Comparison

Instrument Pilot Test Prep vs Flight Instructor Checkride

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

Head to head
About

Instrument Pilot Test Prep

Prepare for your FAA Instrument Pilot written test with a comprehensive study tool. It offers three modes: study questions by topic, review using flashcards, and take simulated practice tests. Detailed explanations and progress reports help you track your learning.

Highlights
  • Study questions by topic
  • Customizable review sessions
  • Flashcard mode for knowledge testing
  • Simulated 60-question practice tests
  • Detailed explanations for answers
  • Progress reports and test history
  • High-resolution FAA figures and legends
Features
Currently charting
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Sporty's Study Buddy prepares you for the FAA Instrument Rating knowledge test (the "written") with three ways to study: Study Questions, Flashcards and Practice Tests. Questions are organized by knowledge area, with explanations of the right and wrong answers developed by Sporty's team of Master CFIs, based on their experience preparing students for the Instrument Rating. • STUDY QUESTIONS BY TOPIC • Choose whole knowledge areas or individual topics to build your own study session. As soon as you answer, you'll see the correct answer, why it's right, and where to read more. Change your answer anytime, bookmark questions as you go, and jump to any question from the question list. Every study session is shuffled. • REVIEW WITH FLASHCARDS • Flashcards show just the question, so you answer from memory before revealing the correct answer and its explanation. Mark each card Know It or Still Learning, then start a new session from the cards you're still learning. On iPhone Duo, study a card with the phone open and close it to check the answer. • TAKE PRACTICE TESTS • Each Practice Test draws 60 questions at random from the full question bank, gives you 2 hours, and is graded at the FAA's 70% passing score. Afterward, see your score by topic, review every question or only the ones you missed, and turn your misses into a new study session. • PICK UP WHERE YOU LEFT OFF • Sessions save as you go. The History tab lets you resume any session in progress and review past results, including your scores by topic. • EVERY FIGURE, OFFLINE • The Figures tab includes the complete FAA Airman Knowledge Testing Supplement for Instrument Rating, with every figure and legend listed by name and page. Swipe through the pages or open any one full screen. Questions show their figures right alongside, and you can study without a connection. Designed for iPhone, iPhone Duo and iPad, with Dark Mode and support for larger text sizes. The FAA does not publish its knowledge test questions, so the questions on your test won't necessarily appear in this app. Study Buddy is meant to complement your training, not to replace flight and ground instruction.

About

Flight Instructor Checkride

Prepare for your flight instructor certification practical exam with this comprehensive Q&A tool. It covers over 1000 likely examiner questions and provides succinct answers, drawing from FAA documents and examiner interviews. Identify knowledge gaps and build confidence for your checkride.

Highlights
  • Over 1000 Q&A for practical exams
  • Succinct, ready responses
  • Based on popular oral exam guide
  • Covers all CFI certificate subjects
  • Flag questions for further study
  • Includes applicant practical test checklist
Features
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Using a question-and-answer format, Flight Instructor Checkride lists the questions most likely to be asked by examiners during the last step in the flight instructor certification process – the Practical Exam – and provides succinct, ready responses. Instructor applicants 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 general refresher material. This Flight Instructor Checkride app is based on the popular Flight Instructor Oral Exam Guide book by Michael Hayes. It is designed for instructor applicants training for the Certified Flight Instructor (CFI) Certificate. More than 1000 questions and responses ensure all the subjects a Flight Instructor candidate will be tested on during checkrides and review flights are covered. Topics include: fundamentals of instructing, technical subject areas (such as runway incursion avoidance, scanning, navigation, logbook entries and certificate endorsements, etc.), preflight preparation, preflight procedures, airport operations, takeoffs, landings and go-arounds, fundamentals of flight, performance and ground reference maneuvers, slow flight, stalls and spins, basic instrument maneuvers, emergency operations, postflight procedures. 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. Questions can be marked for further study from any subject to build your own collection of flashcards. An Applicant Practical Test Checklist and the Safety of Flight appendix from the Airman Certification Standards (FAA-S-ACS-25) 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 1000 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, Flight Instructor Oral Exam Guide by Michael Hayes. • Brought to you by a trusted resource in aviation training and publishing, Aviation Supplies & Academics (ASA).

Screenshots

Instrument Pilot Test Prep4 screens
Flight Instructor Checkride4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Flight Instructor Checkride at 3.5 against Instrument Pilot Test Prep's 3.1. Flight Instructor Checkride also leads on price ($9.99 vs $14.99) and review sentiment (50% vs 39%). Instrument Pilot Test Prep's advantage is update cadence (every 5 months vs every 19 months) and chart position (#171 vs unranked). On 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

Instrument Pilot Test Prep costs $14.99 and Flight Instructor Checkride $9.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Flight Instructor Checkride holds the better App Store score, 3.5 against 3.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Instrument Pilot Test Prep has 16 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 39% of Instrument Pilot Test Prep's written reviews are positive against 50% of Flight Instructor Checkride's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Instrument Pilot Test Prep ships an update every 5 months, Flight Instructor Checkride every 19 months. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 1, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard8 real differences · 3 level
Instrument Pilot Test Prep versus Flight Instructor Checkride: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterInstrument Pilot Test PrepFlight Instructor Checkride
Price$14.99$9.99 — better
Rating3.1 (16 ratings)3.5 (2 ratings) — better
Positive reviews39.3% of reviews50.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings16 — better2
Update frequencyEvery 5 months — betterEvery 19 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree — betterPaid
Best chart rank#171 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS17.014.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size92 MB9 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSporty's Pilot ShopASA

Customer experience

Instrument Pilot Test Prep

All ratings16 ratings
Positive43.8%
Neutral6.3%
Negative50.0%
Written reviews28 reviews
Positive39.3%
Neutral14.3%
Negative46.4%

Flight Instructor Checkride

All ratings2 ratings
Positive50.0%
Neutral50.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive50.0%
Neutral50.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Instrument Pilot Test Prep

No in-app purchases

None

Flight Instructor Checkride

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Instrument Pilot Test Prep free?
Instrument Pilot Test Prep costs $14.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Flight Instructor Checkride free?
Flight Instructor Checkride costs $9.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Instrument Pilot Test Prep or Flight Instructor Checkride?
Flight Instructor Checkride is rated higher. Instrument Pilot Test Prep averages 3.1 out of 5 from 16 ratings, while Flight Instructor Checkride averages 3.5 from 2 ratings.
Do Instrument Pilot Test Prep or Flight Instructor Checkride have ads?
Neither Instrument Pilot Test Prep nor Flight Instructor Checkride shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Instrument Pilot Test Prep or Flight Instructor Checkride?
Instrument Pilot Test Prep ships an update every 5 months, and Flight Instructor Checkride every 19 months. Most recently, Instrument Pilot Test Prep was updated on November 6, 2026 and Flight Instructor Checkride on November 1, 2026.

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