FAA Private Pilot Weight-Shift-Control (PWS) knowledge test — weight-shift-control aircraft (trike) category, land and sea
The written test for your private weight-shift-control (trike) certificate — flex-wing aerodynamics and pitch stability, control-bar inputs, trim and limits, tumble and whipstall avoidance, takeoffs and landings, weather and airspace.
About the exam
A private pilot certificate with a weight-shift-control aircraft category rating lets you fly trikes — land or sea — for personal flying, including at night and with a passenger, but not for compensation or hire. The Private Pilot Weight-Shift-Control (PWS) knowledge test is the written test you pass before the private weight-shift checkride. Many trike pilots fly under sport pilot rules instead; QuizMe does not cover the Sport Pilot Weight-Shift-Control (SPW) test, though most of this knowledge carries over. There is no commercial weight-shift-control certificate.
PWS has 60 multiple-choice questions in 2 hours 30 minutes. 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, and the private certificate itself needs age 17. You need an endorsement from an authorized instructor or a pilot school graduation certificate. A passing result is valid for 24 calendar months. If you already hold an airplane, rotorcraft, powered-lift, powered-parachute or airship rating at the private level, adding a weight-shift-control rating needs no knowledge test (61.63). 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 Pilot Weight-Shift-Control PTS, with step-by-step worked solutions for every calculation — density altitude, takeoff and landing distance, weight and balance, load factor in turns, wind triangle, time, distance and fuel. Add flashcards for regulations, weight-shift limits and weather codes, worked case walkthroughs of a turbulence encounter, a crosswind landing and an engine failure after takeoff, illustrated guides to the flex wing, hang point and control bar, and timed practice tests at the PWS 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-8081-32A, Private Pilot Practical Test Standards for Powered Parachute Category and Weight-Shift-Control Aircraft Category (November 2023; effective May 31, 2024) — no weight-shift-control ACS has been published — Weight-shift-control regulations, wing aerodynamics and stability, systems, performance and weight & balance, operations, emergencies, weather, navigation and airspace, and human factors. 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
28 practice questions in this domain so far
2 Weight-Shift Aerodynamics and Stability about 12% (est.) of the exam
24 practice questions in this domain so far
3 Weight-Shift Systems about 10% (est.) of the exam
21 practice questions in this domain so far
4 Performance, Limitations and Weight & Balance about 10% (est.) of the exam
21 practice questions in this domain so far
5 Weight-Shift Operations about 12% (est.) of the exam
24 practice questions in this domain so far
6 Emergencies and Hazards about 10% (est.) of the exam
21 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 Pilot Weight-Shift-Control PTS area of operation — three choices like the real test, with performance and 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 30 minutes, the PWS length — with a pacing indicator, full review and a percent score against the 70% pass mark.
Flashcards, walkthroughs and guides
Flashcards for regulations, weight-shift limits, wing facts 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
PWS is scheduled and taken through PSI, the FAA's knowledge-testing provider. Get your FAA Tracking Number (FTN) in IACRA and your instructor's endorsement, 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: PWS for a private weight-shift-control certificate. If you only want sport pilot privileges, the sport test (SPW) is shorter — talk to your instructor about which fits.
- 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.
- Already a private pilot with an airplane, rotorcraft, powered-lift, powered-parachute or airship rating? Adding a weight-shift-control rating needs no knowledge test (61.63) — 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 30 minutes.
Pacing checkpoints
Our timed test uses the real length and time — 60 questions in 2 hours 30 minutes, the PWS length — as one block of single-answer, three-choice questions. 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.
- Be able to say which way the control bar moves for each pitch and roll input, and what the hang point does to trim speed.
- Know the weight-shift limits and the tumble chain — whipstall, negative G, turbulence — until you can recite them.
- 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 — chart and navigation problems take longer, recall questions much less.
- Read for weight-shift-specific rules — some exceptions apply to weight-shift and powered parachutes but not airplanes, and the reverse.
- 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 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 weight-shift-control practical test within that window or retake the knowledge test.
- Next comes the private weight-shift-control practical test under FAA-S-8081-32A — an oral on the same knowledge plus a flight test of takeoffs and landings, performance and ground reference maneuvers, slow flight and stalls, night operations and emergency procedures; the examiner also checks your missed topics.
Official sources and further reading
- Private Pilot Powered Parachute and Weight-Shift-Control PTS (FAA-S-8081-32A) ↗The official areas of operation and tasks the private weight-shift-control test is built on.
- Weight-Shift Control Aircraft Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8083-5) ↗The FAA's weight-shift reference — check the FAA handbook page for the October 2025 addendum.
- 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?
271 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.