Definition
An FAA-published document that specifies the knowledge areas, flight tasks, and performance standards an applicant must meet to pass a practical test (checkride) for a particular pilot certificate or rating. Each Practical Test Standard (PTS) lists the required tasks, the references the applicant should study, the conditions under which each task will be performed, and the tolerances (such as altitude, heading, and airspeed limits) the applicant must hold to demonstrate satisfactory performance. The PTS has been replaced for most certificates and ratings by the Airman Certification Standards (ACS), but the term is still in use for the few areas where a PTS is still current.
Plain English
A rulebook from the FAA that tells you exactly what you'll be tested on during a checkride and how well you have to perform each task to pass.
Context Anchor
You encounter this term when preparing for an FAA practical test, reviewing what an examiner may ask you to demonstrate, or checking whether your training meets the FAA’s expected standard.
Derivation
"Practical" because it tests actual flying skill, not just book knowledge. "Standards" because it sets the minimum level of performance the FAA will accept. Together: the official yardstick for hands-on pilot testing.
Why Pilots Care
Meeting these standards is required to pass the practical test and obtain or upgrade a pilot certificate.
Intuition Check
Do not read “practical” as meaning “informal” or “roughly good enough.” Here it means a formal FAA test of what you can actually do as a pilot.
Example Sentence 1
Before the checkride, the student reviewed the Practical Test Standards to confirm the altitude and heading tolerances required for steep turns.
Example Sentence 2
Before the flight test, the student reviewed the FAA Practical Test Standards for the private pilot certificate to ensure all tasks were covered.