24 Hours Before Your Checkride
Updated October 10, 2025
It’s the day before your big checkride, and you’re nervous. You’ve been training for this for months, or maybe even years, and you’re finally there with the finish line in sight. Perhaps you’ve posted a thread on Reddit or on Facebook, asking other pilots “What should I study before my checkride tomorrow?”
Well, here’s a simple, straightforward answer: Nothing. Nada. Zip.
No "Cramming" the Night Before!
Let’s be blunt here (there’s no time for niceties!): if you don’t know or understand a particular topic by now, you’re not going to have an epiphany in the limited hours between now and your checkride start time. Trust your preparation, and focus on your physical and mental well-being!
We’ve worked with hundreds of candidates over the years, and cannot recall a single instance where a candidate reported learning a new concept the night before the ride, only to have the positive outcome of the ride hinge on that crucial piece of knowledge. Not. A. Single. One.
But, you say, isn’t “cramming” (studying under acute stress and time pressure) an effective technique for preparing for exams? Sort of. Cramming is generally understood to enhance the formation of short-term memories, especially when the consequences for not retaining the information are nearly immediate and negative (think: exam failure). CFI candidates, you’ll probably recognize Thorndike’s Law of Intensity and Law of Recency here.
Great! So, what’s the problem? Well, numerous longitudinal studies suggest that cramming, when compared to evenly-spaced studying, impairs long-term retention, deep understanding, and critical thinking. Cramming can also create inaccurate / false correlations between learned material.
If the checkride were a multiple-choice or fill-in-the-blank test, cramming might be a viable strategy, but in test environments where the student is expected to make connections between facts (similar to what you’ll be asked to do on your checkride), cramming won’t help much; and may even end up hurting you.
And remember, too, that you’re not learning just to pass a checkride; you’ll want to set yourself up to retain as much as possible for the rest of your flying career.
What Should I Do Between Now and Then?
Okay, if studying more is out, what’s the best way to spend the 24-ish hours before your checkride?
Remember the IMSAFE checklist? You’re going to want to focus your attention here to ensure that you’re 100% good-to-go. Recall that this checklist focuses on illness, medication, stress, alcohol, fatigue, and emotion. CFI candidates may recognize Thorndike’s Law of Readiness and Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs here – in order to be ready to perform at 100% of our capabilities in a learning (or testing) environment, we must have our basic needs (things like sleep, food, etc.) met!
24-Hour Plan for Success
Here’s what we recommend in the 24 hours leading up to your checkride.
The day before:
- Control or eliminate outside stressors. This may include wrapping up important work obligations, arranging for childcare, traveling to the airport where your checkride will take place, and/or satisfying family commitments. Clear your schedule of non-aviation obligations from 24 hours preceding the checkride appointment, as well as several hours past the expected end time of the checkride.
- Perform a self-assessment with the IMSAFE checklist. If you’re feeling ill, just started taking a new medication, or are experiencing chronic fatigue or stress, these things are unlikely to remedy themselves within a day hours. Be honest with yourself – will you be able to perform at your peak on the day of your checkride? If not, it may be prudent to reschedule.
- Keep yourself fed and hydrated. Make sure that you have good-quality meals for at least a day preceding the ride and hydrate on a normal schedule. Avoid fast food, junk food, excessive caffeine, etc.
- Double-check your aviation preparedness. Ensure your flight plan is substantially complete (minus any items that will need to be updated just prior to the test, e.g., weather information, TFRs, NOTAMs, etc.). Consider alternate courses of action if weather or other reasons do not allow the flight to be completed as planned. Check again that you have all the items on the Applicant Checklist found in the ACS Companion Guide, including aircraft documents, maintenance records, personal equipment, and personal records.
The evening before:
- Shut off your aviation brain. Take yourself out to a nice dinner, go to the gym, see a movie, chat with friends, play a board game, meditate, etc. As long as it’s not aviation, it’s fair game. You’ll be prepared to sleep soundly if you’re relaxed, both physically and mentally. Speaking of sleep…
- Go to sleep! Aim for a solid night’s sleep before the test. While everyone’s sleep requirements are different, it’s imperative that you provide your body and mind the opportunity to rest up before what may be a long day. Account for an extra hour or two to wind down. You’ll likely have a few aviation tasks to accomplish in the morning prior to the ride (see the next section); be sure to schedule your wake-up accordingly.
The morning of:
- Finalize your briefing and flight planning. Get your final briefings and integrate this information into your flight planning. This should be an update to an existing plan with current numbers, not a full flight-planning session.
- Pre-preflight. We recommend going to the airport early and doing a pre-preflight, especially if the airplane is in use by a school or club. You’ll be able to check the aircraft for any issues from the previous user (did they leave the master on? fill the tanks? etc.). Better to find these things early than after the test has already begun and the examiner is watching. You’ll also be able to get your mind into aviation mode before the examiner shows up and starts asking questions.
- Be ready to start well before the scheduled exam time. Get access to the exam room and set yourself up for success. Organize your resources and the workspace. Grab a bottle of water for you and one for the examiner. We recommend setting up in the exam room a good half-hour prior to the test’s scheduled start time. Showing up late to a practical test doesn’t make a good first impression!
- Keep meeting your basic needs. This includes staying fed and hydrated. Don’t hesitate to ask for a break if you need it – to compose your thoughts, to use the restroom, etc. Most examiners will understand that it’s a long, stressful day and will have no problem giving you a few minutes.
- Understand that you don’t have to be perfect. You’re highly unlikely to fail on a single misstep unless an incorrect answer compromises safety and/or legality. In flight the same applies; a small deviation from ACS/PTS standards usually isn’t going to end the test. Acknowledge the mistake, correct it, and keep going. If the examiner has not stopped the test and used the word “unsatisfactory,” refocus, and move on to the next question or maneuver.
- Go get it! Your instructor is confident that you meet or exceed the certification standards required for the certificate or rating you’re seeking. You’ve passed the written exam and demonstrated that you have the knowledge required. Now, all you’ll need to do is do what you’ve been doing in your training, just with a different person on the other side of the table or in the right seat of the airplane. Go get it!day
How We Can Help
If you’re on a short timeline, there’s not going to be a “shortcut to success” to help you pass your ride – we’d be lying if we said we had “the one secret examiners don’t want you to know.” A checkride pass (and success in aviation in general) is determined by your long-term commitment to studying to become the best pilot you can be.
We offer several free resources as you prepare for your next steps in aviation, including:
- MockCheckride.com’s Checkride Prep Guide, which includes a comprehensive study strategy and numerous resources.
- MockCheckride.com’s Commercial Checkride Prep Guide, focused on resources for commercial candidates.
- MockCheckride.com’s Checkride Answer Strategies, with guidance on how to shape responses based on your knowledge.
- MockCheckride.com’s Common Deficiencies, where we discuss the most common errors on each checkride’s ground portion.