FAA CPL/IR TK in the UK

[collywolly21]

Hi

Can the Theoretical Knowledge exams be taken in the UK for an FAA CPL/IR prior to going to the U.S for the training?

Thanks in advance for all your help.

[zondaracer]

Yes, you can take them at Farnborough, but you need an FAA CFI or AGI/IGI to give you an endorsement to take the knowledge tests.

[custardpsc]

If you do a bit of googling you will find at least one on line exam based endorsement that exist for this purpose, to avoid having to find a cfi to endorse you, although you shoulnt have to work too hard to find a faa cfi in uk. Mind you, I wouldnt bother, cheaper and just as easy to take the exam when you get there, thats what I did after researching the options

[this is my username]

I took mine at Farnborough before I went to the US. I used the ASA online testing system which provides the required sign-off for the exams.

Doing the exams in the UK saved time and stress when I was in the US so it worked well for me. You can also get the TSA fingerprinting done at Farnborough which also saves time in the US. That said, looking at your location it's a bit of a trek from there down to Farnborough.

A lot depends on how long you are planning to go to the US for - if your trip there is going to be several months then a few days for the exams is neither here nor there. If you are only going for a few weeks then you will want to get your ducks in a row before you go.

[collywolly21]

Thank you all very much for your replies.

I will give Farnborough a call as I want everything in place prior to my arrival.

Thanks again, much appreciated.

[custardpsc]

One final point to consider, the exam is much easier after you have spent a bit of time in the usa, you will pick up or reinforce quite a lot of the exam sylabus whilst flying or talking to other pilots. It does help. If you are prepared to just study the questionbank for long enough to learn it you can of course pass the exam in the uk, however the oral exam part of the checkride for both cpl and ir will be hard, and in preparing for that you will in any case be able to breeze the writtens. You can expect a couple of hours of really quite tough questioning for both cpl and ir, with the added issue of being asked in depth questions about the examiners pet topics. The written is significantly easier by comparison I'd say and only needs to be done just before the checkride so if you can say you are ready for the oral the written is just two hours out of your day when you are ready.

Anyhow, good luck with it. If you go to farnborough you should be able to get your IR tsa fingerprints done there as well at the same time, although I seem to remember it was a particular day every week or something. Hope it all works out for you whichever way you go.