A Troubling FAA Question, and Its Curious Journey
by Russ Still
Published
Updated
FAA Knowledge Testing remains among the most stress-filled requirements for student pilots. And it doesn't matter the certificate or rating, either. Private, Instrument, Commercial, ATP - they all mandate a passing score on a written exam. People will go to all sorts of lengths to justify why they think written tests are irrelevant. But that's another conversation for another day.
The discussion today relates to a particular test question which, accepted by everyone involved, doesn't have a correct answer.
What's the Question?
In 2023, Gold Seal members reported seeing a test question on the Private Pilot (PAR) exam. It was worded something like this:
Of the three instruments listed, which one may be legally adjusted by a private pilot who is not also an aircraft mechanic?
A. Magnetic Compass
B. Vertical Speed Indicator (VSI)
C. Airspeed Indicator
Getting to the fundamental issue, the test question is scored "correct" if the student selects the "VSI" answer. The problem is that NONE of the three answers is correct.
One can argue that a pilot can take a jeweler's screwdriver and adjust the VSI needle up or down to zero it out. But according to some of the best-known A&Ps in the country, as well as the FAA, this may only be done legally by an A&P. If you disagree, take it up with them.
The obvious solution to this dilemma is to simply remove the question from the question database, right?
It Seems Easy Enough.
Although it seems easy to resolve, it apparently is not.
I reported this question to the FAA Airman Testing Branch in September of 2023. They investigated and found that the question was, indeed, flawed, and determined that it would be removed from all future PAR tests. But the question continued to show up on exams. Each time we reported one, the FAA made its best effort to remove it. This is the point where some background will add to the story.
Who's In Charge Here?
In January of 2020, the FAA entered into a contract with the current provider of testing services, PSI. The contract's term was ten years and the relationship was given a name: ACTS - Airman Certificate Testing Service. The old testing software (IDS) was no longer supported by the software developer so PSI was under the gun to create a new software solution.
Now take this with a grain of salt. I have not seen anything regarding the internals of PSI's software. I am only making assumptions based on what has happened and what I've seen.
It appears that PSI does not have a single database of questions. Because of this, they cannot simply delete a question in one place, and have any expectation that the question won't resurrect itself in the future. As a software guy, I'm thinking "not good". And in fact, this is exactly what's been happening for more than a year.
In a crazy game of Whac-a-Mole, we report continued occurrences of the question to the FAA, they report it to PSI, and are lead by PSI to believe that the question is gone. Then, zoom forward a month or so, up it pops again, and the search for Dr. Richard Kimble continues.
PSI appears to be operating in a semi-autonomous fashion. They control the software and the administrative access to the data. Their customer, the FAA, is left on the outside looking in.
You Have a Test Coming Up!
PSI thinks they are getting close to the final deletion of this question (more than a year since it was first reported). But until then, what do you do?
Here it is, plain and simple. Look at this question. Memorize it. If it shows up on your test, answer it with "VSI". Honestly, the FAA doesn't even want you to see this question all. But it lives and propagates, a ghost in the machine. Give them the answer they want, but understand that all three answers shown are wrong.
