ModernATC vs. Aviation Exam
Aviation Exam is a long-standing question-bank platform for pilot certifications across multiple jurisdictions. ModernATC is purpose-built for the U.S. air-traffic-control pipeline. The two products serve different exams; if you're picking based on a single name in a forum, here's the actual decision matrix.
- Coverage across many pilot exams worldwide — FAA, EASA, ICAO, ATPL theory.
- Mature question-explanation UX with figure references for pilot subjects.
- Useful for ground school instructors managing student progress across multiple syllabi.
- Designed for the FAA Academy curriculum, not pilot certifications. The body of source material is fundamentally different.
- ATSA prep with eight subtests and a full timed mock. Aviation Exam does not cover the ATSA.
- FSRS-6 spaced repetition tuned for the months-long study window between TOL and Class Convening Date.
- Phraseology drills graded by Whisper with slot-level scoring — controller-specific, no pilot product does this.
- Citations to JO 7110.65 paragraph on every card, plus an automatic weekly sync against the FAA's current edition.
Feature-by-feature
All claims are based on published pricing and features as of May 16, 2026. If you spot something stale, mail hello@modernatc.com — we’ll fix it the same day.
| Feature | ModernATC | Aviation Exam |
|---|---|---|
| Primary use case | FAA Academy + ATSA | Pilot certifications (FAA/EASA/ICAO) |
| JO 7110.65 coverage | ||
| ATSA prep | ||
| Phraseology audio drills | Pro tier | |
| FSRS-6 scheduling | ||
| Auto-sync with regulation updatesWe watch FAA HTML and open a content PR within hours of a change package. | Periodic content updates | |
| Per-paragraph source citation | Per-subject reference | |
| Mobile + offline | ||
| Entry price | $9/mo or $89/yr | Tiered (varies by subscription) |
Does Aviation Exam cover the FAA Academy syllabus?
No. Their product covers pilot knowledge exams. The Academy syllabus draws on JO 7110.65, the Pilot/Controller Glossary, and the AIM — different documents, different test format, different audience.
I'm a CFI considering a controller career. Do I need both?
While you're still flying, keep Aviation Exam (or Sheppard) for your pilot regs. Once you have a Tentative Offer Letter from the FAA, move to ModernATC for the Academy curriculum. The skills are related; the exams are not.
How fresh is your content?
The JO 7110.65 snapshot syncs weekly from faa.gov via a GitHub Action; any change package opens a pull request the day it's published. Cards affected by changed paragraphs get flagged for human review before being pushed live.
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