Flight Instructor (CFI) Study Plan
A free week-by-week schedule to pass the Flight Instructor Airplane knowledge test — built on all 9 ACS areas (674 practice questions), the proven 5-step method, and Learn-library lessons to fill every knowledge gap.
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Personalize free →Your 8-week Flight Instructor (CFI) plan
Follow the weeks in order. Each week pairs the Learn lessons (understand it) with the 5-step drills (lock it in).
- Week 1
Aerodynamics and the Axes of Flight
41%readiness goal- ›Read the linked lessons first to understand the "why" before you drill.
- ›Step 1 Answer Imprint + Step 2 Recognition Drill on Aerodynamics and the Axes of Flight.
- ›Step 3 Full Practice — work through roughly 66 questions across these areas.
- ›Daily: Step 4 Weak Point Focus on anything you miss (Smart Review resurfaces it before you forget).
Lessons to read this weekFour Forces of Flight: Lift, Weight, Thrust, and Drag ExplainedAngle of Attack vs. Pitch Attitude: Key Differences for Flight InstructorsNewton's Third Law Applications to Aerodynamic LiftAirfoil Terminology: Chord Line, Camber, Mean Camber Line, and SpanBoundary Layer Behavior and Its Role in Lift and DragParasite Drag vs. Induced Drag: Definitions, Causes, and Training Implications - Week 2
Aircraft Systems + Aircraft Performance
47%readiness goal- ›Read the linked lessons first to understand the "why" before you drill.
- ›Step 1 Answer Imprint + Step 2 Recognition Drill on Aircraft Systems + Aircraft Performance.
- ›Step 3 Full Practice — work through roughly 145 questions across these areas.
- ›Daily: Step 4 Weak Point Focus on anything you miss (Smart Review resurfaces it before you forget).
Lessons to read this weekChandelle: Maximum Performance Criteria and Common Pitch and Bank Coordination ErrorsGround Effect: Aerodynamic Explanation and Pilot Training ConsiderationsP-Factor, Torque, Spiraling Slipstream, and Gyroscopic Precession as Asymmetric Thrust EffectsRectangular Course: Relationship to Traffic Pattern and Drift CorrectionEights-On-Pylons: Pivotal Altitude Concept and Airspeed Sensitivity - Week 3
Weather and Weather Services
53%readiness goal- ›Read the linked lessons first to understand the "why" before you drill.
- ›Step 1 Answer Imprint + Step 2 Recognition Drill on Weather and Weather Services.
- ›Step 3 Full Practice — work through roughly 95 questions across these areas.
- ›Daily: Step 4 Weak Point Focus on anything you miss (Smart Review resurfaces it before you forget).
Lessons to read this weekBernoulli's Principle and the Venturi Effect in Airfoil Lift GenerationDrag Curve and the Region of Reversed Command (Back Side of the Power Curve)Stability vs. Maneuverability Trade-offs: Longitudinal, Lateral, and Directional Stability ConceptsGround Reference Maneuvers: Crab Angle and Wind Correction Errors in Turns Around a PointForward Slip vs Side Slip: Control Inputs, Applications, and Common Confusion - Week 4
Flight Instruction and Maneuvers + Procedures and Airport Operations
58%readiness goal- ›Read the linked lessons first to understand the "why" before you drill.
- ›Step 1 Answer Imprint + Step 2 Recognition Drill on Flight Instruction and Maneuvers + Procedures and Airport Operations.
- ›Step 3 Full Practice — work through roughly 138 questions across these areas.
- ›Daily: Step 4 Weak Point Focus on anything you miss (Smart Review resurfaces it before you forget).
Lessons to read this weekClearing Turns Before Maneuvers: Procedures and RequirementsSlow Flight: Setup, Execution, and Common Pitch-Power ErrorsPower-Off Stalls: Recognition, Recovery, and Instructor Demonstration TechniquesAccelerated Stalls: Entry Conditions and Student MisconceptionsSpin Awareness: Incipient vs Developed Phases and Recovery ProcedurePower-On Stalls: Torque Effects and Premature Recovery Errors - Week 5
Enroute Flight and Navigation + Flight Physiology + Regulations (part 1/2)
64%readiness goal- ›Read the linked lessons first to understand the "why" before you drill.
- ›Step 1 Answer Imprint + Step 2 Recognition Drill on Enroute Flight and Navigation + Flight Physiology + Regulations (part 1/2).
- ›Step 3 Full Practice — work through roughly 152 questions across these areas.
- ›Daily: Step 4 Weak Point Focus on anything you miss (Smart Review resurfaces it before you forget).
Lessons to read this weekCritical Angle of Attack and Aerodynamic Stall MechanicsLift Equation Components: How Density, Velocity, and Cl Affect LiftSpanwise Flow, Wingtip Vortices, and Induced Drag FormationSteep Turns: Overbanking Tendency, Load Factor, and Altitude DeviationsEmergency Approach and Landing: Glide Profile Errors and Field Selection Teaching Points - Week 6
Regulations (part 2/2)
70%readiness goal- ›Read the linked lessons first to understand the "why" before you drill.
- ›Step 1 Answer Imprint + Step 2 Recognition Drill on Regulations (part 2/2).
- ›Step 3 Full Practice — work through roughly 78 questions across these areas.
- ›Daily: Step 4 Weak Point Focus on anything you miss (Smart Review resurfaces it before you forget).
Lessons to read this weekLoad Factor, G-Forces, and Their Relationship to Stall SpeedHigh-Lift Devices: How Flaps and Slats Change Camber and Stall CharacteristicsS-Turns Across a Road: Bank Angle Timing and Common Student ErrorsLazy Eight: Coordination and Symmetry Errors at 90 and 270 Degree PointsInstructing from the Right Seat: Control Interference, Somatogravic Illusions, and Demonstration Standards - Week 7 · Review
Mixed review & weak points
85%readiness goal- ›Step 3 Full Practice across every category, mixed and randomized.
- ›Flag every miss — those become tomorrow's focus.
- ›Step 4 Weak Point Focus daily until each flagged question earns a green check.
- Week 8 · Review
Full review & exam simulation
95%readiness goal- ›Step 5 Exam Simulation — take full timed mock exams under real conditions.
- ›Keep going until you score 90%+ three sessions in a row — that's your green light to sit the real test.
- ›Step 4 Weak Point Focus every morning on any question you still miss.
What's a “readiness goal”?
Each week above lists a target — here's exactly what it means and where you'll see it.
Readiness is your Exam-Readiness score — a live 0–100 estimate of how likely you are to pass, shown right on your dashboard once you start studying.
It blends three things: how accurately you're answering, how much of the full question bank you've covered, and how well it's stickingover time. High accuracy alone won't max it out — the FAA draws from the whole bank, so broad coverage counts too.
Each week's readiness goal is the level to aim for by that point. Hit or beat it and you're on pace. When you're consistently at 90%+ — including three full exam simulations in a row — you're genuinely ready to sit the real test.
Where to find it: your dashboard shows your live readiness score and updates it every time you study.
The 5-step method behind the plan
Every week runs on the same proven sequence. Do the steps in order — don't skip ahead.
- Step 1Answer Imprint
see each question with its correct answer to lock it in
- Step 2Recognition Drill
pick the right answer from shuffled choices
- Step 3Full Practice
work every question mixed together
- Step 4Weak Point Focus
drill only what you missed until it sticks
- Step 5Exam Simulation
a full timed mock — 90%+ three times in a row means ready
Keep going
Always confirm current certificate requirements and test details at faa.gov.