reason through harder questions step by step, and interactive illustrated guides you explore hotspot by hotspot.
Progress in every area
Each area moves from Not started to Exam ready, so you know exactly what to study next.
Test at home or at a center
PGL, CGX, FIG and AFG are scheduled and taken through PSI, the FAA's knowledge-testing provider. Get your FAA Tracking Number (FTN) in IACRA and your instructor's endorsement (not needed for FIG or AFG), then choose a PSI test center and time. Remote testing is not offered for FAA airman knowledge tests.
At a PSI test center
- Book through PSI's FAA scheduling site; the fee is paid to PSI, not the FAA — about $175 at PSI (confirm when you book).
- Bring a current government-issued photo ID that meets FAA identification rules, and your FAA Tracking Number (FTN).
- The center gives you the FAA testing supplement (FAA-CT-8080-2H for PGL, FAA-CT-8080-1E for CGX) with the chart, weather and performance figures; some questions show images on screen.
- You may use an FAA-approved flight computer (E6B) and calculator under the test center's rules; PSI's testing system also includes an on-screen E6B.
Before you book
- Pick the right test: PGL for a private glider certificate, CGX for commercial glider, FIG for a glider flight instructor certificate (AFG if you already instruct in another category).
- The testing matrix accepts an endorsement from an authorized instructor or a graduation certificate from an FAA-certificated pilot school as the authorization for PGL and CGX. FIG and AFG need no endorsement.
- Already a pilot with an airplane, rotorcraft, powered-lift, weight-shift, powered-parachute or airship rating at that certificate level? Adding a glider rating needs no knowledge test (61.63(b)) — confirm with your instructor.
- A first glider instructor certificate also needs the Fundamentals of Instructing (FOI) test unless you are exempt, plus a commercial glider certificate and a spin-training endorsement (61.183).
- If you retake after a failure, bring the failed test report and an endorsement from an authorized instructor who gave you the additional training.
Exam-day game plan
How to walk in ready — and how to pace 60 questions in 2 hours 30 minutes.
Pacing checkpoints
Our timed test uses the real length and time — 60 questions in 2 hours 30 minutes, the PGL length — as one block of single-answer, three-choice questions; CGX is 100 questions in 3 hours. Figures that the real test shows from the FAA testing supplement or as embedded images are reproduced as described text, tables or simple diagrams — not the official FAA charts.
The week before
- Take one full-length timed practice test 4–7 days out, then shorter sets and rest.
- Sketch a polar curve from memory and mark minimum sink, best L/D, and how the tangent shifts for headwind and sink.
- Drill tow signals and rope-break decisions by altitude until you can answer in seconds.
- Confirm your PSI appointment, your endorsement (or graduation certificate), your FTN, your ID and the flight computer and calculator you'll bring.
During the test
- Pace yourself at about 2.5 minutes a question — glide and performance problems take longer, recall questions much less.
- Read for glider-specific rules — no medical, launch-method endorsements, the flight review option and towing limits differ from airplanes.
- For glide-distance questions, convert units first: altitude in feet, distance in statute or nautical miles, and allow for wind.
- Watch for EXCEPT and NOT — they flip what you're looking for.
- Mark hard questions, answer every one and come back if time allows — there's no penalty for guessing.
Keep your head
- A few nerves sharpen focus. If you freeze, take three slow breaths and reread the question.
- With three choices, ruling out one wrong answer leaves you a coin flip at worst.
- You need 42 of 60 — a few long chart problems won't sink you.
After you test
- You get your Airman Knowledge Test Report at the test center; it shows your score and codes for any knowledge areas you missed, and your instructor reviews them with you before the checkride.
- A passing result is valid for 24 calendar months — complete the glider practical test within that window or retake the knowledge test.
- Next comes the glider practical test under FAA-S-8081-22A (private) or FAA-S-8081-23B (commercial) — an oral on the same knowledge plus a flight test of launches, soaring technique, stalls, emergencies and accuracy landings; the examiner also checks your missed topics.
Official sources and further reading
- Private Pilot Glider PTS (FAA-S-8081-22A) ↗The official areas of operation and tasks the private glider test is built on.
- Commercial Pilot Glider PTS (FAA-S-8081-23B) ↗The commercial glider standards.
- Glider Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8083-13B) ↗The FAA's glider aerodynamics, launch, soaring and cross-country reference.
- FAA Airman Knowledge Testing Matrix ↗Official question count, time, minimum age and the authorization each test requires.
- FAA airman knowledge testing supplements ↗The figures books provided at the test center — FAA-CT-8080-2H for private tests, FAA-CT-8080-1E for commercial.
Ready to start?
281 questions and scenarios across the blueprint — and growing.
QuizMe is not affiliated with or endorsed by the FAA or PSI. All questions are original. Details are summarized from FAA sources (PTS, testing matrix, 14 CFR); rules and policies change — always confirm at faa.gov. Estimated scores are rough guides.