KnowTAM vs Private Pilot Test Prep
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
KnowTAM
Prepare for FAA written and checkride oral exams with over 1,800 flashcards, quizzes, and practice exams. Features real FAA charts, timed practice tests, and a flight computer. Offers study plans and progress sharing with instructors.
- 1,800+ flashcards and quizzes
- Practice exams with FAA timing
- Oral-exam sets
- Real FAA charts and figures
- Study plan with spaced repetition
- Progress sharing with instructors
- Offline study mode
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Pass your FAA written and your checkride oral with one app. KnowTAM has 1,800+ flashcards, quizzes, practice exams, and oral-exam sets, written and reviewed by a working CFI. Start free. Pay once. Never a subscription. READY FOR THE NEW INSTRUMENT QUESTIONS Since October 26, 2026, the FAA's Instrument test includes image-based questions built on current sectional, approach, and low-altitude en route charts. KnowTAM's Instrument deck has 24 cards on current FAA chart excerpts, so you practice reading them before test day. WHY PILOTS PICK KNOWTAM • Every card explains the "why," not just the answer, with the regulation or handbook reference and the exact FAA ACS code it covers. • Quizzes show why each wrong answer is wrong. • Real FAA figures: sectionals, instruments, approach plates, airport signs and markings, weather diagrams. • Timed practice exams built like the real test, with the FAA's time limits, scored against the 70% passing mark. Private exams follow the FAA subject blueprint. • A flight computer that works like the electronic one you take to the test, right beside every practice exam question. • Checkride and oral-exam sets that drill the way a Designated Pilot Examiner asks. Great before a flight review, too. A PLAN THAT GETS YOU THERE ON TIME Enter your rating and test date. KnowTAM sets each day's new cards and reviews, shows whether you're on track, and tells you when to take a practice exam. Spaced repetition brings back what you miss and spaces out what you know. In the final week, your plan brings back anything you haven't seen lately. STUDY WITH YOUR INSTRUCTOR • Share your progress by private link: practice exam scores, readiness by area, your study plan, and the ACS codes from your test report. It keeps up as you study and stops working when you turn it off. • Send a practice exam to your instructor, with every question you missed. • Lesson sets: your instructor sends the cards for your next lesson, with notes, as a link or a QR code. STAY WITH IT • A Today card with a ring for the day's cards, your streak, and a real finish when you're done. • Home Screen and Lock Screen widgets: today's plan with a Start button, your streak, and Plan details on the large widget. • Optional reminders at the times you choose, only on days your plan isn't done yet, plus reminders the week of your test. KNOW WHEN YOU'RE READY • Readiness by area shows which subjects are ready, close, or need work, from your practice exams and cards. One tap quizzes the weak ones. • Practice sets for the cards you missed recently and the ones you saved. • After the test, tell the app how it went. Passed? Share your pass and move on to your next rating. Didn't pass? Add the ACS codes from your test report, typed or read from a photo, and practice exactly those. STUDY ANYWHERE Fully offline, even in airplane mode. No account required. Study at the hold-short line, on a long cross-country, or on the airline ride to your checkride. A free optional account syncs progress across devices and lets you share it with your instructor. RATINGS COVERED • Private Pilot • Instrument Rating • Commercial Pilot • Multi-Engine (Vmc, the critical engine, single-engine performance) • Aviation Weather: free for everyone START FREE, PAY ONCE The first three Private modules and the whole Aviation Weather track are free. Unlock the rest of Private, add Instrument, Commercial, or Multi-Engine, add checkride oral prep, or get the All-Access Bundle. One-time purchases, never a subscription. No ads. Your study progress stays on your device unless you choose to sync it or share it with your instructor. An app by Fly With Winston. KnowTAM is an independent study material and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the FAA.
Private Pilot Test Prep
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Private Pilot Test Prep helps you pass the FAA Private Pilot Airplane (PAR) knowledge test — the written exam every student pilot takes before the checkride. Study with 2,000+ practice questions, 450+ flashcards, 42 built-in study guides, and a full timed mock exam, all working completely offline. IMPORTANT: The app is free to download with a short intro. Unlocking the full question bank, flashcards, study guides, mock exam, and progress tools requires a paid subscription or a one-time Lifetime purchase (pricing below). WHAT YOU GET • 2,000+ practice questions covering every PAR knowledge area: regulations (FARs), airspace and airport operations, aviation weather and METAR/TAF decoding, aerodynamics, aircraft systems and instruments, performance, weight and balance, navigation and sectional charts, cross-country and E6B math, and aeromedical factors and decision-making. • Step-by-step explanations for every question, each citing the governing FAA reference (14 CFR, AIM, PHAK, AFH). • Includes the FAA's own public sample PAR questions, plus hundreds of worked calculation problems. • 450+ flashcards with Leitner spaced repetition for real active recall. • 42 study guides — a built-in ground school you can search and listen to. • Quick 10, build-your-own quizzes, timed quizzes, and single-topic drills. • Full mock exam: 60 questions, 2 hours 30 minutes, 70% passing standard, with a strict exam-simulation mode. • Mistake bank that automatically saves every question you miss so you can drill your weak areas. • Progress dashboard: per-topic mastery, syllabus completion, accuracy charts, spaced-repetition forecast, and study streaks. • Read-aloud, Dynamic Type, VoiceOver, and dark mode. • 100% offline. No account, no ads, no tracking. SUBSCRIPTION & PRICING • Monthly — $9.99 per month • Yearly — $49.99 per year (includes a 3-day free trial) • Lifetime — $99.99 one-time purchase (not a subscription) Payment is charged to your Apple ID at confirmation of purchase. Auto-renewable subscriptions renew automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period; manage or cancel anytime in your Apple ID settings. Any unused portion of a free trial is forfeited when you buy a subscription. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://appios432.blogspot.com/p/privacy-policy_01139292984.html Private Pilot Test Prep is an independent study aid and is not affiliated with, authorized, endorsed by, or sponsored by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). All trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Practice questions are original works based on public-domain FAA materials, plus the FAA's public sample questions. This app is a study aid and is not a substitute for instruction from a certificated flight instructor.
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Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: KnowTAM at every 5 days against Private Pilot Test Prep's every 4 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
Both are free to download. KnowTAM sells 8 one-off in-app purchases and Private Pilot Test Prep sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
KnowTAM ships an update every 5 days, Private Pilot Test Prep every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and October 19, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | KnowTAM | Private Pilot Test Prep |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (3 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 3 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 5 days — better | Every 4 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 16.4 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 94 MB | 3 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Winston Tripp Aviation LLC | MD Shahariar Nazim Joy |
In-app purchases
KnowTAM
- KnowTAM CAX Checkride$14.99
- KnowTAM Instrument Checkride$14.99
- KnowTAM Private Checkride$14.99
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- KnowTAM Multi-Engine$19.99
- KnowTAM Commercial (CAX)$39.99
- KnowTAM Instrument (IRA)$39.99
- KnowTAM Private (PAR) - Full$39.99
- All-Access Bundle$99.99
Private Pilot Test Prep
- Pro Monthly$9.991 Month
- Pro Yearly3 Days trial$49.991 Year
- Premium Lifetime$99.99
Questions
Is KnowTAM free?
Is Private Pilot Test Prep free?
Do KnowTAM or Private Pilot Test Prep have ads?
Which is updated more often, KnowTAM or Private Pilot Test Prep?
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