Originally Posted by Pacer17

The CTP is the prerequisite for the written exam alone. If you have the written exam completed before August 1st, 2014, then you are grandfathered into the older version of the ATP check ride if you complete it within 24 months of the date of your written exam. The new regulations are solely for the purpose of having adequate "training" before being eligible to take the written exam. Since you already have that done, keep building your hours and take the practical whenever you can, as long as it is within 24 months of the written exam. If you fail to have an ATP before the written exam results expire, you will then have to go through the new CTP in order to retake the written test.

This is the explanation that has been explained to me by several FAA people, 2 pilots in major airline training departments, 2 DPE's, and also talking with about 25 fellow CFIs.