Sounds like the opinion of a CFI.. let me address your points:

"Peter Duniho" wrote in message
...

"All the people" quote you exactly the same price? Sounds to me like you
talked to only one person. In any case...

change that to "around $70"

You cannot get your "private license" without hiring an instructor to
train
you.

Yes I understand.

If you do hire an instructor to train you, they will have no problem
whatsoever signing you off to take the written exam, even if you study at
home rather than taking ground school. They won't charge you for it
either.

I want to get the written part done before going up in the plane. I'm not
asking for input on whether this is advisable or not.

If you want an instructor that you have never met before, and whom you'll
never see again, to sign you off to take the written exam, they will need
to
verify that you have done the necessary work to qualify to be signed off
to
take the written exam. This is NOT a "15 seconds looking at my answers"
process.

That's why I'm looking for something automated, or something done by a
company I can send in for. I DON'T want to have to deal with an instructor
at this point, and when I do, I want it to be as little as possible.

As others have pointed out, coursework that you PAY for include
certification for being qualified to take the written. But of course you
PAY for that coursework. There's little difference between that fee and
paying an instructor to do the verification.

Other than having to deal with the instructor, which I don't want to do if I
don't have to.

I don't know why you say that
"all the home study stuff is very coy"...I've found the ones that provide
for a completion certificate allowing you to take the written are right up
front about it, and not coy at all. After all, it's a marketing point for
them.

I'd love it if you could point to specific language. If I were their
marketing guy, I'd be far more explicit, saying something like, "This
certificate satisfies FAA regulation XX.XX(x) and allows you to take the
written exam without other CFI signoff."

Why you would want to do all the home study for the written without
getting
near an airplane, never mind hiring an instructor to teach you to fly, I
have no idea.

Because I don't have time to do the actual flight training now, and because
I already know a great deal about what the FAA tests for, and because I like
to do one thing at a time. Pete, don't fear people who do things
differently than you do!

But if you insist on doing so, you're going to have to pay
*someone* for the signoff for the written, whether that's through the
purchase of appropriate home study materials or by paying an instructor to
take the time to verify your knowledge before taking the written.

That's fine, as long as I don't blow $180 on a home study course and then
have to spend another $70 (or AROUND $70) to have some noodle write his name
on it.

Thanks again!