A B1/B2 is NOT acceptable and actually explicitly prohibited :
If you're throwing CFR Title 8 Part 214 at the members of this forum, it would be helpful if you had read the entire bit, not just the ones that suit you.
You might want to read how the CFR defines "Course of Study".
certified by a designated school official to consist of at least eighteen clock hours of attendance a week if the dominant part of the course of study consists of classroom instruction, or at least twenty-two clock hours a week if the dominant part of the course of study consists of shop or laboratory work;
Now a lot of posters on this forum have a specific
conflict of interest in that they are either UK flight instructors that hate to see people take flight lessons in the US; or US flight instructors at a SEVIS school that face competition from non-SEVIS schools for the
short partial courses or
finish up programs I was talking about.
In addition, the rules and regulations that apply and could apply are many, which makes it very easy to confuse matters, thinking that you are in the clear when you are not or thinking that you need to jump additional hoops when you don't.
So, my advice to all of you is still to
check with your consular officer at your nearby US consulate or embassy, explain the situation and ask whether a B1/B2 visa is sufficient for the purpose. I have done so, and got
a written confirmation before I was interviewed.
The reason you need a written confirmation is precisely because not every immigration officer is aware of every rule. As a matter of fact, the last time I went there for a finish up and checkride, the immigration officer claimed that
I didn't need the B1/B2, and that a visa waiver / esta would have sufficed. That is in contradiction with information you find on the US State Department website, where they say that any short course enrollment requires at least a B2.
Bottom line : you don't want to complicate your life if you don't have to, but you also want to cover your bases if you need to.
I must say I'm a bit fed up with all this stupid scaremongering. We all should strive to help out fellow pilots and fellow students whatever stage in their career or whatever their level of competence.