Blog Multi Author : Flight Training Central

How Do Your FAA Written Test Scores Stack Up in 2026?

February 27, 2026/in News/by Eric Radtke

The FAA has released its 2025 knowledge test statistics, offering a fresh look at how pilot applicants are performing nationwide.

2025 Knowledge Test Averages

The FAA has released 2025 written test statistics.

Commercial Pilot (Airplane): 91%
A total of 20,530 tests were taken in 2025, with an impressive 99% first-time pass rate.
That’s an increase in volume compared to 2024, with the average score remaining stead at 91%.

Instrument Rating (Airplane): 86%
Nearly 27,143 instrument tests were administered in 2025, with a 94% first-time pass rate.
Testing volume continues to grow, and the average score also remained steady at 86%.

Private Pilot (Airplane): 82%
A total of 44,657 Private tests were taken in 2025, with a 90% first-time pass rate.
That represents a slight dip in both volume and performance compared to 2024, when the average score was 83% and the pass rate topped 92%.

Frequently Missed Topics

The FAA’s “Frequently Missed Knowledge Test ACS Codes” report continues to shine a light on areas that challenge applicants.

Recent reports highlight these written test ACS codes:

CA.VII.E.K2 (Commercial Airplane)
This code relates to the spin awareness task, specifically understanding what causes a spin and how to identify the entry, incipient, and developed phases of a spin.

PA.IX.A.K3 (Private Airplane)
This code falls under Emergency Operations, specifically airspeed and airspeed limitations. Knowing critical speeds—best glide, maneuvering speed, and limitations tied to aircraft configuration—is essential for safe decision-making during abnormal or emergency situations.

While the codes themselves may look cryptic, they map directly to specific elements in the Airman Certification Standards (ACS).

Turn Your Test Report Into a Study Plan

If you’ve already taken a knowledge test, don’t overlook the value of your Airman Knowledge Test Report. Every missed question is tied to an ACS code—but decoding those codes manually can be frustrating.

That’s why Sporty’s offers a free Knowledge Test ACS Code Analysis Tool.

Simply upload a photo of your FAA written test report inside the Test Prep module, and our Aviation Intelligence℠ tool will instantly extract your missed ACS codes and translate them into clear subject areas. Instead of flipping through ACS documents, you’ll get a focused breakdown of exactly what to review.

And you don’t even need to be enrolled in a paid course—just create a free Sporty’s account to access it.

FAA Testing Updates: What’s Changing

Although the FAA does not release active test questions, updates about new content, discontinued material, and terminology changes are published in the Airman Testing Community Advisory.

One notable modernization effort is the Graphics Conversion Project. In collaboration with PSI Services, the FAA is embedding figures directly into test questions rather than relying solely on separate testing supplements.

Currently, Commercial, Private, and Unmanned Aircraft exams include questions with embedded graphics. Sport Pilot exams began incorporating embedded figures in early 2025. Applicants will continue to receive a test supplement during the transition period.

The FAA also encourages applicants to review the Candidate Information Bulletins (CIBs) for their specific exam. These bulletins outline registration procedures, authorization requirements, and test content specifications. CIBs are available for exams including Private Pilot (PAR), Instrument Rating (IRA), Commercial Pilot (CAX), and others.

Video tip: How to use a sectional plotter to plan a cross-country flight

February 25, 2026/in Video Tips/by Bret Koebbe

As you enter the cross-country planning phase of your private pilot training, you’ll learn the skills required to plan long-distance trips using a VFR sectional, plotter, E6B flight computer and Navlog. This will teach you the core planning skills necessary to fly to a new airport and allow you to fly the trip via pilotage (looking for landmarks on the ground) and dead reckoning (heading, groundspeed and time en route calculations).

This week’s tip takes a look at the first phase of this planning process and shows how to use a plotter and sectional to measure the trip distance and determine the exact direction you’ll need to fly.

This video tip is from the Sporty’s Learn to Fly Course, which includes complete training for Private and Sport Pilots.

Video Tip: How Airplane Pressurization Systems Work

February 25, 2026/in Video Tips/by Flight Training Central Staff

High-performance airplanes and jets incorporate a pressurization system to provide a comfortable cabin environment for the flight crew and passengers. In this video, we’ll show how this system works in piston-engine airplanes, like a Piper Malibu, and how the pilot controls it from the flight deck.

This video tip is from Sporty’s Commercial Pilot Training Course. Video training, test prep, checkride prep, aviation intelligence (AI) and more.

Flight Maneuver Spotlight: Eights on Pylons

February 23, 2026/in Flight Maneuvers/by Bret Koebbe

Commercial pilot training introduces several new maneuvers that sharpen precision and control. Among the ground reference maneuvers is Eights on Pylons—a dynamic exercise that requires flying a figure-eight pattern around two selected reference points while adjusting altitude to maintain a constant visual relationship with each pylon. It’s a maneuver that blends coordination, wind correction, and energy management into one continuous flow.

This flight maneuver spotlight and description appears in Sporty’s Commercial Pilot Course, which includes comprehensive knowledge test prep, flight maneuvers guide, oral exam tools and Aviation Intelligence.

Upcoming Webinar: Instrument Approach Decision-Making—IFR Mastery Live

February 21, 2026/in News/by Eric Radtke

Wednesday, February 25 – 4pm eastern

Instrument approaches rarely fail because of a lack of knowledge—they fail because of decisions made under pressure.

In this live PilotWorkshops IFR Mastery webinar, the PilotWorkshops team will walk pilots through a realistic, thought-provoking scenario from the IFR Mastery series. You’ll be placed in the cockpit of a Beechcraft Bonanza and faced with a critical decision: how to enter and execute an instrument approach into Wichita Falls, Kansas, with low ceilings and strong winds complicating the picture.

Rather than presenting a single “right” answer, this session dives into the pros and cons of multiple possible outcomes, highlighting how experienced pilots think through risk, workload, and real-world constraints when the margin for error is slim.

Expert Roundtable Discussion

The scenario will be unpacked in a lively roundtable featuring:

Ryan Koch – Pilot Workshops
Catherine Cavagnaro – CFI & DPE
Kevin Plante – ATC Controller & Pilot
Bruce Williams – CFI & IFR Expert
Mark Kolber – CFI & Aviation Attorney

Each brings a unique perspective—from the cockpit, the control room, the examiner’s seat, and even the legal aftermath of poor decisions.

Space is limited so register now!

February 2026 Test Question Update from Sporty’s

February 20, 2026/in Tips and technique/by Eric Radtke

Sporty’s recently released its February 2026 written test question update in its Learn to Fly Course test preparation module. While the FAA does not publish actual test questions, representative test questions are available, and new questions released by Sporty’s represent emphasis areas which you will likely encounter on the test.

The FAA continues to add new questions based on guidance from the Private Pilot Airman Certification Standards. For all test question updates, visit FlightTrainingCentral.com/testquestions.