Airworthy PrepThe codes on your Airman Knowledge Test Report (AKTR) are ACS codes, such as AM.I.I.K8 or UA.II.B.K1. Each one points to a single knowledge element in the Airman Certification Standards (ACS), and each one is listed because you missed a question tied to that element. On an A&P test, the examiner retests those subjects during the oral. This guide shows how to read a code, walks through a made-up report, and gives a plan for studying the codes you miss.
Facts here come from the Aviation Mechanic ACS (FAA-S-ACS-1), its Companion Guide (FAA-G-ACS-1, Change 2) and the Remote Pilot ACS (FAA-S-ACS-10B), as of October 2026.
What is on the report
At the end of the test you get a printed AKTR that documents your score, and you should keep the original (Remote Pilot ACS FAA-S-ACS-10B, Appendix 3, p. A-5; Companion Guide, ch. 5, p. 19). For the Part 107 test, the FAA says the report lists your name, the test date, the type of test, a unique test identification number, your score, and the ACS codes for questions you answered incorrectly (FAA-S-ACS-10B, Introduction, p. 1). The A&P Companion Guide says a code is listed for each missed question (ch. 5, p. 19).
The FAA says the printed codes guide you to the areas that were found to be deficient (FAA-S-ACS-10B, Introduction, p. 1). The FAA’s list of what the report contains does not include the question text.
How a code is built
Every code has four parts, separated by periods.
A&P example: AM.I.A.K1 (Companion Guide, ch. 2, p. 11)
| Part | Meaning in the example |
|---|---|
| AM | Aviation Mechanic ACS |
| I | Section: General (II is Airframe, III is Powerplant) |
| A | Subject: Basic electricity (called Fundamentals of Electricity and Electronics in the ACS itself) |
| K1 | Knowledge element 1: electron theory |
The three sections are listed in the FAA-S-ACS-1 table of contents (p. iv) and the subject names in each section are in the ACS body.
Part 107 example: UA.I.B.K10 (FAA-S-ACS-10B, Introduction, p. 1, and Appendix 3, p. A-5)
| Part | Meaning in the example |
|---|---|
| UA | Unmanned Aircraft Systems ACS |
| I | Area of Operation: Regulations |
| B | Task: Operating rules |
| K10 | Knowledge element 10: visual line of sight (VLOS) aircraft operations |
Both codes have the same four-part shape. The only difference is the names: the A&P ACS calls the middle parts Section and Subject, and the Part 107 ACS calls them Area of Operation and Task.
The letter before the number matters. In the A&P ACS, K means a knowledge element, which is used in the written and oral tests. Risk elements are used in the oral and practical tests, and skill elements in the practical test (Companion Guide, ch. 2, p. 11).
Read a report with a made-up example
This is an invented example, not a real report. Say a candidate takes the A&P General test and the report lists these codes:
| Code | Where it sits in the ACS | What the element says |
|---|---|---|
| AM.I.I.K8 | General, Subject I (Regulations, Maintenance Forms, Records, and Publications) | The regulatory framework, including the general subject matter of the parts of 14 CFR relevant to aircraft maintenance and mechanics |
| AM.I.I.K3 | General, Subject I | Maintenance record entry for approval for return to service after maintenance and alterations |
| AM.I.A.K1 | General, Subject A (Fundamentals of Electricity and Electronics) | Electron theory |
(Element wording from FAA-S-ACS-1, General, Subjects A and I.)
What you can read from it:
- Two of the three codes share a subject. Both AM.I.I codes fall under Regulations, Maintenance Forms, Records, and Publications, so that is the first place to spend time.
- Each code is one narrow topic. AM.I.I.K3 is about the return to service entry after maintenance and alterations, not all of records. You can study it in an evening.
- A code is evidence of one miss, not a full diagnosis. The test samples a topic, so a missed question tells you the topic is worth checking. If you are shaky on neighbors such as K4 (the entry after an inspection), study those too.
A Part 107 report works the same way. If it lists UA.II.B.K1, the code reads: Area of Operation II (Airspace Classification and Operating Requirements), Task B (Airspace Operational Requirements), element K1 (basic weather minimums) (FAA-S-ACS-10B, Area II, Task B).
What the examiner does with your codes (A&P)
The report is not only for you. The Companion Guide says that before the practical test you present the original AKTR to the evaluator, who assesses any noted areas of deficiency during the oral portion (ch. 5, p. 19). It also says applicants are subject to retesting on the subjects identified by the codes on the AKTR (ch. 5, p. 19).
In the pre-test interview, the evaluator looks at the codes on your written test report to identify deficient areas that should be included on the oral test (Companion Guide, ch. 6, p. 20). The ACS appendix describes the process in more detail (FAA-S-ACS-1, Appendix 1, p. A-1):
- The oral portion consists of questions on the topics tied to the codes on your AKTR, plus additional questions randomly selected by the Mechanic Test Generator (MTG).
- You may not use reference material to answer the oral questions.
- The evaluator asks for your AKTRs before building the test planning sheet, and all deficient knowledge areas shown by the ACS codes are retested in the oral.
- If you score 100 percent on the knowledge exam, the minimum number of questions is asked in the oral.
So a missed code means that topic is retested in the oral, closed book. Our guide to the A&P oral and practical test covers the rest of that day.
If you take more than one written test, bring every report. The ACS says the evaluator asks for the AKTRs, plural (FAA-S-ACS-1, Appendix 1, p. A-1).
What the codes do for Part 107
On the Part 107 test the codes work as a study list. The FAA says the printed codes guide you to the areas found deficient, and that an applicant who does not pass the test does not need remedial instruction or an instructor endorsement to retest (FAA-S-ACS-10B, Introduction, p. 1). For your next attempt, the codes are your study list. See Part 107 test format and passing score for the test layout.
How to study your codes
- Look every code up. Paste them into our free report code lookup, or browse all A&P codes or Part 107 codes. You can also read the element in the ACS itself.
- Group them by subject (A&P) or task (Part 107). Several codes in the same group means one block of study, not several.
- Read the references the ACS lists for that subject. Each ACS subject or task names its sources (for example, FAA-S-ACS-10B lists 14 CFR part 71, AC 107-2, the AIM and FAA-H-8083-25 for Area II, Task B).
- Write one sentence per element in your own words. If an element says “maintenance record entry for approval for return to service”, you should be able to say what goes in the entry and who signs it.
- Do practice questions on those codes first, then widen to the whole subject.
- For A&P, practice answering out loud with the book closed. The oral is closed book (FAA-S-ACS-1, Appendix 1, p. A-1).
Rules that go with the report
- It expires. An A&P AKTR expires 24 calendar months after the month you complete the written test (14 CFR 65.71(a)(3) and (b); Companion Guide, ch. 5, p. 19). If it expires before you finish the practical test, you must retake and pass the written test. A passing Part 107 AKTR is valid for 24 calendar months when you apply for the certificate (FAA-S-ACS-10B, Appendix 3, p. A-5).
- You can reprint it. For tests taken on or after January 13, 2020, an AKTR can be reprinted from the testing provider’s FAA login page, free of charge for the A&P report (Companion Guide, ch. 5, p. 19; FAA-S-ACS-10B, Appendix 3, p. A-5).
- Passing grade. The minimum passing grade for each A&P test is 70 percent (14 CFR 65.17; Companion Guide, ch. 1, p. 10).
- A&P retests. There is no 30-day wait if you present a signed statement from an airman holding the certificate and rating you want, saying they gave you additional instruction in each subject you failed and consider you ready. After 30 days, no statement is needed (14 CFR 65.19; Companion Guide, ch. 1, p. 10).
Common questions
Do the codes tell me which questions I missed?
No. Each code names the ACS element a missed question was tied to. The FAA lists the contents of the Part 107 report as your name, test date, test type, test ID number, score and the codes (FAA-S-ACS-10B, Introduction, p. 1), with no question text or answers.
Will I see a code if I pass?
Possibly. The report lists codes for questions answered incorrectly, and on an A&P test the minimum passing grade is 70 percent, so you can miss questions and still pass (FAA-S-ACS-10B, Introduction, p. 1; 14 CFR 65.17). On an A&P test, those codes carry into the oral either way.
Does a 100 percent score skip the oral?
No. With a 100 percent knowledge score the evaluator asks the minimum number of oral questions (FAA-S-ACS-1, Appendix 1, p. A-1).
Can I lose the report and still take the oral?
You can reprint it. For tests taken on or after January 13, 2020, the AKTR can be reprinted from the testing provider’s FAA login page (Companion Guide, ch. 5, p. 19).