Getting ready for the AET certification and I'm trying to calibrate how deep the technical knowledge needs to be. I've got 4 years on general aviation avionics, mostly Garmin glass cockpit installs and radio repairs. The question is whether that covers what the exam tests or if there's a specific study track I should follow.
I've been doing 90 minutes a day for the last 5 weeks and the material splits into three main areas: digital systems and data buses, RF theory and antenna systems, and aircraft-specific integration requirements. The RF theory section is where I'm struggling most – my practical skills are solid but underlying wave propagation and signal theory isn't something I use day-to-day.
From what I've read the passing score is around 70%, and most people say the exam leans heavily on ARINC standards and FAA regulatory requirements rather than pure bench-level electronics. That's a bit of a relief but also means I need to know the paperwork side well.
Anyone taken this recently? Curious how long it actually took to feel prepared and whether practice tests were a good predictor of the real score.
I scored 74% on my first attempt after about 6 weeks of prep. The practical experience definitely helps but you're right that the test is more theoretical than I anticipated.
Questions about antenna polarization and coax losses were ones I hadn't touched since school. Worth brushing up on those.
The ARINC 429 and 664 data bus material is non-trivial. I spent a full week just on data bus architecture and still got several wrong. Don't underestimate that area.
Took mine about 8 months ago. Your RF background is going to feel weak regardless of experience level – everyone says that. I'd give that section specifically about 2 extra weeks of focused study.
The regulatory section was more forgiving than I expected. Mostly straightforward if you know the FARs.
How long is the exam? I've seen everything from 2 hours to 3.5 hours cited online and I'm trying to figure out if time pressure is a real issue for most people.