As a Non US person, do I need a student visa to sit for a FAA written test only (no flight training ) or can I just enter the USA on ESTA ?
PS: The title should read … Written “test” not “exact” but I don’t know ho to edit it
[ done ]
It’s not training. ESTA sufficient.
Based on my research.
Usually you need (or you can get) student visa if taking it as part some “visa accredited course”, if it’s just sitting the test without doing a course, I doubt you need (or can get) student visa for that?
Probably more than FAA exams, this is could apply to some Harvard professional exams or doing your Serie7…but best to ask US embassy they are responsive 
An alien taking a knowledge or practical test in the US requires neither a student visa nor a TSA security threat assessment.
A course of study, whether or not it is a full-time course, cannot be pursued by an alien who has been admitted under the visa waiver program or B-1/B-2 visitor visa. 8 CFR 214.2(b).
It would be interesting to have one interpretation of course of study…
Some years ago I was doing my PPL in Europe and spent some days in the US for different reasons. I wanted to fly there with an instructor, just for some experience in different airspace, and one of the schools I contacted refused to do that saying they were not allowed to give any training without the visa.
Other schools didn’t care at all and I flew a couple of hours with an instructor without any issues.
Your answer may be here.
To sit any written test in the US you need a course sign-off, be it by a school or an online course (Sportys, King Schools, etc). Also, the test center does check your ID when you arrive.
What kind of course signoff one needs to do the IFP/CPL theory exams that are required to get an FAA IR/CPL issued in Europe?
I guess you need to show ID to make sure you are the person taking the test, that has nothing to do with srudents visa 
It’s an FAA instructor sign-off, not a course sign off. No formal ‘course of study’ or organizational affiliation is required.
The ID requirement is to assure you are the person to which the certificate will be awarded, and to ensure that the person is of sufficient age.
Silvaire wrote:
It’s an FAA instructor sign-off, not a course sign off.
Technically correct (that’s why I wrote by a school or a course), but in reality it’s a sign-off my the chief instructor of Sporty’s (or King, etc) unless you go to a US flight school. The avoidance of which (and the visa) is the whole point of this thread.
