Your CFI Preparation Starts Here

Prepare for your flight instructor practical test with free ACS-aligned lesson plans, aviation references, interactive scenarios, and structured training resources.

  • Free access
  • FAA ACS aligned
  • Self-paced preparation
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Start with the CFI Airman Certification Standards

The ACS defines what you must know, teach, manage, and demonstrate. Use it as your roadmap, then open the matching CFI Notebook lessons for preparation and practice.

Open the CFI ACS Create a free account to save progress

A clear route to the checkride

Six stages of CFI preparation

These stages organize existing CFI Notebook and FAA resources. They do not replace the FAA ACS or your instructor's training plan.

  1. Stage 1

    Understand the CFI ACS

    Review eligibility, the practical-test structure, Areas of Operation, and the standards you will be expected to teach and demonstrate.

    Read the FAA CFI ACS
  2. Stage 2

    Fundamentals of Instructing

    Build a practical command of human behavior, learning, communication, teaching, assessment, risk management, and instructor professionalism.

    Study the FOI resources
  3. Stage 3

    Technical Subject Areas

    Prepare to teach aerodynamics, systems, performance, regulations, weather, navigation, endorsements, and other CFI knowledge areas.

    Open technical lesson plans
  4. Stage 4

    Flight Maneuvers and Procedures

    Use ACS-aligned lessons to organize explanations, demonstrations, learner practice, common-error correction, and instructional risk management.

    Browse flight lessons
  5. Stage 5

    Practice Teaching and Scenarios

    Teach aloud, work through guided scenarios, answer knowledge checks, and practice adapting explanations to realistic learner needs.

    Practice with a guided scenario
  6. Stage 6

    Final Checkride Preparation

    Reconcile remaining ACS tasks, knowledge deficiencies, lesson-plan readiness, endorsements, and practical-test logistics with your instructor.

    Review your training dashboard

Quick access

CFI preparation resources

Lesson plansCFI Lesson PlansGround, inflight, and guided-scenario resources organized by FAA area. InstructionFundamentals of InstructingRead the FOI material and complete its integrated knowledge checks. Official sourceFAA Airman Certification StandardsUse the current FAA document as the authoritative practical-test standard. Decision practiceInteractive ScenariosOpen lesson plans with embedded scenarios and practice instructional decisions. Knowledge checksKnowledge QuizzesCheck understanding in the existing lesson and notebook quiz system. Account toolsTraining Syllabus and Progress DashboardView real enrollment progress, goals, quizzes, scenarios, and assignments.

Use the hub with an instructor

Turn resources into teaching practice

A strong CFI applicant does more than collect lesson plans. Explain concepts in your own words, connect every lesson to learner needs and risk management, teach from realistic scenarios, and ask an authorized instructor to evaluate your performance against the current ACS.