Are you asking about obtaining your FAA ATPL? If you're enquiring about taking the knowledge exam, sometimes referred to as the "written test," then it's typically about eighty US dollar or so. Not five hundred fifty. You will need to take the FAA test, but it's a simple test. You can study it online or buy study discs, or study manuals...which are fairly inexpensive. Try Sporty's online, or any other US pilot supply place. The FAA publishes all the test questions and all the test materials also provide you with the answers.
Clearly you should study the material rather than memorize the answers, but with that review information in hand, it's very hard to fail a FAA knowledge exam these days.
It certainly won't cost five hundred dollars.