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 seven 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 TOL 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.
One ATSA. One TOL. One Academy. One shot.
Start for free — then decide if it’s the best $99 you’ll spend on the Academy.