How to study for the A&P written tests: start with the ACS

The A&P written tests reward steady, organized study more than late cramming. There are three of them: General (AMG) with 60 questions, Airframe (AMA) with 100 and Powerplant (AMP) with 100, each with a 2-hour limit and a 70% passing score (FAA Airman Knowledge Testing Matrix, p. 6). The FAA publishes what each test covers and the handbooks to learn it from, all free. Here is one way to put those materials to work, from the first page you read to your last timed practice run.

Start with the ACS, not a question bank

What the written tests cover is set in the regulation: each one includes the knowledge subject areas of the Aviation Mechanic General, Airframe, and Powerplant Airman Certification Standards, FAA-S-ACS-1, as they apply to the rating you want (14 CFR 65.75(a)), and 14 CFR incorporates that document by reference (14 CFR 65.23). The FAA encourages applicants to prepare with the ACS (FAA Companion Guide to the Mechanic ACS, p. 11).

The ACS has three sections, General, Airframe and Powerplant, with 12, 15 and 13 subjects (Aviation Mechanic ACS, pp. iv-v). Inside each subject you'll find knowledge elements (coded K), risk management elements (R) and skill elements (S) (Aviation Mechanic ACS, p. A-2). A code such as AM.I.A.K1 reads as Aviation Mechanic, Section I (General), Subject A, knowledge element 1 (FAA Companion Guide to the Mechanic ACS, p. 11).

Print the subject pages for the test you're working on and treat them as your checklist. The ACS says both knowledge and risk management elements are evaluated during knowledge testing (Aviation Mechanic ACS, p. A-2), so tick off the K and R lines as you learn them. The S lines come into play later, at the practical test.

Read the free FAA handbooks, one subject at a time

The FAA says many of the mechanic knowledge test questions are based on its Aviation Maintenance Technician Handbooks (FAA: Become an Aviation Mechanic): General (FAA-H-8083-30B), Airframe (FAA-H-8083-31B) and Powerplant (FAA-H-8083-32B). Each describes itself as one of a series of three handbooks for people preparing for mechanic certification (FAA-H-8083-30B, p. ii) (FAA-H-8083-31B, p. ii) (FAA-H-8083-32B, p. ii), and the FAA lets you download them free of charge (FAA: Become an Aviation Mechanic).

Pair each ACS subject with the handbook chapter that covers it, and work through them in order. Read the chapter, write its key terms and numbers in your own words, then go back to the subject's K and R lines and check that you could explain each one to someone else. If a topic won't stick, try a few practice questions on it and then reread the chapter with a sharper question in mind. The second read usually goes faster.

One caution: a handbook is printed once, but the regulations keep moving. The 2023 General handbook still discusses 14 CFR 43.12 on falsified maintenance records (FAA-H-8083-30B, p. 2-17), yet that section is now reserved (14 CFR 43.12), and fraudulent or intentionally false entries are covered by 14 CFR 3.403 today (14 CFR 3.403). When a question turns on a rule, read the current section on eCFR. The handbooks themselves say they don't replace official regulations or the manufacturers' instructions (FAA-H-8083-30B, p. ii).

Take General first, then plan the other two

The FAA says you take the General knowledge test first, followed by Airframe, Powerplant or both (FAA: Aircraft Mechanic Oral, Practical & Written Tests). If you're a student at a certificated maintenance school, you may be able to sit General before graduating, by presenting an authenticated document from the school showing you completed the general part of its curriculum (14 CFR 65.75(c)) (14 CFR 147.31). Ask early: the FAA notes that schools aren't required to issue that document (FAA Companion Guide to the Mechanic ACS, p. 9).

Mind the calendar, too. To be eligible for the certificate you must pass all the prescribed tests within 24 months (14 CFR 65.71(a)(3)), and the FAA counts the written, oral and practical tests inside that window (FAA Companion Guide to the Mechanic ACS, p. 9). A knowledge test report expires 24 calendar months after the month you took the test (FAA Companion Guide to the Mechanic ACS, p. 19), with narrow relief for some people who served outside the United States in support of U.S. Armed Forces operations (14 CFR 65.75(d)) (14 CFR 61.40). So treat the three knowledge tests and the oral and practical tests as one project, not separate events years apart.

If you only want one rating, that's allowed: the FAA issues one certificate with an Airframe rating, a Powerplant rating or both, and nothing requires you to get both (FAA: Become an Aviation Mechanic).

Practice the way the test works

The written tests use objective multiple-choice questions with a single correct response for each (FAA Companion Guide to the Mechanic ACS, p. 12). The FAA also points out that a written test can only sample the huge body of knowledge a mechanic needs (FAA Companion Guide to the Mechanic ACS, p. 12), which is a good reason to learn each subject properly rather than memorize answers. Practice in three stages:

1. Subject drills. Right after reading a subject, answer questions on that subject alone. For each miss, find the sentence in the handbook or regulation that settles it.
2. Mixed sets. Once a whole section is covered, mix the subjects so you get used to recognizing what a question is really about.
3. Full timed runs. Finish with practice in the official format. General is 60 questions in 2 hours, about 2 minutes a question; Airframe and Powerplant are 100 questions in 2 hours, 72 seconds a question (FAA Airman Knowledge Testing Matrix, p. 6). Any test may also include unscored validation questions, and the time limit covers those too, so you may have a little less time per question (FAA Airman Knowledge Testing Matrix, p. 2). Do at least one full run per test without notes, and review every miss the same day.

When are you ready to book? Our own rule of thumb, not an FAA figure, is to wait until you're scoring around 80% on full, timed practice tests, which leaves a margin over the 70% minimum passing grade (14 CFR 65.17(b)). Practice scores never predict the FAA result.

Why a missed question still matters after you pass

Your knowledge test report lists an ACS code for each question you miss (FAA Companion Guide to the Mechanic ACS, p. 19). Those codes travel with you. At the oral test, the examiner asks about the topics behind the codes on your report, plus extra questions picked at random by the Mechanic Test Generator (Aviation Mechanic ACS, p. A-1). Fewer misses now means fewer weak spots to defend later. Our guide to the A&P oral and practical test explains how that part works.

If a test doesn't go your way

You may apply to retest 30 days after the date you failed, or sooner if you bring a signed statement from an airman 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). Let the codes on your report decide what you relearn first.

Keep it clean, too. Copying a test, giving or getting help during it, or using any material or aid the FAA hasn't authorized makes you ineligible for any airman certificate or rating for 1 year (14 CFR 65.18).

Where a course fits

Everything above can be done with free FAA material. If you'd like structure on top of it, A&P Complete, our course for all three mechanic tests ($49 one-time), has 40 lessons, one for each ACS subject, explained practice questions with drills by subject, and 15 timed mock exams for each test in the official format. It's text-only. You can read a lesson from each module free first: Mathematics (General), Metallic Structures (Airframe) and Reciprocating Engines (Powerplant).

Wondering what you're up against? Read how hard the A&P mechanic test is and what to expect on the A&P General test.

Questions people ask

Which A&P knowledge test should I take first?

General. The FAA says you take the General knowledge test first, followed by Airframe, Powerplant or both.

What should I study for the A&P written tests?

Start from the Aviation Mechanic ACS (FAA-S-ACS-1), which lists the subjects each test covers, and read the free FAA Aviation Maintenance Technician Handbooks for General, Airframe and Powerplant. Check any rule against the current 14 CFR on eCFR.

What practice score should I reach before booking an A&P test?

The minimum passing grade is 70%. Our own rule of thumb, not an FAA figure, is around 80% on full, timed practice tests. Practice scores never predict the FAA result.

How long do I have to pass all the A&P tests?

You must pass all the prescribed tests within 24 months, and the FAA counts the written, oral and practical tests in that window. A knowledge test report expires 24 calendar months after the month of the test.

How soon can I retake a failed A&P knowledge test?

30 days after the date you failed, or sooner if you present a signed statement from an airman holding the certificate and rating you're seeking, certifying that they gave you additional instruction in each failed subject and consider you ready.