The FAA A&P glossary, in plain English

The A&P certificate, and what people call it

A&P

Airframe and Powerplant, the 2 ratings the FAA can issue on the mechanic certificate under 14 CFR § 65.73. It is industry shorthand for holding both. The FAA issues one certificate with one rating or the other or both, and nothing it prints says “A&P”. How the whole route to an FAA A&P works.

Mechanic certificate

What 14 CFR Part 65 calls the document. The FAA’s public pages say "Aviation Mechanic certificate", the shop says license, and the FAA’s own FAQ allows both. It never expires; what can lapse is the right to use it, under the recent experience rule below.

Airframe rating

One of the two ratings, § 65.73. It covers the aircraft other than its engines and propellers: structures, flight controls, landing gear, hydraulics, fuel, electrical, environmental and fire protection systems. Earned by passing the General and Airframe writtens, then the oral and practical for both. What is on the FAA A&P Airframe test.

Powerplant rating

The other rating. Reciprocating and turbine engines end to end, and propellers, which sit under Powerplant and not Airframe: § 65.87 gives the propeller privileges to the powerplant rating, the fact people most often get backwards. What is on the FAA A&P Powerplant test.

Aviation Maintenance Technician

The FAA’s newer public term for a mechanic, and the name 14 CFR Part 147 uses for the schools. Aviation Mechanic, Aviation Maintenance Technician, AMT and A&P mechanic all mean the holder of the same mechanic certificate. The FAA’s own test statistics title the rows "Aviation Maintenance Technician General", "Airframe" and "Powerplant".

14 CFR Part 65

14 CFR Part 65, Certification: Airmen Other Than Flight Crewmembers. Subpart D is the mechanic certificate: who may hold one (§ 65.71), the two ratings (§ 65.73), the knowledge tests (§ 65.75), the oral and practical (§ 65.79) and the privileges (§§ 65.81 to 65.87).

Inspection Authorization (IA)

A further authorization for a mechanic who has held both ratings for at least 3 years and meets the other conditions in § 65.91. It is what lets a mechanic sign off an annual inspection or return an aircraft to service after a major repair or alteration. Unlike the certificate it sits on, it expires: expires on 31 march of each odd year (§ 65.92). A rulemaking proposal of July 2026 would replace it with an inspection rating; it is a proposal only.

Temporary certificate

The paper certificate the examiner issues on the day you pass the oral and practical, good for 120 days while the FAA prints the permanent one.

Recent experience

14 CFR § 65.83: to use the certificate’s privileges you must have spent at least 6 of the preceding 24 months working as a mechanic, technically supervising mechanics, or supervising maintenance in an executive capacity. The certificate itself never lapses; this does, and you certify it yourself.

The A&P written tests, their codes and their paperwork

Knowledge test

The FAA’s name for the written test. 3 of them for a full A&P: General with 60 questions, Airframe with 100 questions, Powerplant with 100 questions, 2 hours each. Every question is multiple choice with one correct answer, and 70% passes. The rules around all three FAA A&P written tests.

AMG

The test code for Aviation Mechanic General, the A&P General test: 60 questions in 2 hours from the 12 General subject areas of the ACS. It earns no rating on its own, everyone takes it, and it is taken once: a mechanic adding a second rating does not retake it. What is on the FAA A&P General test.

AMA

The test code for Aviation Mechanic Airframe, the A&P Airframe test: 100 questions in 2 hours from the 15 Airframe subject areas of the ACS. With General, it earns the Airframe rating. What is on the FAA A&P Airframe test.

AMP

The test code for Aviation Mechanic Powerplant, the A&P Powerplant test: 100 questions in 2 hours from the 13 Powerplant subject areas of the ACS, propellers included. With General, it earns the Powerplant rating. What is on the FAA A&P Powerplant test.

Validation questions

Unscored questions the FAA adds to a knowledge test to trial them. They do not count toward your score, but the time allowed includes them, so you may see more questions on screen than the published count.

Airman Knowledge Test Report (AKTR)

The printout you get when you finish a knowledge test. It carries your score and the ACS code of every question you missed, and your examiner reads those codes before the oral to decide what to ask you. Bring the passing report for every rating sought to the oral and practical.

Passing score

70% on each knowledge test, set by 14 CFR § 65.17(c). One threshold for the whole test; there is no minimum per subject area. The oral and practical is also graded to 70%.

The 24 month window

24 months from the end of the month in which you pass your first written, under 14 CFR § 65.71(a)(3), inside which every A&P test, written and practical, has to be passed. One clock for the whole certificate. What happens if the window runs out.

Retest

Sitting a failed knowledge test again: after 30 days, or sooner with a signed statement from someone who holds the certificate and rating you are after (14 CFR § 65.19), and for the full $175 again. The failed report is surrendered. What every part of an FAA A&P costs.

PSI

PSI Services, LLC, the contractor that delivers the FAA’s knowledge tests at its test centers. You book, pay and sit the written there. The FAA writes the questions; PSI runs the room.

FAA Tracking Number (FTN)

The number IACRA assigns you, and the one PSI needs before you can book a knowledge test. One per person, for life.

IACRA

Integrated Airman Certification and Rating Application, the FAA’s online airman system. For a mechanic it is where you get your FTN. The application itself is still on paper, on Form 8610-2.

FAA Form 8610-2

FAA Form 8610-2, Airman Certificate and/or Rating Application. Paper, 2 originals with original signatures, and Section V, FAA Endorsement is where an FAA inspector authorizes an experience-route applicant to test. A Part 147 graduate and a military applicant do not need that endorsement.

Testing supplement

FAA-CT-8080-4G, Airman Knowledge Testing Supplement for Aviation Maintenance Technician (General, Airframe, and Powerplant): the book of figures and legends some questions refer to. The proctor supplies it; you cannot bring your own.

The standard the A&P questions are written to

ACS

FAA-S-ACS-1, Aviation Mechanic General, Airframe, and Powerplant Airman Certification Standards: the document every knowledge, oral and practical question is written to, effective 21 September 2022. It is incorporated into §§ 65.75 and 65.79 by reference, so it carries the force of the regulation instead of sitting beside it as guidance.

ACS code

The address of one testable element in the ACS: AM for mechanic, the section numeral (I General, II Airframe, III Powerplant), the subject letter, then the element. Every question you miss is printed on your test report against its code, and each missed code adds one question to your oral.

Subject area

One heading in the ACS. There are 40 across the three sections: 12 General, 15 Airframe and 13 Powerplant. Each breaks into knowledge, risk management and skill elements.

Knowledge, risk management and skill elements

The three kinds of element under every subject area, and the kind decides where it is tested. Knowledge elements appear on the written and the oral, risk management elements on the oral and practical, and skill elements on the practical only.

The handbooks

FAA-H-8083-30B (General), FAA-H-8083-31B (Airframe) and FAA-H-8083-32B (Powerplant), the Aviation Maintenance Technician Handbooks. U.S. Government works, free from the FAA, and the source our practice questions cite by chapter and page.

Companion guide

FAA-G-ACS-1, the Companion Guide to the ACS: the FAA’s own explanation of how the standard is used, including that written questions are multiple choice with a single correct response and that each question stands on its own.

PTS

Practical Test Standards, the document the ACS replaced for mechanics. Retired after 31 July 2023. Study material still written to it is out of date.

The A&P oral and practical, and who gives it

Oral and practical

6 tests, not two: an oral and a practical for each of General, Airframe and Powerplant, taken after every written is passed, graded to 70%, with 31 practical projects for a full A&P. What actually happens at the FAA A&P oral and practical.

Designated Mechanic Examiner (DME)

A mechanic the FAA has designated to give the oral and practical on its behalf. The DME sets their own fee, draws the projects from the FAA’s list, and issues the temporary certificate when you pass. An FAA inspector may give the test instead in some circumstances.

Practical project

One hands-on task at the practical, graded pass or fail, with 2 examiner questions attached. General carries 9 projects, Airframe 11 and Powerplant 11. Reference material is supplied by the examiner for the practical questions and not allowed for the oral.

FSDO

Flight Standards District Office: the local FAA office where an experience-route applicant has their records reviewed and FAA Form 8610-2 endorsed before testing. A Part 147 graduate never needs the visit; the school’s authenticated document is the authorization.

Aviation Safety Inspector

The FAA employee at a FSDO or International Field Office who judges an experience-route applicant’s records against the ACS subject areas and signs the authorization to test.

The routes to being allowed to test for the A&P

Part 147 school

An Aviation Maintenance Technician School certificated by the FAA under 14 CFR Part 147. Its authenticated graduation document is one of the 3 authorizations to test, and since the 2022 rewrite a school teaches to the ACS itself rather than to a fixed hour count. School or experience: which route fits you.

Experience route

Documenting 30 months of practical experience working concurrently on airframes and powerplants (18 months for one rating) under § 65.77(b), reviewed by an inspector who then signs FAA Form 8610-2. Calendar months, and training time does not count. How the months are counted and proved.

JSAMTCC

The Joint Service Aviation Maintenance Technician Certification Council: the military route, which issues its own Certificate of Eligibility as the authorization to test for qualifying military maintainers.

Added rating

Holding one rating and adding the other later: meet the experience requirement for it, pass its written, and take its oral and practical. General is not retaken; FAA Order 8080.6H says it must not be administered again.

Questions people ask about the A&P words

Read the documents, not us

• 14 CFR Part 65, Subpart D, Mechanicswww.ecfr.gov
• FAA-S-ACS-1, Aviation Mechanic General, Airframe, and Powerplant Airman Certification Standardswww.faa.gov
• PSI Services, LLC, FAA knowledge testingfaa.psiexams.com
• 14 CFR Part 147, Aviation Maintenance Technician Schoolswww.ecfr.gov