How Many Questions Are on the A&P Written Test?
Last updated October 5, 2026
The A&P General written test has 60 questions, and the Airframe and Powerplant written tests have 100 questions each. Each test allows 2 hours and needs a score of 70 percent to pass (FAA Airman Knowledge Testing Matrix, revised September 25, 2026, p. 6). So “100 questions” is right for two of the three tests, but not for General.
“A&P written test” is really three separate tests, each with its own FAA test code. For a first mechanic certificate you take General plus the Airframe test, the Powerplant test, or both, depending on the rating you want (testing matrix, p. 6).
The three tests at a glance
As of October 2026, the FAA lists the mechanic tests like this (testing matrix, p. 6):
| General | Airframe | Powerplant | |
|---|---|---|---|
| FAA test code | AMG | AMA | AMP |
| Official test name | Aviation Maintenance Technician General | Aviation Maintenance Technician Airframe | Aviation Maintenance Technician Powerplant |
| Number of questions | 60 | 100 | 100 |
| Time allowed | 2 hours | 2 hours | 2 hours |
| Passing score | 70% | 70% | 70% |
| Correct answers needed | 42 of 60 | 70 of 100 | 70 of 100 |
| Average time per question | 2 minutes | 72 seconds | 72 seconds |
| Minimum age to take the test | None (“N/A”) | None (“N/A”) | None (“N/A”) |
| Tests taken in 2025 | 22,585 | 16,885 | 17,572 |
| Pass rate in 2025 | 69.59% | 74.01% | 63.04% |
The question counts, times, passing score and age come from the testing matrix (p. 6); the same table is in the Companion Guide to the mechanic ACS, FAA-G-ACS-1 (Change 2, ch. 3, p. 12). The 70 percent pass mark is also set in regulation: “The minimum passing grade for each test is 70 percent” (14 CFR 65.17(b)). The 2025 figures are from the FAA CY2025 Airman Knowledge Test Volume Report. The “correct answers” and “time per question” rows are simple arithmetic from the FAA numbers.
If you take all three, that is 260 scored questions and 6 hours of testing time in total.
What kind of questions they are
Every question is multiple choice with one correct answer. The Companion Guide says: “There is a single correct response for each test question,” and each question stands alone, so getting one right or wrong does not affect another (ch. 3, p. 12). It also warns that the tests “can only sample the vast amount of knowledge every AMT needs to know” (p. 12). In other words, 60 or 100 questions cannot cover everything, so you will not know in advance which topics come up.
The questions are 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 the ACS (14 CFR 65.75(a)). The ACS has 12 General subjects, 15 Airframe subjects and 13 Powerplant subjects (ACS, contents, pp. iv-v).
Why older forum answers disagree
Search the question and you will see 60, 100 and other numbers, sometimes in the same thread. Here is what the FAA documents explain.
1. People lump the three tests together. Airframe and Powerplant are both 100 questions, so “the A&P test is 100 questions” gets repeated. General is 60 (testing matrix, p. 6). If someone says “100”, ask which test they mean.
2. You may see more questions on screen than the official count. The testing matrix says any of the tests “may include validation questions,” which the FAA uses to collect data on how questions perform. They are “NOT scored,” the listed number of questions “does NOT include validation questions,” and the listed time “includes the time required to respond to validation questions” (testing matrix, p. 2). So a person who counted every question on screen may report a higher number than 60 or 100. Treat every question as if it counts.
3. The testing standard changed in 2023. The Companion Guide says the ACS became the testing standard for the written, oral and practical tests after July 31, 2023. Before that, the FAA used the Aviation Mechanic Practical Test Standards (Companion Guide, Introduction, p. 6). Test questions are now linked to ACS codes, which “replace the previous system of Learning Statement Codes (LSC)” (ch. 2, p. 11). Posts from before mid-2023 may describe the older system, so check the date on any advice you read.
4. Some posts are about the oral test. Besides the written tests, every applicant also takes an oral test and a practical test (14 CFR 65.79). The oral test works differently: it asks about the ACS codes you missed on your written tests, plus extra questions picked at random by the FAA’s Mechanic Test Generator, and “If the applicant scores 100 percent on the knowledge exam, the minimum number of questions are asked during the oral portion of the test” (ACS, Appendix 1, p. A-1). An oral question count is not a written test count.
5. The tests are being reviewed again. The FAA’s testing provider, PSI, is assessing the AMG, AMA and AMP tests, and the FAA says “Modifications based on the assessments of the exams mentioned above are anticipated to be implemented in 2027” (Airman Testing Community Advisory, September 2026 Special Edition, p. 4). The same page says the assessment “does not change test question content.” The mechanic tests also gained questions with embedded images in 2026 (ATCA, February 2026, p. 4; ATCA, September 2026, p. 5). As of October 2026 the numbers in the table above are current, but check the testing matrix before you book, because it is the FAA’s own list.
How the subject weights turn into question counts
The Companion Guide gives each subject a range, as a share of the questions on that test (ch. 3, pp. 13-14). Most subjects are 5 to 10 percent. A few can reach 15 percent. Here is what that means in actual questions:
| Test | 5% | 10% | 15% | Subjects that can reach 15% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General (60 questions) | 3 | 6 | 9 | Fundamentals of Electricity and Electronics, Ground Operations and Servicing |
| Airframe (100 questions) | 5 | 10 | 15 | Metallic Structures, Airframe Inspection |
| Powerplant (100 questions) | 5 | 10 | 15 | Reciprocating Engines, Engine Electrical Systems |
Every other subject on all three tests is 5 to 10 percent (Companion Guide, pp. 13-14).
The minimums matter more than people expect. Every subject has a floor of 5 percent, so if each subject gets its minimum:
- General: 12 subjects x 3 questions = 36 of the 60 questions.
- Airframe: 15 subjects x 5 questions = 75 of the 100 questions.
- Powerplant: 13 subjects x 5 questions = 65 of the 100 questions.
That leaves only 24, 25 and 35 questions to spread above the minimums. The lesson: no subject is small enough to skip. On Airframe in particular, at least three quarters of the test goes to covering all 15 subjects at their minimum.
The per-subject tables, with handbook chapters for each subject, are in the General guide, the Airframe guide and the Powerplant guide.
How many of the tests you have to take
How many you take depends on the rating or ratings you are applying for:
- Original certificate: if your FAA Form 8610-2 is for original issuance with the Airframe or Powerplant box (or both) checked, it also authorizes the General test. The FAA tells proctors: “Do NOT accept an original issuance application for an AMG test only” (testing matrix, p. 6).
- School graduates: a document showing graduation from an Airframe and/or Powerplant curriculum also authorizes the General test (testing matrix, p. 6).
- Adding a rating later: if the Added Rating box is marked on Form 8610-2, the General test is not required (testing matrix, p. 6).
- One time limit for everything: you must pass all the required tests within 24 months (14 CFR 65.71(a)(3)).
For the routes to eligibility, see how to get your A&P license.
A short plan built around the numbers
This is a suggestion, not an FAA requirement.
- Confirm which tests your paperwork covers. Your school document or signed Form 8610-2 decides which tests you may take (Companion Guide, ch. 3, p. 12).
- Practice at the real pace. General gives you about 2 minutes a question; Airframe and Powerplant give you about 72 seconds. Any validation questions come out of the same 2 hours (testing matrix, p. 2), so aim to finish with time left over.
- Study every subject, then go deeper on the 15 percent ones. Use the minimums above as a reminder that each subject is worth at least 3 questions on General and 5 on Airframe or Powerplant.
- Use the FAA’s own test-taking 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).
- Take full-length timed practice tests. Do 60 questions in 2 hours for General and 100 in 2 hours for the others, and look up every miss by its ACS code.
- Plan for the oral. The ACS codes you miss on the written tests are retested in the oral (ACS, p. A-1), so fix those gaps before you book your oral and practical test.
Common questions
How many questions are on the A&P General test?
60 scored questions in 2 hours, with 70 percent needed to pass (testing matrix, p. 6). That means 42 correct.
Is the A&P written test 100 questions?
For Airframe (AMA) and Powerplant (AMP), yes: 100 questions each in 2 hours. General (AMG) is 60 (testing matrix, p. 6).
Do validation questions count toward my score?
No. They are not scored and are not part of the 60 or 100, but answering them uses some of your 2 hours (testing matrix, p. 2).
How long do I have to pass all three tests?
You must pass all the required tests within 24 months (14 CFR 65.71(a)(3)). That includes the oral and practical tests, not just the written ones (Companion Guide, ch. 1, p. 9).
Will the number of questions change?
As of October 2026, the testing matrix (revised September 25, 2026) still lists 60, 100 and 100 questions (p. 6). The FAA says modifications to the mechanic tests, based on PSI’s assessments, are “anticipated to be implemented in 2027” (ATCA, September 2026, p. 4), so check the testing matrix before you book.