Commercial Pilot Checkride Prep Guide
Updated September 15, 2025
Welcome to MockCheckride.com’s free Commercial Pilot Checkride Prep Guide. This page focuses on resources for Commercial Pilot exam preparation. If you’re unsure how best to structure your studies for an FAA Practical Test, please first refer to our Checkride Prep Guide.
FAA Reference Material
If you’re just beginning your Commercial studies, the first thing you should be doing is downloading or purchasing a printed copy of the Commercial Pilot Airman Certification Standards.
- Commercial Pilot ACS – printed copy
- Commercial Pilot ACS – download
- 2026 FAR/AIM – printed copy
- FAA Pilot’s Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge, Revision C – printed copy – note that not all Amazon copies are full-color. This one is.
- FAA Airplane Flying Handbook, Revision C – printed copy – full color.
- FAA Risk Management Handbook – printed copy
- FAA Aviation Weather Handbook – printed copy
Operating Certificate Flowchart
We’re a big fan of using a flowchart to determine what (if any) Operating Certificate will be required for a particular type of operation. There are several flowcharts floating around the internet. Unfortunately, the original chart, published about 10 years ago, contains a few errors.
This version was updated by a FAA Air Safety Inspector in 2021, and to the best of our knowledge, is current and correct.
Right-click and save the image, or download directly here.
Advisory Circulars
Know these Advisory Circulars well. We highly recommend having a print or digital copy available during your checkride:
- AC 120-12A: Private Carriage Versus Common Carriage of Persons or Property
- AC 61-107B: Aircraft Operations at Altitudes Above 25,000 Feet MSL
Other Advisory Circulars referenced by the Commercial ACS:
- AC 61-67C: Stall and Spin Awareness Training
- AC 68-1A: BasicMed (Yes, this is often asked about on the Commercial practical test)
- AC 90-109A: Transition to Unfamiliar Aircraft
- AC 91-73B: Parts 91 and 135 Single Pilot, Flight School Procedures During Taxi Operations
- AC 91-78A: Use of Electronic Flight Bags
- AC 91-92: Pilot’s Guide to a Preflight Briefing
- AC 120-71B: Standard Operating Procedures and Pilot Monitoring Duties for Flight Deck Crewmembers
Additional Advisory Circulars that may be relevant at this level:
- AC 39-7D: Airworthiness Directives
- AC 43-9C: Maintenance Records
- AC 60-22 Aeronautical Decision Making
- AC 61-134: General Aviation Controlled Flight Into Terrain Awareness
- AC 61-142: Sharing Aircraft Operating Expenses
- AC 91-37B: Truth in Leasing (addresses Operational Control)
- AC 91-67A: Minimum Equipment Requirements for General Aviation Operators
- AC 91-79B: Aircraft Landing Performance and Runway Excursion Mitigation AC 91-67A Minimum Equipment Requirements
FAA Letters of Interpretation / Legal Interpretations
Though you are not required to be familiar with FAA Letters of Interpretation (LOIs) for your checkride, there are several which are relevant to candidate qualifications for the practical test and day-to-day operations as a Commercial Pilot.
The FAA maintains an index, but we’ve found that the most useful indices are curated by pilots/instructors.
Subject Briefs
BoldMethod produces great animations and mini-lessons, including the following which are relevant for Commercial candidates:
- How a Constant-Speed Prop Works
- Why Does Maneuvering Speed Change With Weight?
- How Does CG Affect Aircraft Performance?
- What is RVSM Airspace?
Be familiar with the FAA’s ADS-B Out requirements, and how ADS-B In products can help you:
- Safe Air Charter Operations: For Pilots, Owners, and Operators
- FAASTeam Notice NOTC00137, “Illegal Charters Put Us All At Risk”
Study Outlines
- Gold Seal Commercial Pilot Know-it-all – A free “cheat sheet” to help reinforce your Commercial studies. This is not comprehensive, but will be helpful if you learn from bullet points. It’s also free.
- Backseat Pilot Commercial ACS Review – This ACS Review is an expanded outline; more in-depth than the cheat sheet above. The cost is reasonable at $29.
- Answers to the ACS Commercial Pilot – A comprehensive app / eBook, with several hundred pages of content, breaking down each ACS task and element with incredible granularity. For detail-oriented students who want to have all possible knowledge at their fingertips, this is a good option. A demo version will allow you to see if this presentation works for you. The app is only available for Apple devices.
- Other study guides from large flight training operations. It’s possible that you may be able to locate such things on the Internet with a search for “commercial pilot study guide.” We cannot link or recommend any specific provider’s proprietary documents.
Checkride Prep Books
Checkride Prep Podcasts and Videos
- The VSL Aviation Podcast: Commercial Pilot ACS Review – DPE Seth Lake breaks down the Commercial Pilot ACS and explains how an examiner uses the ACS to administer a checkride. This series consists of four parts.
- On Centerline Podcast with Sam Tarrel: Commercial Pilot ACS Breakdown – Sam Tarrel, a.k.a. Northwest Aeronaut, has assembled a series on the Commercial Pilot ACS. Look for the Commercial Pilot ACS Breakdown episodes.
- FAA handbooks on Audible – The FAA Pilot’s Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge and Airplane Flying Handbook are available on Audible. Although the audio format removes some important illustrations and diagrams, they are still a useful listen. Note that these are the -B versions; the current version is -C. There are only minor differences in organization between the versions.
- DPE Jason Blair Reviews the Commercial Checkride – A discussion of common Commercial checkride issues, including failures to qualify based on incorrect training documentation. Blair also outlines what he’s expecting to see on Commercial maneuvers, including some tips for flying success.
- DPE Bob Work Discusses the Commercial Checkride – A casual discussion with an FAA DPE, exploring what he looks for in a Commercial candidate, in both flight and ground portions of the checkride.
- King Schools offers paid videos as part of their Commercial Checkride prep package. If you are already a King Schools subscriber, they’re worth a look.
Answer Strategies
There’s no one “right” way to answer questions on a checkride, but you should consider your breadth and depth of knowledge about the topic, as well as any resources available, as you put your best answer forward. Here are five tips to help you craft the best possible answers on your upcoming checkride.
(Note: Answer Strategies have moved to their own page. Too much good stuff to fit here!)
Take a Mock Checkride!
Okay, you’ve done your studying! Now, it’s time to verify your work with a mock checkride. That’s where we come in. We provide third-party mock checkrides to help you (and your instructor) assess whether you’re ready for your upcoming FAA Practical Test.
We suggest taking a mock checkride with an instructor other than your own primary instructor approximately 7 to 14 days prior to your scheduled checkride date. If you find you are deficient in some areas during the mock checkride, this buffer provides sufficient opportunity to brush up.