Finding a DPE and Clicking "Join Waitlist"

On your Waitlists page, click Find a DPE and search for the DPE by name, then choose them to open their profile. To find DPEs near you instead, choose Search for DPEs on a Map in the same search box, pick your checkride type, select a DPE on the map and click View Full Profile. On their profile, choose your checkride and the locations you can go to, then click Join Waitlist. This button is only available for registered DPEs who have their waitlist open for new signups.

Selecting Your Checkride Type

On the DPE's profile, select the type of checkride you need from the DPE's offered types. Choose the certificate and aircraft category/class combination that matches your training — for example, "Private Pilot — ASEL" for a Private Pilot checkride in a single-engine land airplane.

Joining a DPE's waitlist: the checkride chosen step by step, its base fee, the locations you can accept with one preferred, and Join Waitlist
Joining a DPE's waitlist: the checkride chosen step by step, its base fee, the locations you can accept with one preferred, and Join Waitlist
You can only have one active waitlist entry per checkride type with the same DPE. If you need a different checkride type from the same DPE, you can join their waitlist again for that type separately.

Selecting Testing Locations

If the DPE has multiple testing locations, you will be asked to indicate which locations you prefer and which you would accept. Selecting more locations gives the scheduler more flexibility and may result in getting a checkride sooner. At minimum, select at least one location you are willing to travel to.

You can change them later: on your Waitlists page, each entry lists its locations, with the preferred one marked. Click Edit locations, check the ones that work for you, mark one preferred, and save. Offers come only at the locations you check. Your place on the waitlist doesn't change.

Locations for this waitlist: check the locations that work for you, mark one preferred, and save
Locations for this waitlist: check the locations that work for you, mark one preferred, and save

What Happens After You Join

Once you confirm, your waitlist entry is created and you can see it on your Waitlists page. A conversation is automatically created between you and the DPE in the messaging system, so you can communicate about your checkride preparation. Your DPE is notified that you have joined their waitlist.

The platform also automatically creates a Checkride Prep for the checkride type you selected (if you don't already have one or a confirmed checkride for that type). The prep is a pre-checkride checklist you can start working on right away — it lives on your Checkrides page. A small pill on each waitlist entry says how much of your prep is left, for example "22 items left in prep checklist", and jumps you straight to it.

A Checkride Prep on the Checkrides page, with its checklist open
A Checkride Prep on the Checkrides page, with its checklist open
The Waitlists page: each DPE with the waitlist you are on, its offers, open slots and prep progress, and Edit locations and Leave
The Waitlists page: each DPE with the waitlist you are on, its offers, open slots and prep progress, and Edit locations and Leave

What the DPE Sees

When you join a waitlist, the DPE sees your name, checkride type, and selected locations in their waitlist management view. They can view your profile, check your pre-checkride checklist progress, and prioritize your position on the waitlist.

Joining via Email Invitation

If a DPE invites you directly by email, you will receive a link that takes you to the platform. The link opens the DPE's profile: sign in, or create a free account, then choose your checkride and locations and click Join Waitlist. The invitation lets you join even if the DPE's waitlist is closed to everyone else. Make sure to use the same email address the DPE used to invite you.