FAA Instrument Flight Instructor (FII)Instrument RegulationsEasy
A CFII is preparing to endorse a student's logbook so the student may take the FAA instrument rating knowledge test. What must the instructor certify before making this endorsement, per 14 CFR 61.65(a) and (b)?
- AThat the student has received ground training in the required aeronautical knowledge areas and is prepared for the test.
- BThat the student holds a current medical certificate valid for at least one year.
- CThat the student has logged at least 40 hours of actual or simulated instrument time.
- DThat the student has completed the instrument rating practical test flight portions.
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: A. That the student has received ground training in the required aeronautical knowledge areas and is prepared for the test.
Before an applicant may take the instrument rating knowledge test, 61.65(a)/(b) requires the applicant to have received and logged ground training from an authorized instructor, or a home-study course, covering the aeronautical knowledge areas, and the instructor must certify the applicant is prepared for the test.
Why the other options are wrong
- B. A medical certificate is not a prerequisite for the written knowledge test endorsement.
- C. 40 hours of instrument time is the aeronautical experience requirement, not a knowledge-test prerequisite.
- D. The practical test occurs after the knowledge test is passed, not before the endorsement.
Instrument Rating Knowledge Test Prerequisites
Under 61.65(a)-(b), an applicant must receive ground training or complete a home-study course on required knowledge areas, with instructor certification of preparedness, before taking the knowledge test.
- Applicant must hold or be concurrently earning a private pilot certificate
- Ground training or home-study course must cover required knowledge areas
- Instructor endorsement certifies the applicant is prepared for the knowledge test
Memory trick: 'Know before you go: knowledge training before the knowledge test.'