Getting an FAA ATP is no longer the easy thing it once was. From 01 August this year the system changed: In order to sit the theory exam you must now do a 30 hour ground course + 10 hour sim (6 hours in a C or D level sim) course. All just to sit the exam. Only then may you do the flight test. So far there are just a handful of organisations that have gained approval for their ATP prep course and none of them are cheap.