Comparison

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.

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
Read full description

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

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.

Highlights
  • Realistic checkride oral enactment
  • Examiner and instructor insights
  • FAA Airplane Flying Handbook
  • Private Pilot PTS
  • Knowledge quiz
  • Flight calculators
Features
Read full description

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.

Screenshots

Instrument Pilot Test Prep4 screens
Private Pilot Course4 screens

Verdict

The call

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). 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

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.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

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.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Instrument Pilot Test Prep ships an update every 5 months, Private Pilot Course every 38 months. Both last shipped on November 1, 2026.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Instrument Pilot Test Prep versus Private Pilot Course: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterInstrument Pilot Test PrepPrivate Pilot Course
Price$14.99 — better$29.99
Rating3.1 (16 ratings)3.5 (6 ratings) — better
Positive reviews39.3% of reviews60.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings16 — better6
Update frequencyEvery 5 months — betterEvery 38 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree — betterPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS17.012.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size91 MB749 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSporty's Pilot ShopFlight Training Apps, Inc.

Customer experience

Instrument Pilot Test Prep

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

Private Pilot Course

All ratings6 ratings
Positive50.0%
Neutral16.7%
Negative33.3%
Written reviews5 reviews
Positive60.0%
Neutral20.0%
Negative20.0%

In-app purchases

None

Instrument Pilot Test Prep

No in-app purchases

None

Private Pilot Course

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Instrument Pilot Test Prep free?
Instrument Pilot Test Prep costs $14.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Private Pilot Course free?
Private Pilot Course costs $29.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Instrument Pilot Test Prep or Private Pilot Course?
Private Pilot Course is rated higher. Instrument Pilot Test Prep averages 3.1 out of 5 from 16 ratings, while Private Pilot Course averages 3.5 from 6 ratings.
Do Instrument Pilot Test Prep or Private Pilot Course have ads?
Neither Instrument Pilot Test Prep nor Private Pilot Course shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Instrument Pilot Test Prep or Private Pilot Course?
Instrument Pilot Test Prep ships an update every 5 months, and Private Pilot Course every 38 months. Most recently, Instrument Pilot Test Prep was updated on November 1, 2026 and Private Pilot Course on November 1, 2026.

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