Instrument Pilot Test Prep vs Private Pilot Course
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- 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
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Sporty's Study Buddy will prepare you for the FAA Instrument Pilot written test like no other study tool available with three modes of operation. Test material is expertly organized into categories based on subject matter and includes, questions, answers, correct answers, and detailed explanations. • STUDY QUESTIONS BY TOPIC • Learning Mode allows you to create custom review sessions by selecting exactly which categories you want to review. Each session randomly generates the question order, and provides instant feedback based on your answer selection. Each question also provides a detailed description as to why each answer is right or wrong. These explanations were developed by Sporty’s team of Master CFI’s, based on their experience preparing students for the Instrument Rating. • REVIEW QUESTION FLASHCARDS • Flashcard mode tests your knowledge by allowing you to only see the question without the answer choices. After answering the question mentally, you can then select to show the correct answer, and self-grade your progress along the way. This is a great feature that keeps you from being distracted by incorrect answers! • TAKE PRACTICE TESTS • Test mode randomly generates a 60-question session from the entire database of published FAA test questions, simulating the real Instrument Pilot test. After answering all the questions, you’ll be given instant results, and have the option to review either all the questions, or just missed questions. Included in the review session are the same detailed explanations for why each answer is right or wrong. •PROGRESS REPORTS• After completing each test your results are saved in the app's Progress Report section, where you can review previous scores and and a detailed history of each question and answer selection. You can also pause a partially-completed session, and resume it at a later time here. Also includes the new upgraded test prep supplement (figures and legends) from the FAA, with new high-resolution images.
Private Pilot Course
Prepare for the ground portion of your FAA Private Pilot Practical Test with realistic checkride scenarios and expert insights. Includes essential FAA handbooks, a knowledge quiz, and flight calculators.
- Realistic checkride oral enactment
- Examiner and instructor insights
- FAA Airplane Flying Handbook
- Private Pilot PTS
- Knowledge quiz
- Flight calculators
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The Private Pilot Course - Ground Portion gives you an insight into what happens on the ground portion of your FAA Private Pilot Practical Test, commonly referred to as the Checkride Oral. We provide more than one hour of video, showing you a realistic enactment of a checkride oral conducted by an FAA designated pilot examiner and a student pilot. This app also includes insights from an examiner and instructor to give you a full understanding of what to expect on your private pilot practical test. Bonus features of this app are a copy of the FAA Airplane Flying Handbook, the Private Pilot PTS, the FAA Risk Management Handbook and the Aeronautical Information Manual (AIM). Also included is a quiz to test your knowledge and calculators for Stall Speed, Load Factor, Maneuvering Speed and Top of Climb calculations. Please check out our companion app, the Private Pilot Course - Flight Portion, that gives you more than two and a half hours of exciting in-flight HD video and detailed animation including an in depth explanation of the takeoffs, landings and maneuvers needed to pass your FAA Private Pilot Practical Test. Both apps together make a perfect package that will make you pass your Checkride with ease. Due to HD video, this App is more than 750MB in size. Please make sure you have enough space on your device. Due to size restrictions, you have to be connected to a WiFi network to download this app.
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Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Instrument Pilot Test Prep at $14.99 against Private Pilot Course's $29.99. Instrument Pilot Test Prep also leads on update cadence (every 5 months vs every 38 months) and chart position (#191 vs unranked). Private Pilot Course's advantage is rating (3.5 vs 3.1) and review sentiment (60% vs 39%). On ratings volume, 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
Instrument Pilot Test Prep costs $14.99 and Private Pilot Course $29.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Private Pilot Course holds the better App Store score, 3.5 against 3.1. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 16 and 6 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 39% of Instrument Pilot Test Prep's written reviews are positive against 60% of Private Pilot Course's.
Instrument Pilot Test Prep ships an update every 5 months, Private Pilot Course every 38 months. The most recent releases landed on September 21, 2026 and September 17, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Instrument Pilot Test Prep | Private Pilot Course |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $14.99 — better | $29.99 |
| Rating | 3.1 (16 ratings) | 3.5 (6 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 39.3% of reviews | 60.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 16 — better | 6 |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months — better | Every 38 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free — better | Paid |
| Best chart rank | #191 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 | 12.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 28 MB | 749 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Sporty's Pilot Shop | Flight Training Apps, Inc. |
Customer experience
Instrument Pilot Test Prep
Private Pilot Course
In-app purchases
Instrument Pilot Test Prep
No in-app purchases
Private Pilot Course
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Instrument Pilot Test Prep free?
Is Private Pilot Course free?
Which has better reviews, Instrument Pilot Test Prep or Private Pilot Course?
Do Instrument Pilot Test Prep or Private Pilot Course have ads?
Which is updated more often, Instrument Pilot Test Prep or Private Pilot Course?
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