Definition
The two formal FAA examinations a pilot applicant must pass to earn a certificate or rating: a written knowledge test covering aeronautical theory, regulations, and procedures, and a practical (skill) test consisting of an oral examination and an in-aircraft flight evaluation conducted by an FAA examiner.
Plain English
The official tests you must pass to get a pilot certificate. There are two: a written exam on flying knowledge, and a hands-on test where an examiner checks your flying in the air and asks you questions on the ground.
Context Anchor
Seen when learning about how a student pilot becomes certificated or adds a new pilot privilege.
Derivation
“Knowledge” means what a person understands. “Skill” means the ability to do something well. In this FAA phrase, the two words are kept separate because pilots must both understand aviation information and be able to use it correctly in real flying.
Why Pilots Care
Passing these tests is a legal prerequisite for exercising the privileges of a pilot certificate or rating.
Intuition Check
Do not read “knowledge test” and “skill test” as two names for the same thing. The knowledge test checks what you understand; the skill test checks what you can safely do with that understanding.
Example Sentence 1
Before her checkride, she completed her knowledge test at an approved testing center.
Example Sentence 2
Instructors review the knowledge and skill tests early in training to set clear certification milestones.