How Do I Prepare for the Written Test?

I recommend you read at least two books, and possibly two more if you want superior preparation.

First, you need to read the FAA's Glider Flying Handbook. Consider it your basic text.

Then, read and work through ASA's Private Pilot Test Prep. This book is updated every year, and contains every question in the FAA's text bank, with answers and explanations. I recommend you work through all the questions relevant to the Glider test; they are marked ALL and GLD.

I was not particularly impressed with the coverage of weather services in the GFH and the Test Prep book. There's a lot of detail to know about how to read the various charts, how to interpret cryptic Telex-format weather reports, and what all the different reports are called. The GFM and Test Prep book really only teach a bare imperfect minimum. To fix this problem, I recommend reading Aviation Weather and Aviation Weather Services, but consider this supplementary.

All four of these titles are available on Amazon as of this writing. You should be able to look them up by name.

If you start from scratch, reading through the GFM and working through the Test Prep book might take you fifteen evenings at a comfortable pace.

Finally, while taking the written test is an important step in getting your license, the Flight Examiner will not rely on it when he administers the Oral. Expect him to ask many of the same questions you have already studied for and answered on the written test. This may be a bit frustrating, particularly if you scored high on the written test.

-- Johan Larson