CFI Initial Checkride Prep Guide
The CFI initial is widely considered the most difficult FAA checkride. This guide covers the teaching-focused oral, lesson plan requirements, the fundamentals of instruction (FOI), and the flight maneuvers you must teach and demonstrate to DPE standards.
6-10 hours
Duration
~60%
Pass Rate
FAA-S-ACS-25
ACS Code
Advanced
Difficulty
Checkride Overview
Format
The CFI Initial Checkride consists of two parts: an oral examination (ground portion) and a flight test. The oral typically comes first. The Designated Pilot Examiner (DPE) evaluates you against the Airman Certification Standards (FAA-S-ACS-25). If you fail one portion, you only need to retake that portion on the recheck.
Duration
Expect 6-10 hours (3-5 hr oral + 2-3 hr flight). Well-prepared applicants often finish on the shorter end. The DPE can extend the oral if they need to explore areas where you seem weak. Budget the full day — you do not want to feel rushed.
Prerequisites
- Commercial Pilot Certificate (or ATP)
- Instrument Rating
- At least a 3rd Class Medical Certificate (2nd class to exercise privileges)
- Passed the FOI and FIA knowledge tests within 24 calendar months
- Spin training endorsement (14 CFR 61.183)
- Fundamentals of Instruction knowledge test passed
Oral Portion — Key Topics
The DPE will cover these areas during the ground portion. The oral is scenario-based — expect questions tied to a cross-country or operational scenario, not isolated trivia.
For detailed oral exam questions and answers, see our CFI Oral Exam Prep Guide.
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Flight Maneuvers & ACS Tolerances
These are the maneuvers the DPE may evaluate during the flight portion. Tolerances are from the FAA-S-ACS-25 Airman Certification Standards. Practice each until you can consistently fly within these standards.
All PPL Maneuvers (Demonstrated and Taught)
Maneuver 1The DPE will select maneuvers from the PPL ACS and ask you to teach them. You must fly from the right seat and provide instruction while demonstrating.
ACS Tolerances
PPL ACS tolerances apply. You must demonstrate the maneuver AND teach it from the right seat as if the examiner is your student.
Spin Entry, Recovery, and Instruction
Maneuver 2You must demonstrate a spin and teach spin awareness. Not all DPEs require a full spin entry, but you must have the endorsement and knowledge to teach it.
ACS Tolerances
Enter a full spin (at least one full turn), recover using standard NASA recovery technique: power idle, ailerons neutral, full opposite rudder, break the stall, level wings.
Slow Flight (Instructional)
Maneuver 3Fly slow flight from the right seat while explaining each step to the 'student' (DPE). Describe what you would demonstrate and what common errors to watch for.
ACS Tolerances
PPL ACS standards: +/-10 knots, +/-100 feet, +/-10 degrees heading. Teach while demonstrating.
Stalls (Power-On and Power-Off, Instructional)
Maneuver 4Perform stalls while instructing. The DPE evaluates your teaching ability as much as your flying ability.
ACS Tolerances
PPL ACS standards. Recover at first indication, no secondary stall. Teach the recognition and recovery while demonstrating.
Ground Reference Maneuvers (Instructional)
Maneuver 5Demonstrate and instruct ground reference maneuvers. The DPE will play a student and may introduce common student errors for you to correct.
ACS Tolerances
PPL ACS standards. Teach turns around a point, S-turns, or rectangular course from the right seat.
Short-Field and Soft-Field Operations (Instructional)
Maneuver 6Teach takeoff and landing techniques from the right seat. Demonstrate proper technique while explaining to the student.
ACS Tolerances
PPL ACS standards. Short-field landing within 200 feet. Teach from the right seat.
Emergency Procedures (Instructional)
Maneuver 7The DPE will simulate an engine failure and expect you to teach the proper response while flying the airplane from the right seat.
ACS Tolerances
Best glide +/-10 knots, suitable field selected, emergency checklist completed. Teach the decision-making process.
Forward Slip (Instructional)
Maneuver 8Demonstrate and teach a forward slip to landing from the right seat.
ACS Tolerances
Proper cross-control technique, maintain runway alignment. Teach when and why a slip is used.
Common Reasons for Failure
Based on DPE data and examiner feedback, these are the most frequent reasons applicants receive a disapproval (Notice of Disapproval) on the CFI Initial Checkride.
FOI oral — inability to explain learning theory concepts in practical, aviation-specific terms. Memorizing definitions is not enough; you must apply them to teaching scenarios.
Teaching ability — giving a 'demonstration' instead of 'instruction.' The DPE is not your passenger. You must actively teach, ask questions, and correct errors.
Right-seat flying — many applicants are not proficient flying from the right seat. This requires dedicated practice.
Lesson plan quality — incomplete or generic lesson plans. Every lesson plan must have clear objectives, content, and completion standards.
Spin knowledge — not understanding spin aerodynamics or being unable to explain why each step of the recovery works
Endorsement knowledge — not knowing which endorsements are required for solo, cross-country solo, knowledge test, and practical test
Time management during the oral — the CFI oral can last 4-5 hours. Fatigue leads to poor answers in the later sections.
Not correcting the 'student' — when the DPE simulates a student error, the applicant fails to recognize or correct it
Day-of Checklist
Everything you need to bring and prepare on checkride day. Missing a document or having an unairworthy aircraft means the checkride cannot proceed — and you may still owe the examiner fee.
Lesson plans: Bring a complete set of lesson plans for every maneuver and ground topic. Organized in a binder or iPad with easy navigation.
FOI study materials: Know the Aviation Instructor's Handbook (FAA-H-8083-9B) thoroughly
Aircraft documents: AROW, maintenance records, weight and balance
Personal documents: Photo ID, pilot certificate (CPL + IR), medical certificate, FIA and FOI knowledge test results, spin endorsement, instructor endorsement for CFI practical
Teaching aids: Whiteboard markers, model airplane, charts, diagrams — anything you use to teach
Logbook: All flight time, including right-seat instruction received
Right-seat proficiency: Recent practice from the right seat — at minimum, several sessions in the weeks before the checkride
Payment: CFI examiner fees are typically $1,000-$1,500
Mental preparation: The CFI checkride is a marathon. Bring water, snacks, and be prepared for 6-10 hours.
Positive attitude: The DPE wants to see someone who loves teaching. Enthusiasm and professionalism matter.
Pro Tips from CFIs
The CFI checkride is a teaching evaluation, not just a flying evaluation. The best prepared applicants practice teaching every maneuver to friends, family, or fellow pilots before the checkride.
Build lesson plans that you actually use, not templates downloaded from the internet. The DPE will ask you to teach from your lesson plans and will know if you have never used them.
For the FOI, use aviation examples for every concept. 'The Law of Primacy means the first time I teach a student to flare, that technique sticks — so I must teach it correctly the first time.'
Practice right-seat flying extensively. Your maneuvers must be at ACS standards from the right seat. Most applicants need 10-20 hours of right-seat practice.
When the DPE plays a student, interact naturally. Ask questions, give positive feedback, correct errors, and explain the 'why' behind each maneuver.
Have a teaching philosophy. Be ready to answer: 'Why do you want to be a CFI?' with something genuine and thoughtful.
Know endorsement requirements cold. Be able to write out any endorsement from memory with the correct CFR reference.
The oral is a conversation about teaching. Think of yourself as a teacher being evaluated, not a pilot being quizzed.
Sample DPE Scenarios
DPEs use scenario-based evaluation. Practice thinking through situations like these before your checkride.
Student Solo Decision
“Your student has 15 hours of dual instruction. They can fly the pattern consistently but occasionally land flat. Winds today are 8 knots, gusting 15, 30 degrees off the runway heading. Do you solo them today? Why or why not?”
Teaching Stall Recovery
“Your student freezes during a power-on stall and pushes the nose over aggressively, causing a negative-G pushover. How do you debrief this event? What teaching method do you use going forward?”
Student Wants to Fly in Marginal Weather
“Your student calls you the morning of a dual lesson. The ceiling is 1,800 broken, visibility 5 miles. Your student has a checkride in two weeks and wants to practice. How do you handle this?”
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