A&P mechanic
The A&P Airframe test (AMA): what to expect
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6 min readThe Aviation Maintenance Technician Airframe test, code AMA, is the knowledge test for the Airframe rating. You take it after General (FAA: Aircraft Mechanic Oral, Practical, & Written Tests), and it's bigger than General: 100 questions in up to 2 hours, with 70% needed to pass (FAA Airman Knowledge Testing Matrix, p. 6). In 2025 the FAA recorded 16,885 Aviation Maintenance Technician Airframe knowledge tests, and 74.01% were passed (FAA CY2025 knowledge test report), the highest share of the three mechanic tests that year. A higher share isn't a reason to take it lightly, though: the pace and the spread of subjects are what to prepare for.
The format at a glance
| Test code | AMA |
|---|---|
| Scored questions | 100 |
| Time allowed | Up to 2 hours |
| Passing score | 70% (14 CFR 65.17(b)) |
| Testing supplement | FAA-CT-8080-4G, the same book as General and Powerplant |
The figures in the table are from the FAA's testing matrix (FAA Airman Knowledge Testing Matrix, p. 6). With 120 minutes for 100 questions, your average is 72 seconds a question, and any unscored validation questions come out of the same time (FAA Airman Knowledge Testing Matrix, p. 2). That pace is the real difference from General. A workable approach is a first pass in which you answer everything you know and mark the rest for review, then a second pass for the marked ones; the FAA's own test tips suggest marking hard questions and coming back to them (FAA ACS Companion Guide, p. 17).
Who can take the Airframe test
- On experience: an original FAA Form 8610-2 signed by an FAA inspector, with the Airframe box checked (FAA Airman Knowledge Testing Matrix, p. 6). The experience behind it is at least 18 months for Airframe alone, or 30 months doing the work of both ratings (14 CFR 65.77).
- From a school: an authenticated document from a certificated aviation maintenance technician school. The curriculum it shows decides which tests it covers, for example General and Airframe (FAA ACS Companion Guide, p. 12).
- From the military: a Joint Services Aviation Maintenance Technician Certification Council certificate of eligibility, which works the same way (FAA ACS Companion Guide, p. 12).
- Adding Airframe to an existing certificate: if you already hold the Powerplant rating, your Form 8610-2 is marked as an added rating and you don't take General again (FAA Airman Knowledge Testing Matrix, p. 6). You meet the experience requirement, then pass the Airframe written, oral and practical tests within 24 calendar months (14 CFR 65.71(b)).
The 15 Airframe subjects
The test draws on the Airframe section of the FAA's Aviation Mechanic Airman Certification Standards (ACS) (Aviation Mechanic ACS, pp. 19-43) (14 CFR 65.75(a)). Grouped loosely, in our own words:
Structures and inspection
- Metallic Structures: sheet metal damage and repair, rivets, heat treating aluminum and welding.
- Non-Metallic Structures: wood, fabric covering, composites, plastics and windows, down to restraints and upholstery.
- Airframe Inspection: the inspection rules in Part 91, record keeping under Part 43, ADs, life-limited parts and special inspections.
Controls, gear and rotors
- Flight Controls: cables, push-pull tubes, bellcranks, control balance and rigging.
- Landing Gear Systems: struts, steering, brakes, wheels, tires and anti-skid, plus skis and floats.
- Rotorcraft Fundamentals: rotor systems and blades, transmissions, rigging, and vibration, track and balance.
Systems
- Hydraulic and Pneumatic Systems, Environmental Systems (pressurization, heating, air conditioning and oxygen), Aircraft Fuel Systems and Aircraft Electrical Systems.
- Ice and Rain Control Systems, Airframe Fire Protection Systems and Water and Waste Systems.
- Aircraft Instrument Systems: pitot-static, gyroscopic and magnetic instruments, electronic displays and warning systems.
- Communications, Light Signals, and Runway Lighting Systems: that's the name in the ACS contents, but the subject's own page is headed Communication and Navigation Systems and lists radios, navigation aids, ELTs, transponders, ADS-B and autopilots (Aviation Mechanic ACS, pp. iv, 34).
Expect regulations mixed in with hands-on knowledge. Airframe Inspection leans on 14 CFR parts 43 and 91 (Aviation Mechanic ACS, p. 25), and Aircraft Instrument Systems includes the Part 43 and Part 91 requirements for static system leak checks (Aviation Mechanic ACS, p. 32). If your experience so far is with one kind of aircraft, start with the subjects you rarely touch: rotorcraft if you work on airplanes, wood and fabric if you work on airliners.
Test day, briefly
Test day runs the same way for all three mechanic tests; our General test guide covers it in full. The short version:
- Valid, current identification showing your photo, date of birth, signature and residential address (FAA Airman Knowledge Testing Matrix, p. 1), plus your authorization document (FAA ACS Companion Guide, p. 16).
- The proctor gives you the testing supplement book (FAA ACS Companion Guide, p. 16).
- An aviation calculator or a basic arithmetic one is acceptable; the center may provide its own or refuse yours (FAA ACS Companion Guide, p. 16). No written materials and no dictionaries (FAA ACS Companion Guide, pp. 16-17).
- For a question that uses a graph, you can ask for a printed copy to mark up, and you hand it back at the end (FAA ACS Companion Guide, p. 17).
After the test
Your printed report shows your score and codes for the questions you missed (FAA Airman Testing FAQ, p. 3). Airframe codes begin with AM.II, the Airframe section, followed by the subject letter (FAA ACS Companion Guide, p. 11): AM.II.F, for example, is Hydraulic and Pneumatic Systems (Aviation Mechanic ACS, p. 28). The subjects behind those codes are retested in the oral portion of your oral and practical tests (FAA ACS Companion Guide, p. 19), so look each one up in the ACS and fix the gap while it's fresh. If you need to retest, wait 30 days or bring a signed statement of extra instruction from someone holding the certificate and rating you're seeking (14 CFR 65.19), and hand the failed report to the testing center (FAA Airman Knowledge Testing Matrix, p. 6).
How to prepare for Airframe
The FAA says many test questions are based on its handbooks (FAA: Become an Aviation Mechanic), and the Airframe one is a free download: the Aviation Maintenance Technician Handbook - Airframe (FAA-H-8083-31B). Work through it subject by subject against the ACS, and practice at the 72-second pace until it feels normal.
A&P Complete, our course for the General, Airframe and Powerplant tests, costs $49 once. Its Airframe module has 15 lessons, one per ACS subject, and there are 15 timed 100-question Airframe mock exams. It is text-only practice, so it doesn't prepare you for questions that use images. The Metallic Structures lesson is free to read. For more, see how to study for the A&P written tests, how hard the A&P tests are and what to expect on the Powerplant test.
Questions people ask
- How many questions are on the A&P Airframe test?
- 100 questions, with up to 2 hours and a 70% passing score, according to the FAA testing matrix. Unscored validation questions may be added inside the same time limit.
- Do I have to pass General before Airframe?
- The FAA says to take the General test first, then Airframe and/or Powerplant. If you already hold a mechanic certificate with the Powerplant rating and are adding Airframe, the testing matrix says the General test isn't required.
- What is the pass rate for the Airframe test?
- In 2025 the FAA recorded 16,885 Aviation Maintenance Technician Airframe knowledge tests, and 74.01% were passed. That is a national figure across all tests taken, not a prediction for any one person.
- Is rotorcraft on the Airframe test?
- Yes. Rotorcraft Fundamentals is one of the 15 Airframe subjects in the FAA's Aviation Mechanic ACS, covering rotor aerodynamics, flight controls, transmissions, rigging, rotor systems and blades, and vibration, track and balance.