I am sure someone has answered this plenty of times over but can't seem to find a thread on it.

It use to be that anyone could take an ATP written. When I was last in it, you would just study on your own and go take it .
Now its my understanding that you need to go to a certified ATP course and get training and sign off to take the written. I also see online training courses that lead me to believe that it is not the case.

So, my question is can you still do it the old way or do I have to go to a specialized course?

Part 61 knowledge exams covers it.

You can but I would not advise it. Sheppard is great and inexpensive

Yeah I read part 61 seemed clear to me. I became confused from companies offering just written exams. Guess it was just old websites not updated.
I'm not going to spend $5k for an ATP. I'll leave that expense to whatever company I got.
Thanks all!

You must complete the ATP Certification Training Program as explained in AC 61-138 to take the ATM knowledge test. There is no requirement to be signed off for written test but you must show the completion document to take the test. The ATP CTP does nothing to prepare you for the written test so some sort of test prep like Sheppard is recommended.

Thanks, That actually clears up why people keep talking about going to an online test prep and an ATP CTP course. I thought it would be pretty tough to cover the written and all the other ATP course in a 30 hour class.

I think completing the ATPL theory course itself, and the online home learning parallel is the way.
There are many homepages and apps to help you with this, especially for that tons of exams

CTP is a random assortment of pro-pilot material with zero practical bearing on the written test.

Actually, it used to be that you had to go to the FAA with your logbooks, show that you met the qualifications for ATP, and have your logbooks examined and vetted in order to be issued an authorization to take the written (and yes, it was a written).

Many employers didn't care so much that you had the ATP, but did care that you had the written; this was evidence that your logbooks had been examined and your time verified, and was considered having been vetted by the FAA.

That's the old way, as it used to be.

A system in which anyone could skip in and take the test without having proven who they are and where they'd been and what they did...is a newer way.

Which is why the US never got into that whole "frozen ATP" thing. You had to have 1500 hours to even take the written. So normally the time from getting your test results back from OKC and passing the checkride was fairly short. But I remember resumes stating "Commercial SMEL/ATP written passed."