The Aviation Maintenance Technician (AMT) certificate — formally the FAA Airframe and Powerplant (A&P) certificate — is the primary credential for professionals who inspect, maintain, and repair civil aircraft in the United States. Whether you are preparing for the Airframe written exam, the Powerplant written exam, or both, practicing with realistic questions is one of the most effective ways to build the knowledge and test-taking confidence you need to pass. This free PDF gives you printable practice questions drawn from every major knowledge area tested by the FAA.
To earn an A&P certificate under 14 CFR Part 65, you must satisfy one of two experience pathways: 18 months of practical experience working on either airframes or powerplants (30 months for the combined certificate), or graduation from an FAA-approved Aviation Maintenance Technician School (AMTS) that covers all required subject areas. After meeting the experience requirement, every applicant must pass a written knowledge test, an oral examination, and a practical skills test for each rating sought. The written tests are administered at FAA-approved testing centers and consist of 100 multiple-choice questions for each rating. A score of 70% or higher is required to pass.
Preparing with a printed study tool lets you review material away from a screen, annotate questions, and simulate timed test conditions. Download the PDF below, print the full question set, and work through each section methodically. After completing the practice test, review every answer — including the ones you got right — using the explanations provided. Understanding why an answer is correct cements the underlying principle far more reliably than memorizing answer letters alone.
The Airframe rating covers the structural and systems knowledge required to maintain everything on the aircraft except the engines and propellers. The FAA knowledge test draws from the following subject areas.
Aircraft Structures. You must understand the difference between monocoque construction — where the outer skin carries all structural loads — and semi-monocoque construction, in which an internal framework of frames, bulkheads, stringers, and longerons shares the load with the skin. Most modern transport-category airframes use semi-monocoque design because it tolerates damage better and allows for inspection access. Questions in this area often ask you to identify structural members by function or to describe how load paths change when a stringer is damaged.
Rivet Identification and Installation. The FAA expects technicians to identify rivet head styles (universal, countersunk, brazier) and alloy designations (2017, 2024, 2117) by their markings and to select the correct rivet for a given repair. Rivet installation questions cover grip length selection, hole preparation, driven head dimensions, and the distinction between solid shank and blind rivets. You should know minimum edge distance (2× rivet diameter) and minimum rivet spacing (3× diameter) for standard sheet metal repairs.
Hydraulic Systems. Aircraft hydraulic systems use MIL-PRF-5606 (mineral base, red), MIL-PRF-83282 (synthetic hydrocarbon, red), or Skydrol (phosphate ester, purple/green) depending on aircraft type. You must be able to explain how a linear actuator converts hydraulic pressure into mechanical force, how a pressure relief valve protects system components, and how an accumulator maintains system pressure during peak demand. Contamination control — using the correct fluid, avoiding cross-contamination — is frequently tested.
Landing Gear Systems. Questions cover retractable gear operation (sequence valves, down-lock mechanisms, gear position indicators), oleo-pneumatic shock strut servicing (correct fluid level, correct nitrogen pre-charge pressure), and shimmy damper function. You must also know wheel and brake inspection criteria, including minimum brake disc thickness and conditions that require disc replacement.
Flight Controls. Primary controls (ailerons, elevator, rudder) and secondary controls (flaps, trim tabs, spoilers) questions test your knowledge of cable tension values and the effect of temperature on cable tension, turnbuckle safety methods (wire wrap vs. clip locking), push-pull rod inspection, and control surface rigging — including how to use a water level or inclinometer to check control surface travel.
Aircraft Systems. This broad area includes air conditioning and pressurization (vapor cycle vs. air cycle systems; outflow valve operation; cabin altitude vs. aircraft altitude), fire detection and extinguishing systems (loop detector vs. spot detector; Halon vs. dry chemical agents; engine fire handle operation), and oxygen systems (diluter-demand vs. continuous flow vs. pressure-demand; mask types; cylinder hydrostatic test intervals).
Sheet Metal Repairs. Beyond rivet spacing and edge distance, you must understand repair design — maintaining the original load path, selecting correct patch material (same alloy, same temper, same or one gauge heavier), and applying the correct number of rivets based on the shear strength required. Damage limits for dents, scratches, and corrosion (particularly the difference between surface and intergranular corrosion) are also tested.
Weight and Balance. Every A&P technician must be able to calculate the effect of adding, removing, or shifting weight. Key terms include datum (the reference plane from which all arm measurements are made), moment (weight × arm), and center of gravity (total moment ÷ total weight). You must be able to determine whether the resulting CG falls within the allowable envelope and calculate the ballast required to bring an out-of-limits aircraft into compliance.
The Powerplant rating covers reciprocating engines, turbine engines, propellers, and the fuel, lubrication, ignition, and exhaust systems that support them.
Reciprocating Engines. The four-stroke cycle (intake, compression, power, exhaust) is foundational. From there, questions address engine displacement (bore² × 0.7854 × stroke × number of cylinders), compression ratio, volumetric efficiency, and brake horsepower. Ignition system questions cover magneto operation — how the rotating magnet induces current in the primary winding, how breaker point timing affects spark advance, and why dual magnetos are required. Carburetor icing, carburetor heat systems, and fuel injection advantages over carburetors are also tested regularly.
Turbine Engines. You must know the major sections of an axial-flow turbojet or turbofan: inlet, compressor (with the number of stages and stall characteristics), combustion section (can, annular, can-annular types), turbine section, and exhaust nozzle. Thrust calculation (net thrust = mass airflow × [exit velocity − inlet velocity]) and specific fuel consumption appear on many tests. The fuel control unit (hydromechanical or electronic) governs fuel flow to maintain demanded thrust; understanding its input parameters (N1, compressor inlet temperature, throttle lever angle) is important. Engine instrument readings — exhaust gas temperature (EGT) / interstage turbine temperature (ITT), N1 and N2 tachometers, oil pressure and temperature, fuel flow — and the limits associated with each gauge are high-frequency test topics.
Propellers. Constant-speed propeller questions focus on the governor mechanism: oil pressure increases blade pitch (toward high pitch/low RPM) on most single-engine aircraft, while the centrifugal force of the counterweights and aerodynamic twisting moment work in opposition. Propeller inspection covers track (within 1/16 inch tip-to-tip), blade angle verification, and corrosion limits. You must also know the approved repair limits for nicks and scratches on aluminum blades and when a propeller must be removed for overhaul after a sudden stoppage event.
14 CFR Part 65 defines certificate privileges and limitations for A&P mechanics. A certificated A&P may perform and approve for return to service any maintenance work that falls within their rating — except major repairs and major alterations to propellers, or work on aircraft used under air carrier certificates (Part 121/135), which require additional oversight. The regulation also defines the supervision of non-certificated persons: an A&P may supervise, but the certificated mechanic remains responsible for the work.
Maintenance records — aircraft logbooks, engine logbooks, and propeller logbooks — must include the date, description of work performed, reference to approved data (applicable FAR, manufacturer's maintenance manual section, or Airworthiness Directive number), and the mechanic's signature, certificate number, and certificate type. Airworthiness Directives (ADs) issued under 14 CFR Part 39 are legally mandatory and must be complied with on the schedule specified. ADs are searched through the FAA's AD database by aircraft make/model and engine make/model.
A printed practice test works best when you treat it as a genuine rehearsal rather than a casual read-through. Set a timer — the FAA allows 2.5 hours for each 100-question written test — and work through the questions without referring to your notes. This conditions you to retrieve knowledge independently, which is exactly what you must do on test day.
After the timed session, grade your responses and sort your wrong answers into categories. If most of your errors fall in one area — say, turbine engine instruments — that is where to focus your next study block. The FAA publishes the Airframe and Powerplant Mechanic Knowledge Test Guides (FAA-G-8082-3 and FAA-G-8082-11), which list every question in the actual test bank. Cross-reference your practice test errors against those question areas to confirm you have covered every subtopic.
For the oral and practical portions, no written study tool replaces hands-on practice. However, being able to articulate the principle behind a task — explaining why minimum edge distance for a rivet is 2× the rivet diameter, not just that it is — will serve you well when an FAA Designated Mechanic Examiner (DME) probes your understanding during the oral. Strong performance on the written test signals to the examiner that you have the theoretical foundation to back up your practical skills.
Many candidates study with a combination of this free PDF, the ASA Test Prep books (which include the full FAA question bank with illustrated explanations), and Sheppard Air software. Use this PDF early in your preparation to identify gaps, then shift to a full question-bank tool to work through every possible question before your test date. For amt certification practice tests organized by subject, visit the main category page.
Candidates who come through an FAA-approved AMTS tend to have stronger theoretical backgrounds because the curriculum is structured specifically around the FAA's required subject areas. Self-taught candidates working under the experience pathway often have stronger hands-on instincts but may have gaps in areas they did not encounter on the job — composite repair, pressurization systems, or turbine engine theory, for example. Whichever path you followed, use your practice test score to identify those gaps and address them before scheduling your written exam.
The school pathway typically takes 18–24 months of full-time enrollment. The experience pathway requires keeping a log of your documented experience, signed off by a certificated A&P or an authorized representative, covering all areas listed in 14 CFR Part 65, Appendix A and B. Some candidates who came through the experience path find the written test challenging because they were never formally tested on areas outside their day-to-day work. The practice PDF is especially useful for those candidates.
Passing the written test earns you a 24-month window in which to complete the oral and practical tests with an FAA Designated Mechanic Examiner (DME). The oral exam is conversational — the examiner works through the subject areas in the Practical Test Standards (PTS) and asks you to explain procedures, identify components, and cite applicable regulations or maintenance data. There is no fixed question list; the examiner adapts to your responses, so depth of understanding matters more than memorized answers.
The practical test requires you to demonstrate specific maintenance tasks drawn from the PTS. For the Airframe rating, common practical tasks include performing a control cable rigging check, measuring and adjusting shock strut extension, and performing a sheet metal repair layout. For the Powerplant rating, tasks often include performing a magneto timing check, inspecting turbine engine compressor blades for FOD damage, and servicing an aircraft fuel system. The examiner selects tasks to cover a representative sample of the subject areas; you will not be asked to demonstrate every listed task, but you must be prepared for any of them.
Many applicants find that scheduling their oral and practical exams at the same facility where they completed most of their training reduces travel stress and gives them access to familiar tooling and aircraft. Contact local AMTS programs, repair stations, or FBOs — many have relationships with local DMEs and can facilitate scheduling. Budget a full day for the combined oral and practical; thorough examiners routinely run four to six hours with applicants they consider strong candidates, simply because there is so much ground to cover.
Once you hold an A&P certificate, the credential does not expire, but you must exercise the privileges of the certificate within the preceding 24 months to remain current. If you have not worked as a mechanic for more than two years, you must pass a practical test in the areas you wish to exercise before acting as a certificated mechanic again. Continuing education — through FAA Wings seminars, manufacturer training courses, or additional ratings such as Inspection Authorization (IA) — keeps your skills and regulatory knowledge sharp throughout your career.