The FAA is helping PSI further shutdown flight school testing centers by reducing the time for the Private Pilot test from 150 minutes to 120 minutes.
PSI adds 30 minutes for check in and check out, so this will not effect the payment for private, but will reduce Commercial from $28 to 22.
"This message is to notify you that the FAA is reducing the time allowed for the Private Pilot Airplane (PAR) and Commercial Pilot Airplane (CAX) tests effective Monday, April 24, 2023.
- The allotted time for the Private Pilot Airplane (PAR) will be reduced from 150 minutes to 120 minutes.
- The allotted time for the Commercial Pilot Airplane (CAX) will be reduced from 180 minutes to 150 minutes.
"Minutes Payment
120 $ 15.00
135 $ 22.00
150 $ 22.00
180 $ 22.00
210 $ 28.00
@Mitchell Williams
I think the payment to the test site provider is set by PSI, not the FAA.
FAA however reduced the test duration, which may lower the payments to 3rd party test sites.
thanks
mitch
@Mitchell Williams
The change in payment due to change in test time is in the noise level in this matter. IIRC, the payments used to be on the order of $100 rather than $10, and the testing centers can't pay the bills at that level. PSI slashed those payments without cutting the fee charged to the applicant, and that is the issue.
From the February 2023 Airman Testing Community Advisory.
FAA Airman Knowledge Tests
The FAA’s testing vendor, PSI Services LLC, has been working collaboratively with the FAA and the aviation industry to scientifically assess the FAA Airman Knowledge Tests. The assessments of the Private Pilot Airplane (PAR) and Commercial Pilot Airplane (CAX) Knowledge Tests have been completed with the results of those assessments being implemented on April 24, 2023. The PAR and CAX test topics and subject matter did not change as a result of the assessment process. However, there have been changes made to existing test questions on the PAR and CAX tests to assure they are aligned with the ACSs and reference an existing FAA handbook. The assessments of the PAR and CAX did result in the following changes that applicants can expect to see starting on April 24, 2023. February 28, 2023
1. Beginning Monday, April 24, the PAR test time will be reduced from 150 minutes to 120 minutes, and the CAX test time will be reduced from 180 minutes to 150 minutes.
2. Five (5) unscored validation questions will be added to each test, increasing the PAR test from 60 to 65 questions and the CAX test from 100 to 105 questions. Unscored questions will not count towards the test taker's score. These questions are included to allow the FAA to evaluate the statistical performance of new questions before they are included in the sets of scored questions.
It is recommended that airman applicants continue to reference the ACSs as a guide for testing resources
So what is AOPA doing to get the FAA to reassess giving less time to answer more questions, and to make PSI give the test centers like FBO's/flight schools a sufficient share of the fee so they don't bail out of the business?