The ESV is your oral, however, there is this one other thing called walk around slides that kind of allows for some questioning on the day of your final check ride. Now obviously, you could do a walk around on any jet and tell if its ready to fly if all you were looking for was to make sure nothing looked damaged, missing or leaking. So we were told that the walk around slides are no big deal, we all know how to preflight.
But, I wouldn't go that route. Because when they start to review the walk around slides here come the questions (and this is true for recurrent).
For instance, the first or second slide on the 88 walk around is of the front left side of the jet. There's a strake there. They may ask you "what is that?"
"It's a strake."
"What's it for? Is it heated?... Oh it is? When? All of the time? Some of the time? Pneumatic heat? Or is it electric? How about on the 90?"
Now of course in the book it says "STRAKE.... CHECK". But obviously the pre flight slides allow them to see if you just memorized the LOD by rote or you actually get it.
Technique only here but at some point when you're studying Long Beach's Gift to Bucking Bar (the MD-88) it wouldn't hurt to pull out those slides. Take for instance that strake. Go on the computer and CTRL+F on the LOD pdf and say "Strake". See what it is they wanted you to remember about it. Answer, it's only mentioned 3 times and it's all about when it's heated. But just in case, maybe now go to VOL 1 and CTRL+F that. Maybe VOL 2? QRH? Oh I know, its a strake. You have no control over it. I get that. it's just a way to approach this thing because next to it is the AOA vane and the external power panel which oh let's talk about the ground service bus and whats the one big thing on the ground service bu...
So sure you can memorize the LOD and pass the ESV. But I think trying to make checkride day go fast and painless is a good idea. So here's my technique - just know every damn thing on those first five slides so well that maybe you won't get asked anymore questions?
Or, it'll actually help learn the plane and its kind of nice not to sit there with the deer in the landing light look, which by the way, retracts automatically when?
So yes it's not an oral. it's just some walk around slides... cough cough.
Note: If you're on the A320, the answer is "per systems logic" and leave it at that.