Before you go to any checkride make sure you become familiar with the respective Airman Certification Standards (ACS). The ACS has, at this point for most certificates, replaced the old Practical Test Standards (PTS’s) while the FAA is still working on upgrading more PTS’s into ACS’s.

While the PTS’s mostly covered the actual maneuvers and standards for executing them the ACS’s include not only the maneuvers but integrate them with judgment and risk management considerations for a much more complete picture.

Examiners want to see that you at the very least know what they are (yes, there are stories about checkrides with: "Hm, Airman Certification Standards? What is that?") even better if you took the time to read through them (they are really not too much to read and are indeed a very valuable resource).

They are very good material to prepare you better for the checkride, since the examiner will (and is obliged to) follow the ACS in the checkride. So make sure to read through the topics that could be asked (the ACS will tell you which ones are MUST ASK and which ones are MIGHT ASK topics.

Also it will tell you which maneuvers and operations you are going to have to show in the flight and - important - to which standards.

Here are all ACS's and PTS's for Helicopter and Airplane Pilots available to download for free. For checkrides it would be a good idea to also have the printed version.

Private Pilot

Private Pilot Helicopter

Private Pilot Airplane

Commercial Pilot

Commercial Pilot Helicopter

Commercial Pilot Airplane

Instrument Rating

Instrument Rating Helicopter

Instrument Rating Airplane

Flight Instructor

Flight Instructor Helicopter

Flight Instructor Airplane

Instrument Flight Instructor

Instrument Flight Instructor Helicopter

Instrument Flight Instructor Airplane