How hard is the A&P mechanic test? What the FAA's numbers show

Most A&P knowledge tests are passed, but a fair share of attempts fall short. In 2025 the FAA recorded 22,585 Aviation Maintenance Technician General knowledge tests, and 69.59% were passed. Airframe: 16,885 tests, 74.01% passed. Powerplant: 17,572 tests, 63.04% passed (FAA CY2025 knowledge test report). Those are national figures across all tests taken, not results from any study course. They don't show who took the tests or how each person prepared, so read them as a sign that preparation matters, not as your personal odds.

What the FAA's numbers say

Two things stand out. Powerplant had the lowest share of passes of the three in 2025, and General, the test every new applicant takes first (FAA: Aircraft Mechanic Oral, Practical, & Written Tests), came in below Airframe (FAA CY2025 knowledge test report). The tests are being taken more often, too: in 2021 the FAA recorded 12,108 General, 10,016 Airframe and 10,248 Powerplant knowledge tests (FAA 2021 knowledge test statistics), all well below the 2025 counts.

Why the mechanic tests are demanding

They cover a lot of ground

Each test is built on the FAA's Aviation Mechanic Airman Certification Standards (ACS) for the rating (14 CFR 65.75(a)). The ACS divides the material into 12 General subjects, 15 Airframe subjects and 13 Powerplant subjects (Aviation Mechanic ACS, pp. iv-v), and each subject has its own list of knowledge elements. The FAA's companion guide to the ACS is candid that a written test can only sample from all that a mechanic needs to know (FAA ACS Companion Guide, p. 12). You won't know in advance which elements you'll get, so no subject can be skipped.

Airframe and Powerplant run at a faster clip

General gives you up to 2 hours for 60 questions, about 2 minutes each. Airframe and Powerplant allow the same time for 100 questions (FAA Airman Knowledge Testing Matrix, p. 6), which works out to 72 seconds a question. Any test can also include unscored validation questions, and the time limit has to cover those as well (FAA Airman Knowledge Testing Matrix, p. 2).

Some of it is problem solving

Several General subjects ask you to work something out rather than recall it. The ACS includes calculating arm, moment and center of gravity in Weight and Balance (AM.I.C.K4) (Aviation Mechanic ACS, p. 4), electrical laws such as Ohm's law and Kirchhoff's laws (AM.I.A.K7) (Aviation Mechanic ACS, p. 1), and gas laws and the link between force, area and pressure in Physics for Aviation (AM.I.J.K7 and K13) (Aviation Mechanic ACS, p. 16). Powerplant adds engine performance figures (AM.III.A.K7) (Aviation Mechanic ACS, p. 44). A calculator is allowed (FAA ACS Companion Guide, p. 16), but it won't set the problem up for you.

One right answer, and no question bank to memorize

Each question has a single correct response and stands on its own (FAA ACS Companion Guide, p. 12). The FAA doesn't release live test questions (FAA Airman Testing FAQ, p. 1); it keeps adding and revising them, and the order and wording change from one test to the next (FAA Airman Testing FAQ, p. 2). Understanding a topic carries over to whatever wording you get. Memorized answers don't.

Your misses follow you to the oral test

This is the part people overlook. Your test report lists an ACS code for each question you got wrong, and the oral portion of your oral and practical tests will retest the subjects behind those codes (FAA ACS Companion Guide, p. 19). You answer those oral questions without reference material, and someone who scores 100 percent on the knowledge test is asked only the minimum number of oral questions (Aviation Mechanic ACS, p. A-1). So 70 percent is the pass mark (14 CFR 65.17(b)), not the goal: every point you drop now is a topic you'll face again in front of an examiner. Our guide to the oral and practical tests explains that stage.

Which areas take real study

The FAA doesn't rank the subjects by difficulty, but the tests themselves point to some clear priorities:

• The calculation subjects in General. Mathematics, Physics for Aviation, electricity and Weight and Balance reward practice more than reading. Work problems until setting them up feels routine.
• Regulations, forms and records. This General subject covers the privileges and limits of the certificate, return-to-service record entries, FAA forms such as Form 337, and the difference between approved and acceptable data (Aviation Mechanic ACS, p. 14). It's detail-heavy, and the details matter on the job.
• Powerplant's two engine families. The Powerplant section spans reciprocating and turbine engines, their instrument, fire, electrical, lubrication, ignition, fuel, induction, air and exhaust systems, and propellers (Aviation Mechanic ACS, pp. 44-59). It also had the lowest share of passes of the three tests in 2025 (FAA CY2025 knowledge test report).
• Airframe's range of systems. Its 15 subjects run from sheet metal, wood, fabric and composites to hydraulics, pressurization, avionics, fire protection, rotorcraft, and water and waste systems (Aviation Mechanic ACS, pp. 19-43). Few people work on all of those day to day, so expect gaps somewhere.
• Codes the FAA flags. The FAA publishes a Frequently Missed Knowledge Test ACS Codes report, listing codes asked at least 100 times and missed more than 70% of the time on specific tests (FAA testing advisory, August 2026, p. 11). If an element you're studying appears on it, give that element extra time.

How to make the tests manageable

Use the ACS as your checklist; the FAA encourages applicants to prepare with it (FAA ACS Companion Guide, p. 11). Study from the source, too. The FAA says many test questions are based on its Aviation Maintenance Technician Handbooks (FAA: Become an Aviation Mechanic), which are free downloads for General (FAA-H-8083-30B), Airframe (FAA-H-8083-31B) and Powerplant (FAA-H-8083-32B). Practice under the clock, especially at the Airframe and Powerplant pace, and review every miss until you can explain why the right answer is right and the others aren't. If you don't pass, you can retest after 30 days, or sooner with a signed statement of extra instruction from someone holding the certificate and rating you're after (14 CFR 65.19). For a study plan, read how to study for the A&P written tests.

If you'd rather have it in one place, A&P Complete ($49 once, for all three tests) has 40 lessons across General, Airframe and Powerplant, explained practice questions and 15 timed mock exams per test in the FAA's format. It is text-only practice, so it doesn't prepare you for questions that use images. To see how it teaches, read the free Reciprocating Engines lesson, or start with what to expect on the General test.

Questions people ask

Which A&P knowledge test is the hardest?

By the FAA's 2025 figures, Powerplant had the lowest share of passes: 63.04% of 17,572 Aviation Maintenance Technician Powerplant tests, against 69.59% for General and 74.01% for Airframe. How hard a test is for you depends on your background and preparation.

What score do I need to pass an A&P knowledge test?

70 percent. 14 CFR 65.17 sets 70 percent as the minimum passing grade for each mechanic test.

How many questions are on the A&P tests?

The FAA testing matrix lists 60 questions for General and 100 each for Airframe and Powerplant, with up to 2 hours for each test. Unscored validation questions may be added inside that time.

What happens if I fail an A&P knowledge test?

You can retest 30 days after the date you failed, or sooner with a signed statement from someone who holds the certificate and rating you're seeking, certifying that they gave you more instruction in each failed subject and consider you ready (14 CFR 65.19).