Instrument Rating Practice Test: FAA Written Exam (IRA) Questions

818 practice questions across the 12 knowledge areas of the instrument rating: the IFR rules, currency and equipment, airspace and clearances, the flight instruments, attitude flying, VOR, ILS and GPS, departures, en route, holding and approaches, emergencies and IFR weather. We wrote every question from the FAA's own handbooks and regulations, and each answer links the exact page or rule it comes from. The Chart room has the test's own approach plates, departure, lights and airport signs, with questions we wrote on each. The real test is 60 questions in 2 hours at 70%.

The real test: 60 questions in 2 hours. 42 right (70%) passes.

Passing score: FAA knowledge test passing score (70%), the codes on your test report, and retesting

Here: 818 questions. Our own practice questions, written from the FAA's Instrument Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8083-15B), Instrument Procedures Handbook (FAA-H-8083-16B), Aviation Weather Handbook (FAA-H-8083-28B), the Aeronautical Information Manual, 14 CFR parts 61 and 91, and the FAA-CT-8080-3F testing-supplement figures, all U.S. government works. Topics follow the Instrument Rating Airplane ACS (FAA-S-ACS-8C). Not the FAA's test questions. Free.

What's on the test

"On the test" is the rough share of a 60-question test for each topic; the FAA's mix changes from test to test.

10 sample questions

1. Under IFR, after reaching the first airport of intended landing and then the alternate, how much more fuel must an airplane carry?

   • A.Enough to fly 45 minutes at normal cruising speed
   • B.Enough to fly 30 minutes at normal cruising speed
   • C.Enough to fly 20 minutes at best-economy speed
   Show answer

   A. Enough to fly 45 minutes at normal cruising speed

   IRA-1 · IFR regulations: flight plans, fuel, alternates and altitudes · 14 CFR 91.167

2. To act as pilot in command under IFR, within the preceding 6 calendar months a pilot must have logged at least:

   • A.Three instrument approaches, one holding procedure and one cross-country flight under IFR
   • B.Six instrument approaches in actual instrument conditions and an instrument proficiency check
   • C.Six instrument approaches, holding procedures and tasks
   Show answer

   C. Six instrument approaches, holding procedures and tasks

   IRA-46 · Pilot currency, required equipment and inspections · 14 CFR 61.57

3. A Federal airway includes the airspace within:

   • A.2 NM each side of the centerline
   • B.8 NM each side of the centerline
   • C.4 NM each side of the centerline
   Show answer

   C. 4 NM each side of the centerline

   IRA-82 · Airspace, charts, ATC and clearances · Instrument Flying Handbook page 23

4. Orientation in flight is maintained by which three sensory systems?

   • A.Visual, vestibular and postural
   • B.Visual, auditory and vestibular
   • C.Vestibular, postural and tactile
   Show answer

   A. Visual, vestibular and postural

   IRA-134 · Human factors and spatial disorientation · Instrument Flying Handbook page 69

5. Angle of attack is the angle between:

   • A.The flightpath and the longitudinal axis
   • B.The relative wind, or flightpath
   • C.The chord line and the mean camber line
   Show answer

   B. The relative wind, or flightpath

   IRA-169 · Aerodynamics and icing · Instrument Flying Handbook page 79

6. Which pitot-static instrument uses both pitot and static pressure?

   • A.The turn coordinator
   • B.The vertical speed indicator
   • C.The airspeed indicator
   Show answer

   C. The airspeed indicator

   IRA-212 · Flight instruments and systems · Instrument Flying Handbook page 97

7. Attitude instrument flying is defined as:

   • A.Control of the aircraft's spatial position by using instruments rather than outside visual references
   • B.Holding the attitude indicator level at all times
   • C.Flying with the autopilot engaged in attitude-hold mode while the pilot monitors the navigation and the radios
   Show answer

   A. Control of the aircraft's spatial position by using instruments rather than outside visual references

   IRA-282 · Attitude instrument flying and maneuvers · Instrument Flying Handbook page 134

8. Flying away from a VOR/DME station over the horizon, which signal is normally lost first?

   • A.The DME, because its UHF frequency bends less over the horizon than the VOR's VHF signal
   • B.The VOR identifier, then the DME
   • C.The VOR, because it is a lower power transmitter and its VHF signal is absorbed by the terrain
   Show answer

   A. The DME, because its UHF frequency bends less over the horizon than the VOR's VHF signal

   IRA-335 · Navigation systems: VOR, DME, ILS, GPS · Instrument Flying Handbook page 246

9. The two types of departure procedures are:

   • A.Noise abatement and ATC departures
   • B.Textual and graphic departures
   • C.Obstacle departure procedures
   Show answer

   C. Obstacle departure procedures

   IRA-399 · Departures and en route operations · Instrument Procedures Handbook page 32

10. A STAR differs from a SID in that:

    • A.It starts at the runway and ends in the en route structure at a fix or a NAVAID
    • B.It is never charted, only described in text
    • C.It starts in the en route structure and ends at a fix for vectors or an approach
    Show answer

    C. It starts in the en route structure and ends at a fix for vectors or an approach

    IRA-454 · Arrivals, holding and approaches · Instrument Procedures Handbook page 122

What the study guide does

• Short study rounds and flip cards.
• A practice test built like the real one: 60 questions, 42 to pass.
• Pass Meter: your chance of passing if you sat the test today, worked out from your own answers.
• An explanation for every answer.