A&P Airframe Written Test: Format, Subjects and Exam Tips
Last updated October 4, 2026
The A&P Airframe written test (FAA test code AMA) has 100 multiple-choice questions, a 2-hour time limit and a passing score of 70 percent (FAA Airman Knowledge Testing Matrix, revised 9/25/26, p. 6). It spreads those questions over 15 subjects, more than either of the other mechanic tests. In 2025 it was taken 16,885 times with a 74.01% pass rate, the highest of the three A&P tests (FAA 2025 Airman Knowledge Test statistics).
The AMA test in numbers
| Airframe (AMA) | |
|---|---|
| Questions | 100 |
| Time allowed | 2 hours |
| Time per question | 72 seconds on average |
| Passing score | 70% (70 correct) |
| Minimum age to take the test | Not listed (“N/A” in the matrix) |
| Figures | Testing supplement FAA-CT-8080-4G, Appendix 3 |
| Tests taken in 2025 | 16,885 |
| Pass rate in 2025 | 74.01% |
The pass mark is set in regulation as well: “The minimum passing grade for each test is 70 percent” (14 CFR 65.17(b)).
The clock is the big difference from the General test. General gives you 2 hours for 60 questions; Airframe gives you the same 2 hours for 100. The test can also include unscored validation questions. They are not counted in the 100, but the 2 hours includes the time you spend on them (testing matrix, p. 2), so 72 seconds a question is the most you can count on.
The 15 subjects and their weights
Each subject has a range in the FAA blueprint, as a share of the 100 questions (Companion Guide to the mechanic ACS, FAA-G-ACS-1, Change 2, ch. 3, pp. 13-14). On this test 1% is one question, so 5-10% means 5 to 10 questions.
| Subject | Share of questions | Handbook chapter |
|---|---|---|
| A. Metallic Structures | 5-15% | 1, 4, 5 |
| B. Non-Metallic Structures | 5-10% | 3, 6, 7, 8 |
| C. Flight Controls | 5-10% | 2 |
| D. Airframe Inspection | 5-15% | 14 CFR parts 43 and 91 |
| E. Landing Gear Systems | 5-10% | 13 |
| F. Hydraulic and Pneumatic Systems | 5-10% | 12 |
| G. Environmental Systems | 5-10% | 16 |
| H. Aircraft Instrument Systems | 5-10% | 10 |
| I. Communication and Navigation Systems | 5-10% | 11 |
| J. Aircraft Fuel Systems | 5-10% | 14 |
| K. Aircraft Electrical Systems | 5-10% | 9 |
| L. Ice and Rain Control Systems | 5-10% | 15 |
| M. Airframe Fire Protection Systems | 5-10% | 17 |
| N. Rotorcraft Fundamentals | 5-10% | 1, 2 |
| O. Water and Waste Systems | 5-10% | 15 (p. 15-30) |
Chapters refer to the Aviation Maintenance Technician Handbook - Airframe, FAA-H-8083-31B (2023). Metallic Structures and Airframe Inspection are the only two subjects that can reach 15 percent.
Two naming quirks are worth knowing. Subject I is headed “Communication and Navigation Systems” in the body of the ACS (p. 34), but the ACS contents page and the Companion Guide blueprint call it “Communication(s), Light Signals, and Runway Lighting Systems.” Its 21 knowledge elements are radios, navigation and autopilot systems such as VOR, ILS, GPS, TCAS and ADS-B, so study those. Second, Water and Waste Systems has no chapter of its own in the handbook; the closest coverage is the section “Water & Waste Tank Ice Prevention” on page 15-30. With only three knowledge elements and one risk element (ACS, p. 43), it is a small subject to learn well.
What the ACS asks for on Airframe
The test is built from Section II of the Aviation Mechanic Airman Certification Standards, FAA-S-ACS-1 (the ACS, dated November 1, 2021, pp. 19-43). Each subject lists knowledge elements (K, “The applicant demonstrates understanding of”) and risk management elements (R, “The applicant demonstrates the ability to identify, assess, and mitigate risks associated with”). Skill elements (S) are for the practical test.
The written test checks both K and R: “Knowledge and risk management elements are also evaluated during the knowledge testing phase of the airman certification process” (ACS, Appendix 1, p. A-2). Airframe has the most of the three sections: 199 coded knowledge elements and 75 risk management elements. The biggest subjects by element count are Non-Metallic Structures (29 knowledge elements), Aircraft Instrument Systems (24) and Communication and Navigation Systems (21), although each is capped at 10 percent of the questions.
Some risk elements read like judgment calls on the hangar floor. For example, AM.II.D.R1 is “Interpretation of inspection instructions, which can lead to over or under maintenance being performed” (ACS, p. 25). Expect questions that ask what the safe or correct action is, not just a definition.
The test report lists the ACS codes you missed, and “All deficient knowledge areas, as indicated by the ACS codes on the AKTRs, are retested during the oral portion of the test” (ACS, p. A-1). Weak spots on the written follow you to the oral.
Exam tips from FAA sources
- Pace yourself at 72 seconds. The FAA’s own advice: “If a certain question is difficult for you, mark it for review and return to it after you have answered the less difficult questions” (Companion Guide, p. 17).
- Look for the complete answer. “Remember that only one answer is complete and correct. The other possible answers are either incomplete or erroneous” (Companion Guide, p. 17).
- Read the notes on calculation questions. The Companion Guide says: “When solving a calculation problem, be sure to read all the associated notes” (p. 17). The sheet metal figures in the supplement print the material thickness and bend radius (Figures 4-7), and Figures 4-6 also print the setback and bend allowance formulas.
- Ask for a printed graph. For graph questions “you may request a printed copy that you can mark in computing your answer” (Companion Guide, p. 17). Useful for cable tension and pressure-temperature charts.
- Answer from current documents. The FAA says to answer “in accordance with the current regulations and guidance publications” (Companion Guide, p. 17). For alterations, that now means AC 43.13-2C, dated July 29, 2026, which cancelled AC 43.13-2B (para 1.4).
- Treat Airframe Inspection as a regulations subject. Its elements include “Inspection requirements under 14 CFR part 91” and “CFRs applicable to inspection and airworthiness” (AM.II.D.K1 and K8, ACS p. 25). Read 14 CFR 91.409 (inspections) and the annual and 100-hour checklist in 14 CFR part 43, appendix D.
- Learn antennas by shape. Element AM.II.I.K3 covers antenna “identification, inspection, and mounting requirements” (ACS, p. 34), and 14 of the 34 Airframe figures in the supplement are captioned “Antenna” or “Antennas.” Handbook chapter 11 covers antennas from page 11-36.
- Report a bad question. You can comment on any question you think has a problem during the test, and FAA subject matter experts review those comments (Airman Testing Community Advisory, September 2026, p. 3).
The testing supplement and on-screen images
Appendix 3 of the Airman Knowledge Testing Supplement, FAA-CT-8080-4G (2018) holds the 34 Airframe figures on pages 3-1 to 3-34. By caption (supplement contents, pp. vi-vii):
- Sheet metal: rivets, countersinking, grip length, bending sheet metal and three sheet metal layouts (Figures 1-7), plus a torque value figure (10).
- Flight controls: a control cable figure and a cable tension chart (8-9).
- Systems: fittings and backup rings (11-12), a cooling system and a pressure temperature correction chart (13-14), a fuel system (17), battery connections (18), two landing gear circuits (19-20) and a fire extinguisher chart (21).
- Communication: a formula (15) and antennas (16, 22-34).
The formula in Figure 15 is an antenna drag load formula; AC 43.13-2C gives the same formula and explains its terms in para 4.4.5.
The mechanic tests now include embedded images. The FAA’s February 2026 bulletin announced: “Effective April 2026, the following exams will feature questions with embedded images,” naming “Aviation Maintenance Technician (General, Airframe, and Powerplant)” (ATCA, February 2026, p. 4). The September 2026 edition lists them among the exams that now “feature questions with embedded images” and warns that “the specific images used in active test questions cannot be previewed” (ATCA, September 2026 Special Edition, p. 5). As of October 2026 the supplement is still at test centers: “Until the removal, candidates will continue to have access to the testing supplement for their exam,” and no removal date is set (p. 5). The practical lesson: learn what a part looks like and how a chart works, not one particular picture.
Do you have to take General first?
The FAA does not set a fixed order, but these rules shape it:
- Your authorization decides which tests you can take. A school document authorizes the tests for the curriculum you completed (general and airframe, general and powerplant, or all three) (Companion Guide, p. 12).
- Experience route: you need at least 18 months of practical experience for one rating, or 30 months for both at the same time (14 CFR 65.77).
- One 24-month window. All the prescribed tests must be passed within 24 months (14 CFR 65.71(a)(3)).
- Adding Airframe later. If you already hold a Powerplant rating and apply for an added rating, the General test is not required (testing matrix, p. 6).
- Written first. Pass each section of the written test before applying for the oral and practical tests (14 CFR 65.75(b)), except school students testing under 14 CFR 65.80.
If you are choosing freely, note that Airframe subject K (Aircraft Electrical Systems) builds on General subject A (electricity). The General guide and Powerplant guide cover the other two tests.
A 3-week study plan
A suggested plan built on the Airframe handbook. It is not an FAA requirement.
- Week 1: structures. Chapter 1 (Aircraft Structures), chapter 4 (Aircraft Metal Structural Repair) and chapter 5 (Welding) for Metallic Structures. Then chapters 3, 6, 7 and 8 (fabric, wood, composites, painting) for Non-Metallic Structures. Work every bend allowance and rivet layout example.
- Week 2: controls and systems. Chapter 2 (Aerodynamics, Aircraft Assembly, and Rigging, including helicopters from page 2-15), chapter 13 (Landing Gear), chapter 12 (Hydraulic and Pneumatic Power), chapter 14 (Fuel) and chapter 9 (Electrical).
- Week 3: avionics, environment and rules. Chapter 10 (instruments), chapter 11 (Communication and Navigation), chapter 15 (Ice and Rain, with water and waste on 15-30), chapter 16 (Cabin Environmental Control) and chapter 17 (Fire Protection). Read 14 CFR 91.409 and part 43, appendix D. Finish with full 100-question tests at 2 hours.
Try one: rivet edge distance
You are laying out a repair with 1/8-inch universal head rivets. What is the minimum edge distance?
Answer: 1/4 inch. The Airframe handbook says “The minimum edge distance for universal rivets is 2 times the diameter of the rivet,” and 2 x 1/8 = 1/4 inch. For countersunk rivets the minimum is 2 1/2 diameters, and edge distance should never be more than 4 diameters (AMT Airframe handbook, ch. 4, p. 4-33). This is ACS element AM.II.A.K7, rivet layout.
Test day
Register with an FAA Tracking Number from IACRA and a PSI account, then book and pay (Companion Guide, ch. 4, p. 15). Check the current fee when you book. Bring photo ID and your original authorization document (Companion Guide, p. 16). Test centers “may provide calculators and/or deny the use of personal calculators” (p. 16). If you fail, you can retest after 30 days, or sooner with a signed statement from an airman holding the certificate and rating you are seeking, confirming extra instruction in each subject failed (14 CFR 65.19).
Common questions
How many questions are on the A&P Airframe written test?
100 scored questions in 2 hours, with 70 percent needed to pass (testing matrix, p. 6).
Is Airframe harder than General or Powerplant?
By the 2025 numbers it had the highest pass rate of the three: Airframe 74.01%, General 69.59%, Powerplant 63.04% (FAA 2025 statistics). The tighter clock (72 seconds a question) is the main thing to practice for.
Which Airframe subjects carry the most weight?
Metallic Structures and Airframe Inspection, at 5-15% each. Every other subject is 5-10% (Companion Guide, pp. 13-14).
Can I skip the General test?
Only when you are adding a rating to a mechanic certificate you already hold: the testing matrix says the General test is not required when the Added Rating box is marked on Form 8610-2 (p. 6). On an original application, the same form that authorizes Airframe also authorizes General, and all required tests must be passed within 24 months (14 CFR 65.71(a)(3)).