FAA Private Pilot Helicopter (PRH) knowledge test — also preparing for Recreational Pilot Helicopter (RPH), Private Pilot Helicopter/Recreational Pilot Transition (PHT) and Private Pilot Helicopter Canadian Conversion (PCH)
The written test for your private pilot helicopter certificate — rotor aerodynamics, autorotations, hover performance, weight & balance, weather and airspace, with the recreational, transition and Canadian-conversion tests covered too.
About the exam
A private pilot certificate with a rotorcraft category, helicopter class rating lets you fly helicopters for personal flying and carry passengers, but not for compensation or hire. The Private Pilot Helicopter (PRH) knowledge test is the written test you pass before the private helicopter checkride. The same bank also prepares you for three related FAA tests: Recreational Pilot Helicopter (RPH), the Private Pilot Helicopter/Recreational Pilot Transition test (PHT) for recreational helicopter pilots upgrading to private, and the Private Pilot Helicopter Canadian Conversion test (PCH) for Transport Canada licence holders converting to an FAA certificate. QuizMe does not yet cover the sport-pilot helicopter tests (SHF and IHF, simplified flight controls).
PRH has 60 multiple-choice questions in 2 hours; the FAA testing matrix lists RPH at 50 questions in 2 hours, PHT at 30 questions in 1 hour 30 minutes and PCH at 40 questions in 2 hours. 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 15 for PRH, RPH and PHT and 16 for PCH. PRH, RPH and PHT need an endorsement from an authorized instructor or a pilot school graduation certificate; PCH needs no endorsement. Sectional excerpts, weather products and performance and loading charts come from the FAA testing supplement (FAA-CT-8080-2H) or embedded images. A passing result is valid for 24 calendar months. If you already hold a private certificate with an airplane or other category rating, adding a helicopter rating needs no additional knowledge test (61.63(b)).
Our practice covers every area with original questions mapped to the Private Pilot Helicopter ACS, with step-by-step worked solutions for every calculation — density altitude, hover ceilings in and out of ground effect, longitudinal and lateral CG, weight shift, wind triangle, time, distance and fuel. Add flashcards for regulations, helicopter weather minimums and hazards, worked case walkthroughs of dynamic rollover, settling with power and autorotation decisions, illustrated guides to rotor systems and the height-velocity diagram, and timed practice tests at the PRH length — 60 questions in 2 hours — 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-ACS-15, Private Pilot for Rotorcraft Category Helicopter Rating ACS (November 2023; effective May 31, 2024) — Regulations, helicopter aerodynamics, systems, performance and weight & balance, emergencies, helicopter operations, weather, navigation and airspace, and human factors — one bank for PRH, RPH, PHT and PCH. Domain weights are QuizMe estimates — the FAA does not publish them. Tap a domain to see its topics.
1 Regulations and Pilot Qualifications about 13% (est.) of the exam
50 practice questions in this domain so far
2 Helicopter Aerodynamics about 12% (est.) of the exam
60 practice questions in this domain so far
3 Helicopter Systems and Instruments about 10% (est.) of the exam
50 practice questions in this domain so far
4 Performance, Limitations and Weight & Balance about 13% (est.) of the exam
60 practice questions in this domain so far
5 Emergencies and Hazards about 10% (est.) of the exam
50 practice questions in this domain so far
6 Helicopter Operations about 8% (est.) of the exam
60 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 ACS
Every question is original and tagged to a Private Pilot Helicopter ACS area — three choices like the real test, with hover and height-velocity charts, loading 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, the PRH length — with a pacing indicator, full review and a percent score against the 70% pass mark.
Flashcards, walkthroughs and guides
Flashcards for regulations, helicopter weather minimums, rotor hazards 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
PRH, RPH, PHT and PCH 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 PCH), 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-CT-8080-2H testing supplement 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: PRH for a private helicopter certificate, RPH for recreational, PHT if you're a recreational helicopter pilot upgrading to private, PCH if you're converting a Transport Canada licence.
- The testing matrix accepts an endorsement from an authorized instructor or a graduation certificate from an FAA-certificated pilot school as the authorization for a first attempt. PCH needs no endorsement.
- Already a private pilot with an airplane or other category rating? Adding a helicopter rating needs no additional knowledge test (61.63(b)) — confirm with your instructor.
- 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.
Pacing checkpoints
Our timed test uses the real length and time — 60 questions in 2 hours, the PRH length — as one block of single-answer, three-choice questions; RPH, PHT and PCH are shorter. Figures that the real test shows from the FAA-CT-8080-2H 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.
- Drill the helicopter hazards until you can name cause and recovery in seconds: dynamic rollover, settling with power, ground resonance, low rotor RPM, retreating blade stall, mast bumping and LTE.
- Rehearse chart work: hover ceiling IGE and OGE from a density altitude, the height-velocity diagram, and CG after adding or removing load.
- 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 minutes a question — chart and loading problems take longer, recall questions much less.
- Read for helicopter-specific rules — fuel reserves, Class G minimums and minimum altitudes differ from airplanes.
- For performance and loading questions, write down the inputs and units before you read the chart.
- 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 the ACS codes of 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 private helicopter practical test within that window or retake the knowledge test.
- Next comes the private pilot helicopter practical test under FAA-S-ACS-15 — an oral on the same knowledge plus a flight test of hovering, takeoffs and approaches, autorotations and emergency procedures; the examiner also checks your missed ACS codes.
Official sources and further reading
- Private Pilot Helicopter ACS (FAA-S-ACS-15) ↗The official areas of operation, tasks and knowledge elements the test is built on.
- FAA Airman Knowledge Testing Matrix ↗Official question count, time, minimum age and the authorization each test requires.
- FAA airman knowledge testing supplements ↗The figures book (FAA-CT-8080-2H) provided at the test center.
Ready to start?
462 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 (ACS, testing matrix, 14 CFR); rules and policies change — always confirm at faa.gov. Estimated scores are rough guides.