Definition
The official FAA file that defines the scope of authority granted to a Designated Pilot Examiner (DPE), including the specific certificates, ratings, and practical tests the examiner is authorized to conduct.
Plain English
A document the FAA gives each Designated Pilot Examiner that lists exactly which checkrides they are allowed to give and what kinds of certificates or ratings they can issue.
Context Anchor
Seen in FAA material about how pilot examiners are appointed, supervised, and kept accountable.
Derivation
Examiner comes from a word meaning to test or weigh carefully. Designation comes from a word meaning to mark out or appoint. In aviation use, the phrase points to the FAA's official record of a person being appointed to act as an examiner.
Why Pilots Care
Before scheduling a checkride, an applicant should confirm the examiner is authorized for that specific test. An examiner cannot conduct a practical test outside the scope of their designation file, even if they hold the underlying qualifications personally.
Intuition Check
Do not read this as the student's training file or test paperwork. The examiner's designation file is the FAA's file about the examiner's authority, not the applicant's record.
Example Sentence 1
Before booking the checkride, the applicant confirmed that the commercial single-engine practical test was listed in the examiner's designation file.
Example Sentence 2
An applicant can confirm an examiner’s qualifications by checking the details in the examiner's designation file.