A&P General Written Test: Questions, Subjects and Study Plan
Last updated October 4, 2026
The A&P General written test (FAA test code AMG) has 60 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 covers 12 subjects, from electricity and math to regulations and human factors. In 2025 the General test was taken 22,585 times and the pass rate was 69.59% (FAA 2025 Airman Knowledge Test statistics).
The AMG test at a glance
| General (AMG) | |
|---|---|
| Questions | 60 |
| Time allowed | 2 hours |
| Passing score | 70% |
| Minimum age to take the test | None (“N/A” in the matrix) |
| Figures | Testing supplement FAA-CT-8080-4G, Appendix 1 |
| Tests taken in 2025 | 22,585 |
| Pass rate in 2025 | 69.59% |
The 70 percent pass mark is also in the regulation (14 CFR 65.17(b)). There is no age limit for the test itself, but you must be 18 to hold a mechanic certificate (14 CFR 65.71(a)(1)).
The test may also contain validation questions, which the FAA uses to collect data on how questions perform. They are not scored and are not part of the 60, but the 2 hours includes the time you spend on them (testing matrix, p. 2). So plan on a little under 2 minutes per question.
The 12 subjects and how much each counts
The FAA publishes a blueprint that gives each subject a range, as a share of the 60 questions (Companion Guide to the mechanic ACS, FAA-G-ACS-1, Change 2, ch. 3, p. 13). On a 60-question test, 5% is 3 questions, 10% is 6 and 15% is 9.
| Subject | Share of questions | Handbook chapter |
|---|---|---|
| A. Fundamentals of Electricity and Electronics | 5-15% | 12 |
| B. Aircraft Drawings | 5-10% | 4 |
| C. Weight and Balance | 5-10% | 6 |
| D. Fluid Lines and Fittings | 5-10% | 9 |
| E. Aircraft Materials, Hardware, and Processes | 5-10% | 7 |
| F. Ground Operations and Servicing | 5-15% | 1 |
| G. Cleaning and Corrosion Control | 5-10% | 8 |
| H. Mathematics | 5-10% | 3 |
| I. Regulations, Maintenance Forms, Records, and Publications | 5-10% | 2, 13 |
| J. Physics for Aviation | 5-10% | 5 |
| K. Inspection Concepts and Techniques | 5-10% | 10, 11 |
| L. Human Factors | 5-10% | 14 |
The chapter column points to the Aviation Maintenance Technician Handbook - General, FAA-H-8083-30B (2023). Only two subjects can go above 10 percent: electricity and ground operations. Electricity is also the biggest block of reading: chapter 12 runs from page 12-1 to 12-174, the longest chapter in the handbook.
Knowledge and risk management elements
The test is written from the Aviation Mechanic Airman Certification Standards, FAA-S-ACS-1 (the ACS, dated November 1, 2021). The regulation says the written test covers the knowledge subject areas in it (14 CFR 65.75(a)). Each subject lists three kinds of element:
- Knowledge (K): “The applicant demonstrates understanding of” a topic. Example: AM.I.C.K4, “Procedures for calculation of the following: arm, positive or negative moment, center of gravity (CG), or moment index” (ACS, p. 4).
- Risk management (R): “The applicant demonstrates the ability to identify, assess, and mitigate risks associated with” a task. Example: AM.I.F.R4, “Misfueling and using incorrect or contaminated fuel” (ACS, p. 9).
- Skill (S): hands-on tasks for the practical test.
In a code like AM.I.A.K1, AM means Aviation Mechanic, I is the General section, A is the subject and K1 is the element (Companion Guide, ch. 2, p. 11).
Expect risk management elements on the written test too. The ACS says: “Knowledge and risk management elements are also evaluated during the knowledge testing phase of the airman certification process” (ACS, Appendix 1, p. A-2). The Companion Guide (p. 11) labels risk elements as oral and practical only, but the ACS is the document the regulation incorporates (14 CFR 65.75(a)), so prepare for both.
The General section has 177 coded knowledge elements (counting lettered sub-elements such as AM.I.A.K7a, Ohm’s law) and 62 risk management elements. Electricity alone has 38 knowledge elements (ACS, pp. 1-18).
Your missed codes follow you. After the test, your report lists ACS codes for the areas you got wrong (Companion Guide, p. 11; ACS, p. A-1), 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).
The testing supplement and on-screen images
Appendix 1 of the Airman Knowledge Testing Supplement, FAA-CT-8080-4G (2018) holds the General figures: Figures 1 to 71 plus 62A and 62B, on pages 1-1 to 1-73. By caption (supplement contents, pp. v-vi):
- Electricity: equations, circuit diagrams, a battery circuit, landing gear and fuel system circuits, electrical symbols, transistors and logic gates (Figures 1-26), plus resistance total (Figure 64). That is more than a third of the appendix.
- Drawings: object views, sketches, material symbols and aircraft drawings (Figures 27-37), and a three-part maintenance data figure (Figures 62, 62A, 62B).
- Charts: two performance charts (38, 41), an electric wire chart (39) and a cable tension chart (40).
- Shop knowledge: aircraft hardware and welds (42-45), precision measurement (46-49), marshalling signals (50-51).
- Math and physics: equations, areas, scientific notation and the volume of a sphere (52-60, 65-71) and a physics figure (61).
- Regulations: an airworthiness directive excerpt (63).
The FAA is moving figures onto the screen. Its February 2026 bulletin said: “Effective April 2026, the following exams will feature questions with embedded images,” and the list includes “Aviation Maintenance Technician (General, Airframe, and Powerplant)” (Airman Testing Community Advisory, February 2026, p. 4). The September 2026 edition lists the mechanic tests among the exams that now “feature questions with embedded images” and adds: “the specific images used in active test questions cannot be previewed, as doing so would compromise the exam’s integrity” (ATCA, September 2026 Special Edition, p. 5). It also says: “Until the removal, candidates will continue to have access to the testing supplement for their exam,” and no removal date has been set (p. 5).
What this means for you, as of October 2026: you cannot study every image in advance, so learn to read any circuit, drawing or chart, not just the ones in the book. For graph questions, “you may request a printed copy that you can mark in computing your answer” (Companion Guide, p. 17).
Which order to take General, Airframe and Powerplant
These are the FAA’s rules on order and timing:
- No General-only application on the experience route. If your authorization is an FAA Form 8610-2 for original issuance, the Airframe or Powerplant box (or both) must be checked, and that form also authorizes the General test. The matrix tells proctors: “Do NOT accept an original issuance application for an AMG test only” (testing matrix, p. 6).
- School students can take General early. With a school document showing you completed the general part of the curriculum, you can take the General test before meeting the experience requirements (14 CFR 65.75(c)).
- Graduates are covered. A document showing graduation from an Airframe and/or Powerplant curriculum also authorizes the General test (testing matrix, p. 6).
- A 24-month window. You must pass all the prescribed tests within 24 months (14 CFR 65.71(a)(3)).
- Written before oral and practical. You must pass each section of the written test before applying for the oral and practical tests (14 CFR 65.75(b)), with an exception for school students under 14 CFR 65.80.
Beyond that, the order is your choice. One practical reason to start with General: the other two tests build on it. For example, General subject A (electricity) comes before Airframe subject K (Aircraft Electrical Systems) and Powerplant subject F (Engine Electrical Systems) in the ACS. See the Airframe guide and the Powerplant guide for those tests.
A 4-week study plan
This plan follows the General handbook chapters. It is a suggestion, not an FAA requirement.
- Week 1: the math the rest depends on. Chapter 3 (Mathematics) and chapter 5 (Physics), then start chapter 12 (Electricity) with DC circuits, Ohm’s law, and series and parallel resistance.
- Week 2: electricity and numbers on paper. Finish chapter 12 (AC, semiconductors, logic, batteries, motors). Then chapter 4 (Aircraft Drawings) and chapter 6 (Weight and Balance). For more worked examples, use the Aircraft Weight and Balance Handbook, FAA-H-8083-1B.
- Week 3: the shop subjects. Chapter 7 (Materials, Hardware, and Processes), chapter 9 (Fluid Lines and Fittings), chapter 8 (Cleaning and Corrosion Control) and chapter 1 (Safety, Ground Operations, and Servicing).
- Week 4: rules, inspection and people. Chapter 2 (Regulations, Forms, Records, and Publications) and chapter 13 (Mechanic Privileges and Limitations), chapters 10 and 11 (Inspection, Hand Tools and Measuring Devices) and chapter 14 (Human Factors). Then take full 60-question tests against the clock and look up every miss by its ACS code.
Try one: a weight and balance question
An aircraft weighs 1,500 pounds with its CG 40.0 inches aft of the datum. A 20-pound radio is installed 80.0 inches aft of the datum. Where is the new CG?
Answer: about 40.5 inches aft of the datum. A moment is weight times arm (AMT General handbook, ch. 6, pp. 6-2 to 6-3). The aircraft’s moment is 1,500 x 40.0 = 60,000 inch-pounds and the radio’s is 20 x 80.0 = 1,600 inch-pounds. The CG is total moment divided by total weight (ch. 6, p. 6-6): 61,600 / 1,520 = 40.53 inches. This is ACS element AM.I.C.K4.
Common mistakes
- Studying only the printed figures. Questions now use embedded images you cannot preview (ATCA, September 2026, p. 5).
- Skipping risk management elements. The ACS says the written test evaluates them (p. A-2).
- Learning a rule that has moved. The 2023 handbook still describes falsification of records under 14 CFR 43.12 and 65.20 (pp. 2-17 and 13-2). Both sections are now “[Reserved]”, and the rule is 14 CFR 3.403. The Companion Guide says to “Answer each question in accordance with the current regulations and guidance publications” (p. 17).
- Giving electricity the same time as everything else. It can be up to 15% of the test and is the longest chapter.
- Arriving without your authorization document. See the test day list below.
Test day
- Book it. Get an FAA Tracking Number through IACRA, create a PSI account, then pick a test center and time and pay (Companion Guide, ch. 4, p. 15). Check the current fee when you book.
- Bring ID and authorization. ID needs a recent photo, date of birth, signature and residential address. Bring your original authorization; the proctor copies it and gives it back (Companion Guide, p. 16).
- Calculators. Arithmetic-only calculators are acceptable, but test centers “may provide calculators and/or deny the use of personal calculators” (Companion Guide, p. 16).
- Practice first. The test center offers a tutorial on the testing software before the test starts (Companion Guide, p. 16).
- Flag bad questions. You can leave a comment on any question you think has a problem, and FAA staff review them (ATCA, September 2026, p. 3).
- 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, saying they have given you more instruction in each subject you failed (14 CFR 65.19).
Common questions
How many questions are on the A&P General test?
60 scored questions in 2 hours (testing matrix, p. 6). You may also see a few unscored validation questions, which share the same 2 hours.
What score do I need to pass?
70 percent (14 CFR 65.17(b)). On 60 questions, that means 42 correct.
Can I take the General test before I finish school?
Yes, if your school gives you a document showing you completed the general part of the curriculum and the date (14 CFR 65.75(c)).
How long do I have to pass all three tests?
You must pass all the prescribed tests within 24 months (14 CFR 65.71(a)(3)).
Does the General test still use the printed supplement?
As of October 2026, yes. The mechanic tests also use embedded images, and the supplement stays available until the FAA sets a removal date (ATCA, September 2026, p. 5).