Private Pilot ACS Standards Cheat Sheet

Maneuver	Standard
Steep turns PA.V.A	Bank: ±5° of 45° Altitude: ±100 ft of entry altitude Airspeed: ±10 kt of entry airspeed Rollout heading: ±10° of entry heading
Maneuvering during slow flight PA.VII.A	Altitude: ±100 ft of assigned altitude Heading: ±10° of assigned heading Airspeed: assigned airspeed, up to +10 kt Bank in turns: ±10° of assigned bank
Ground reference maneuver PA.V.B	Altitude: ±100 ft of selected altitude Airspeed: ±10 kt of selected airspeed
Pilotage and dead reckoning PA.VI.A	Altitude: ±200 ft of planned altitude Heading: ±15° of planned heading
Straight-and-level by instruments PA.VIII.A	Altitude: ±200 ft of assigned altitude Heading: ±20° of assigned heading Airspeed: ±10 kt of assigned airspeed
Normal landing PA.IV.B	Approach airspeed: -5 / +10 kt of recommended approach speed Touchdown point: the point you chose, up to +400 ft beyond it
Short-field landing PA.IV.F	Approach airspeed: -5 / +10 kt of recommended approach speed Touchdown point: the point you chose, up to +200 ft beyond it

From the Private Pilot Airplane ACS (FAA-S-ACS-6C). The ACS also lists the knowledge and risk management elements for each task, and some tasks have more skill elements than shown here. Always study from the current ACS.

How to use these

Fly them with your instructor and call out your numbers. Knowing the standard makes it easier to correct before you bust it.
A brief excursion that you correct promptly isn't automatically a failure; a consistent one, or one you don't notice, is.
Each maneuver has a Lesson Prep page with the steps, common errors and the exact ACS wording.

Steep turns

Steps, errors and the ACS wording

Open →

Slow flight

Prep before your lesson

Open →

Mock checkride

Maneuvers judged against these standards

Open →

Common questions

What are the steep turn standards for the private pilot checkride?

45° of bank ±5°, altitude ±100 feet, airspeed ±10 knots, and roll out on the entry heading ±10°.

What is the short-field landing standard?

Touch down within 200 feet beyond the specified point (and not before it), at the recommended approach speed −5/+10 knots.

What is the slow flight standard?

Altitude ±100 feet, heading ±10°, airspeed +10/−0 knots, and the assigned bank angle ±10°.

Sources, review & change history

Published: Oct 19, 2026
Review status: Written from the FAA sources linked in the text. Not yet re-checked line by line or reviewed by a flight instructor.
Changes: Oct 19, 2026: first published.

Report an error on this page

Study aid only. Your instructor, current 14 CFR and the FAA's handbooks and ACS have the final word.