What to Bring to the FAA Knowledge Test

What are the key facts for the PAR test?

PAR is the Private Pilot Airplane knowledge test; check that code on your booking before packing.

The test-age minimum is different from eligibility for the private pilot certificate. This checklist covers the ordinary PAR appointment, not the checkride or another knowledge-test code. If your confirmation shows a different test, resolve that with the provider before test day.

Which documents should you pack first?

Pack your identification and accepted authorization first, then add documents needed for an address issue, retest or approved accommodation.

Use a small folder so check-in paperwork stays together. Keep the FTN and appointment confirmation accessible for reference; they help you locate the correct booking but do not replace identification or authorization. If you still need an FTN or appointment, use our FAA knowledge-test scheduling guide.

Start with admission documents. Add the conditional items that apply to you, then consider approved test aids.

Lay the documents beside your booking and compare the name and test code. Open a digital endorsement now rather than discovering at reception that the account needs a password reset. Ask the center which document format it accepts, and keep a legible paper copy as a backup where appropriate. Your phone is useful for travel and check-in, but it will not be a reference library in the testing room.

What identification is acceptable?

Your identification must be valid and current, and your documents together must establish your photo, date of birth, signature and physical residential address.

The FAA lists several acceptable forms, including government-issued identification and passports. The citizenship/residency columns in the FAA testing matrix, page 1 differ: the non-U.S.-citizen column requires a passport plus a listed government ID. Read the column that applies to you rather than assuming one document works for everyone.

These conditions come from the FAA testing matrix, pages 1 and 4. A minor who already has acceptable identification does not automatically need a parent for this identification exception.

For address verification, examples on the FAA list include a signed lease, mortgage statement, or water, electric or gas statement. Cable-company statements are explicitly excluded. Bring an item from the actual list and ask about your particular combination of documents before traveling. An arbitrary bill or a screenshot of an account profile is not a reliable substitute.

Several documents can cover the required information together. Check the applicable FAA identification category as well.

Which endorsement or authorization do you need?

For an initial PAR attempt, bring an accepted authorization that establishes your preparation and readiness for that test.

The usual instructor route is a written statement or logbook endorsement from an authorized flight or ground instructor. 14 CFR 61.35 sets the knowledge-test prerequisites; the FAA testing matrix, page 13 also lists the graduation-certificate route from an FAA-certificated pilot school.

Read the whole document. Check that it identifies you and the intended test and includes the issuer's required signing details. A practice score, purchase receipt or course progress bar does not serve the same purpose as the accepted authorization. If something is missing, contact the issuer while there is time to correct it.

For help with the instructor route, read who can sign your knowledge-test endorsement. FirstSolo.ai is a study tool and does not issue endorsements. Arrange your authorization separately with an appropriate instructor or accepted school source.

What changes if you are retesting after a failure?

A PAR retest after failure requires the applicable failed Airman Knowledge Test Report (AKTR) and a new endorsement following additional training.

The instructor who gave the additional training must determine that you are proficient to pass before endorsing the retest (14 CFR 61.49(a)). The FAA testing matrix, page 13 specifies the failed report and acceptable retest-endorsement formats. Your original endorsement alone does not satisfy this additional requirement.

Keep the failed report and retest endorsement together in your folder. Before handing over the report, retain a copy for your own study records; the current matrix instructs the proctor to scan it and destroy it after verifying the electronic capture. Use its deficient-area codes to organize the training conversation, rather than treating another booking as the first corrective step.

Can you bring an E6B, plotter or calculator?

You may bring qualifying aviation test aids, but the proctor inspects them and makes the final decision on what enters the testing area.

The active FAA Order 8080.6H, chapter 3, paragraphs 4 and 6 covers navigation computers, plotters and calculators. Calculator memory must meet its restrictions and be cleared as directed. A phone-based E6B is not a substitute for an accepted standalone aid.

The test center provides scratch paper and a writing instrument on request. Follow its storage instructions for personal belongings. These restrictions and the proctor's final authority are in FAA Order 8080.6H, chapter 3.

An allowed category is not a guarantee that every model is accepted. Ask about unfamiliar equipment before test day.

Practice with the equipment you intend to use. Borrowing a different calculator the night before adds an avoidable learning task. If your center supplies a calculator, ask what to expect and practice the same kind of basic operations ahead of time.

Older packing lists may cite AC 60-11C. The FAA cancelled that circular on August 22, 2025; use the current order and your center's instructions for this appointment.

Do you need to bring the FAA testing supplement?

Use the reference materials supplied through the testing center and its testing system; leave your own study copy outside the exam room.

The FAA's August 2026 Airman Testing Community Advisory, page 5 says private-pilot tests already feature questions with embedded images. It also says the date for removing supplements from centers had not yet been set and that candidates continue to have access until removal. Do not assume every figure will appear only in a printed book.

At check-in, ask how to access the figures and use the available measuring tools. Take the offered interface tutorial seriously: finding a figure, changing a view and returning to a question are skills worth settling before the clock starts. The advisory points applicants to the provider's sample questions for familiarity with the new format.

What should you check the night before?

Confirm the booking, prepare the admission documents and plan the trip using the instructions for your specific center.

• Read the appointment confirmation for arrival time, location and check-in instructions.
• Check the folder against the identification and authorization sections above.
• Confirm any agreed accommodation and bring the documentation the center requests.
• Set out familiar aids and a plan for storing personal belongings.
• Work out parking and building access; an airport address may cover several buildings.

Use the arrival time in your confirmation rather than a universal number from an old blog. If a rule or document is unclear, contact the testing center before leaving home. Resolve administrative problems first, then stop cramming and get some rest.

After the test, check your report's identifying information and retain it for the next stage of training. The FAA knowledge-testing FAQ explains the AKTR and how to obtain a duplicate. Bring the report to your instructor so the missed-area codes become a useful review plan.

Check yourself

These are original logistics scenarios, not released FAA test questions.

Frequently asked questions

Does every student pilot need the same document list?

The core checks are identification and test authorization, but age, citizenship/residency, address documentation and retest status can change the paperwork. Follow the column and test-code row that apply to you in the FAA testing matrix.

Can I show my endorsement on my phone?

Ask the center how it accepts electronic authorizations before the appointment. Do not rely on an improvised phone screenshot at reception. Keep the complete document and signing details available in the format the center confirms.

Do I need to buy a new flight computer for the exam?

Choose a familiar aid that the center accepts. Ask whether it supplies a calculator and whether your existing equipment meets its requirements before buying anything solely for test day.

Can FirstSolo.ai supply my endorsement?

No. FirstSolo.ai helps you study and does not issue endorsements. Make the authorization arrangements separately.

Next steps

For the whole process, read the private pilot written-test guide. Use the scheduling guide to check your booking and the endorsement guide to resolve authorization questions.

Use FirstSolo.ai to practice private-pilot knowledge topics before your appointment, then take unresolved questions to your instructor.

Sources

• 14 CFR 61.35: knowledge-test prerequisites and identification
• 14 CFR 61.49: retesting after failure
• FAA Airman Knowledge Testing Matrix, revised September 25, 2026: pages 1, 2, 4 and 13
• FAA identification FAQ: required identifying information
• FAA Order 8080.6H, active: chapter 3, test materials and permitted aids
• FAA August 2026 Airman Testing Community Advisory: page 5, embedded graphics and supplement transition
• FAA knowledge-testing FAQ, updated June 1, 2026: test reports

FirstSolo.ai is independent and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the FAA. FirstSolo.ai does not issue knowledge-test endorsements.