Comparison

Prepware Private Pilot vs Private Pilot Checkride

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Prepware Private Pilot

Prepare for your FAA Private Pilot Knowledge Exam with this comprehensive study and test tool. It offers flashcard-style review of questions, answers, and explanations, allowing you to study by subject or take realistic practice tests.

Highlights
  • Flashcard-style review
  • Questions, answers, and explanations
  • Study by subject
  • Practice tests
  • FAA Knowledge Exam preparation
Features
Currently charting
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Comprehensive preparation, study and test tool for the FAA Knowledge Exam. Flashcard style review of questions, answers and explanations included for you to study by subject or with a true-to-form practice test.

About

Private Pilot Checkride

Prepare for your private pilot practical exam with over 900 questions and answers based on FAA standards. This app helps identify knowledge gaps and build confidence for your checkride, covering all essential aviation topics.

Highlights
  • Over 900 exam-style questions and answers
  • Aligned with FAA Airman Certification Standards (ACS)
  • Answers with FAA references and ACS codes
  • Flag questions for custom study sets
  • Includes Applicant Practical Test Checklist
  • Covers all essential private pilot topics
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

Using a question-and-answer format, Private Pilot Checkride lists the questions most likely to be asked by examiners during the last step in the pilot certification process – the Practical Exam – and provides succinct, ready responses. Pilots will find this App an indispensable tool in both planning for what to expect during the airplane checkride and mastering the subject matter. Instructors rate them as excellent preparation for students, as well as preps for Flight Reviews, aircraft transitions, and as general refresher material. This Private Pilot Checkride app is based on the popular Private Oral Exam Guide book by Jason Blair and aligns with the FAA Airman Certification Standards (ACS). It is designed for student pilots training for the Private Pilot Certificate with an airplane rating. More than 900 questions and responses ensure all the subjects a Private Pilot candidate will be tested on during a checkride and review flight are covered. Topics include: pilot qualifications and limitations, aircraft airworthiness requirements, preflight procedures, postflight procedures, human factors, performance and limitations, airport operations, national airspace system, weather information, cross-country flight planning, night operations, emergency equipment and survival gear, and scenario-based training. Answers and explanations were researched using FAA documents (which are identified so pilots know where to go for further study) as well as interviewing FAA examiners and include the corresponding ACS code. Questions can be marked for further study from any subject to build your own collection of flashcards. An Applicant Practical Test Checklist and quick-reference to the Private Pilot maneuvers and tolerances (as defined in the Airman Certification Standards) are also included. Compatible with iOS phones and tablets, this app teaches applicants not only what to expect, but also how to exhibit subject mastery and confidence when under the examiner’s scrutiny. It identifies candidates’ strengths, weaknesses, and gaps in their aeronautical knowledge, which increases study efficiency. App features: • More than 800 questions are included with succinct, ready responses. • Questions from any subject can be flagged for further study into a separate group. • Includes all the questions and answers from the popular book, Private Pilot Oral Exam Guide by Jason Blair. • Answers supported with FAA references and ACS codes. • Brought to you by a trusted resource in aviation training and publishing, Aviation Supplies & Academics (ASA).

Screenshots

Prepware Private Pilot4 screens
Private Pilot Checkride4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Prepware Private Pilot at 3.9 against Private Pilot Checkride's 3.3. Prepware Private Pilot also leads on monetization model (free vs paid) and update cadence (every 4 months vs every 19 months). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Prepware Private Pilot costs $9.99 and Private Pilot Checkride $9.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Prepware Private Pilot holds the better App Store score, 3.9 against 3.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Prepware Private Pilot has 137 ratings behind it against 20, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 63% of Prepware Private Pilot's written reviews are positive against 52% of Private Pilot Checkride's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Prepware Private Pilot ships an update every 4 months, Private Pilot Checkride every 19 months. Both last shipped on September 25, 2026.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
Prepware Private Pilot versus Private Pilot Checkride: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPrepware Private PilotPrivate Pilot Checkride
Price$9.99$9.99
Rating3.9 (137 ratings) — better3.3 (20 ratings)
Positive reviews62.5% of reviews — better52.2% of reviews
Number of ratings137 — better20
Update frequencyEvery 4 months — betterEvery 19 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree — betterPaid
Best chart rank#14 — better#70
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.014.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size60 MB9 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperASAASA

Customer experience

Prepware Private Pilot

All ratings137 ratings
Positive68.6%
Neutral9.5%
Negative21.9%
Written reviews72 reviews
Positive62.5%
Neutral16.7%
Negative20.8%

Private Pilot Checkride

All ratings20 ratings
Positive50.0%
Neutral20.0%
Negative30.0%
Written reviews23 reviews
Positive52.2%
Neutral17.4%
Negative30.4%

Bugs and requests

Prepware Private Pilot

Reported bugs

24 issues
  • Powered flight questions appearing for glider pilots
  • Small screen makes chart plotting difficult
  • Missing essential questions for the written exam
  • Some answers are incorrect
  • Macbook app not working properly
Show 19 more
  • Dark mode has contrast issues, making text unreadable
  • Status bar bug with black text on black background
  • Right answers not highlighted after getting a question wrong
  • Study portion allows pushing through without selecting the right option, leading to false 100% scores
  • Questions cut off at the end
  • Save and exit function does not save progress
  • App resets to homepage after a short period or if not actively used
  • Quiz shuffles questions, preventing picking up where left off
  • Errors in questions referencing sectional charts
  • Sections on charts not available when referenced
  • New update degraded the app interface
  • White lettering on light background makes questions unreadable
  • Dark mode compatibility issues with white text on gray background
  • Questions in rotorcraft sections refer to fixed-wing regulations
  • Irrelevant gyrocopter and fixed-wing questions in rotorcraft section
  • Dark theme not displaying correct/incorrect answers properly
  • App not compatible with iPhone X screen
  • No way to systematically study, questions are random
  • Questions that reference a chart or diagram are cumbersome to view

Requested features

14 requests
  • Ability to save/create a bank of difficult questions
  • Scramble answer choices for realism
  • Improve UI for newer devices (iPhone X/Xs/Xr, iPad Pro)
  • Add Apple Watch support
  • Vary the length of test modules
Show 9 more
  • Allow studying more than one section at a time
  • Add better reference information in explanations (page/section numbers)
  • Allow resizing of figures on iPhone
  • Show explanation immediately after wrong answer
  • Fix grading to allow for incorrect answers without immediate correction
  • Make questions more compatible with dark mode
  • Fix contrast issues in dark mode
  • Add a feature to stop showing questions already known
  • Allow review of only missed items

Private Pilot Checkride

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Prepware Private Pilot

No in-app purchases

None

Private Pilot Checkride

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Prepware Private Pilot free?
Prepware Private Pilot costs $9.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Private Pilot Checkride free?
Private Pilot Checkride costs $9.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Prepware Private Pilot or Private Pilot Checkride?
Prepware Private Pilot is rated higher. Prepware Private Pilot averages 3.9 out of 5 from 137 ratings, while Private Pilot Checkride averages 3.3 from 20 ratings.
Do Prepware Private Pilot or Private Pilot Checkride have ads?
Neither Prepware Private Pilot nor Private Pilot Checkride shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Prepware Private Pilot or Private Pilot Checkride?
Prepware Private Pilot ships an update every 4 months, and Private Pilot Checkride every 19 months. Most recently, Prepware Private Pilot was updated on September 25, 2026 and Private Pilot Checkride on September 25, 2026.
Which is more popular, Prepware Private Pilot or Private Pilot Checkride?
Prepware Private Pilot currently peaks at #14 in the App Store charts, and Private Pilot Checkride at #70. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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