AN ATP RATED PLT FLYING A WW1124 ON AN FAA CHKRIDE BECOMES DISTR BY THE FAA INSPECTOR AND OVERSHOOTS HIS ASSIGNED DSCNT ALT.

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WHILE FLYING COPLT ON AN FAA CHKRIDE; WE HAD JUST FINISHED DOING REQUIRED AIRWORK NEAR RENO; AND RECEIVED AN IFR CLRNC TO SAC. WE WERE TOLD TO DSND FROM FL200 TO 16000 FT MSL. I HAD SET 16000 FT IN THE ALT ALERTER AND THEN THE FAA EXAMINER WANTED TO GO OVER THE ITINERARY FOR MULTIPLE APCHS INTO SACRAMENTO EXECUTIVE ARPT. MY ATTN WAS DIVERTED FROM MY NORMAL COPLT DUTIES TO FIND OUT WHAT WAS TO BE EXPECTED OF US DURING THE CHKRIDE. I REMEMBER THE ALT ALERT SIGNAL RINGING BUT BEING BUSY WITH THE FAA EXAMINER; I MISSED NOTIFYING THE CAPT. WE DSNDED THROUGH 16000 FT AND AT ABOUT 14500 FT ZOA CALLED US AND ASKED US OUR ALT. THE CAPT REPLIED THAT WE WERE AT WHATEVER ALT. ZOA THEN ADVISED US THAT WE HAD TFC; AND THE CAPT RPTED THAT THE TFC WAS IN SIGHT. I THINK ZOA THEN TOLD US TO MAINTAIN 14000 FT AND TURN TO A HDG. WE CONTINUED ON TO SAC; AND DID THE REQUIRED APCHS. WE LANDED AND TAXIED IN AND WERE TOLD TO CALL ZOA; WHICH THE CAPT DID. MY SUGGESTION TO AVOID THIS KIND OF SIT IN THE FUTURE IS TO MAKE SURE EVERYONE KNOWS EXACTLY WHAT THE ITINERARY FOR THE CHKRIDE IS TO BE BEFORE TKOF. AN FAA CHKRIDE IS EXTREMELY TRYING AND TENSION FILLED AT BEST; AND WHEN ATTN IS DIVERTED FROM FLYING DUTIES; A DANGEROUS SIT CAN ARISE.