Help Center

Gouge Hub is a community platform where pilots share checkride prep materials — called "gouge" — with each other. Each submission is a real account from a pilot who completed an FAA practical exam with a specific DPE. You can browse and download gouge for your examiner to better prepare for your checkride. Learn more →

You can browse available gouge on the homepage without an account. To download gouge you'll need a free account and credits. Submitting gouge also requires a free account. Signing up only takes a minute.

No. Gouge Hub is an independent, community-driven platform. We are not affiliated with the FAA, any Designated Pilot Examiner, FSDO, or flight school.

If your DPE doesn't have any gouge yet, you can be the first to submit after your checkride. Head to the Submit Gouge page and add your DPE to the system. Your submission helps every pilot who tests with that examiner in the future.

Credits are the currency on Gouge Hub. You purchase a credit bundle and each gouge you download costs one credit. Credits are added to your account instantly after purchase.

No — your credits never expire. Buy a bundle before your checkride prep begins and use them at your own pace.

We accept all major credit and debit cards through our secure Stripe payment processor. Your card information is never stored on our servers.

Credits are typically applied instantly. If you don't see them after a minute, try refreshing your dashboard. If the issue persists, contact us with your order confirmation and we'll sort it out right away.

Browse to a DPE's page or search on the homepage, select the gouge you want, add it to your cart, and complete checkout. Your credit will be used and the file will be available for download immediately from your dashboard.

Gouge files are typically PDFs or documents uploaded by the submitting pilot. File type may vary by submission.

Once you've used a credit to access a gouge, you can re-download it as many times as you need from your student dashboard — no additional credits required.

Every gouge is automatically analyzed by our AI and given a quality score based on detail level, specificity, and usefulness. Higher scores indicate more thorough and actionable submissions. You can see the score and an AI-generated summary before spending a credit.

After your checkride, head to the Submit Gouge page. Fill out the form with your DPE's name, test type, date, and your detailed checkride account. Once submitted, our team reviews it before it goes live.

Most submissions are reviewed within 1–2 business days. You'll receive an email notification when your gouge is approved or if we need any changes.

The best submissions include specific oral exam questions, maneuvers performed, examiner style notes, timing details, and advice for the next pilot. See our full submission criteria for details.

Common reasons include being too vague, incorrect DPE information, or content that doesn't meet our guidelines. You'll receive an email with the reason. You're welcome to revise and resubmit. See our submission criteria for guidance.

Go to the Forgot Password page, enter your email address, and we'll send you a reset link. The link expires after 1 hour.

Log in and go to your Student Dashboard. You'll see your current credit balance and all previously downloaded gouges.

To request account deletion, contact us with your registered email address. We'll process the request within a few business days.

If you're not satisfied with a downloaded gouge, contact us within 7 days of purchase and we'll review your request. Refunds are issued as credits back to your account.

Use our contact form and include the gouge you'd like refunded and the reason. Our team typically responds within 1 business day.