Airworthy PrepIt depends on your route. If you document practical experience instead of going to school, the regulation sets the minimum: at least 18 months for one rating (Airframe or Powerplant) or at least 30 months for both ratings together (14 CFR 65.77(b)). If you go to a Part 147 school, the regulation sets no number of months or hours, so the length is whatever your school’s program takes. Either way, once you start the written tests you have 24 months to pass all of the tests (14 CFR 65.71(a)(3)). This guide is current as of October 2026.
The timeline at a glance
| Route | What sets the time | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| Part 147 school | The school’s curriculum. Part 147 gives no fixed months or hours | 14 CFR 65.77(a), 147.17, 147.21 |
| Experience, one rating | At least 18 months of practical experience | 14 CFR 65.77(b)(1) |
| Experience, both ratings | At least 30 months of practical experience, doing both kinds of work concurrently | 14 CFR 65.77(b)(2) |
| Military | The same 18 or 30 months, documented to the FAA’s satisfaction | 14 CFR 65.77(b) |
| After the first written test | All tests passed within 24 months | 14 CFR 65.71(a)(3) |
Every route also needs the written, oral and practical tests (14 CFR 65.75, 65.79). The sections below cover how each route fits together. For the full picture of eligibility, see How to Get Your A&P License.
Route 1: Part 147 school
A school certificated under 14 CFR part 147 gives each graduate an authenticated document showing the graduation date and the curriculum completed (14 CFR 147.21). That document satisfies the experience requirement (14 CFR 65.77(a)), so you do not also need 18 or 30 months of work.
What does Part 147 say about the length of the program? Less than many people expect. As of October 2026, the current rule (eCFR, 14 CFR part 147, retrieved October 4, 2026) says a school must:
- keep a curriculum designed to continually align with the Aviation Mechanic Airman Certification Standards (14 CFR 147.17(a)(1));
- make sure students have the knowledge and skills to be prepared to test for a mechanic certificate (14 CFR 147.17(a)(3));
- keep a pass rate of at least 70 percent for students who test within 60 days after graduation (14 CFR 147.25).
It does not state a number of classroom hours or months. So “how long is A&P school” has no single regulatory answer. Ask each school for its program length for the rating you want (Airframe, Powerplant, or both), its schedule (full time or part time), and its start dates. The ratings a school can hold are Airframe, Powerplant, or both (14 CFR 147.11).
Schools let you test early
A school can shorten the wait before you take tests:
- When you finish the general portion of the curriculum, the school may issue a document that lets you take the General written test before you graduate (14 CFR 65.75(c), 147.31).
- If the school shows the FAA that you have made satisfactory progress, you may take the oral and practical tests during the final subjects of your training. This can happen before you meet the experience requirement and before you pass each written test (14 CFR 65.80).
These head starts matter for planning, because they let you spread the test work across the program instead of saving it all for the end. Watch the 24-month window described below.
Route 2: 18 or 30 months of experience
Without school, you present documentary evidence, satisfactory to the FAA, of (14 CFR 65.77(b)):
- at least 18 months of practical experience with the procedures, practices, materials, tools, machine tools and equipment generally used in constructing, maintaining or altering airframes or powerplants, appropriate to the rating sought; or
- at least 30 months of practical experience concurrently performing the duties appropriate to both the airframe and powerplant ratings.
In calendar terms, that is a minimum of one and a half years for one rating, or two and a half years for both. Two things can make it take longer than the minimum:
- The 30 months are concurrent. The rule asks for work on both airframe and powerplant duties over the same period. The rule counts work on both ratings together, so check with the FAA how your own work would be counted.
- The evidence has to satisfy the FAA. The regulation does not list documents. It says “satisfactory to the Administrator” (14 CFR 65.77(b)). Plan to keep a detailed log as you go.
Also note the order: the written test comes “after meeting the applicable experience requirements” (14 CFR 65.75(a)). The only exception is a school student taking General early (14 CFR 65.75(c)). So with this route, the experience months come first and the tests come after.
For how the FAA counts months, what to put in your log, and Form 8610-2, read the 18 and 30 month experience route.
Route 3: military
Military service is not a separate clock. Military applicants follow the same experience rule in 14 CFR 65.77(b): 18 months for one rating or 30 months for both, shown with documentary evidence the FAA finds satisfactory (Companion Guide, chapter 6, p. 20, which lists “Civil or Military Practical experience as provided by 14 CFR part 65, section 65.77”). Testing centers also accept a Military Certificate of Eligibility as authorization for the tests listed on it (FAA Airman Knowledge Testing Matrix, revised September 25, 2026, p. 6).
So the time you need depends on how many of your months were actually spent in a qualifying aviation maintenance role, and what the FAA accepts. The details, including the paperwork and what does and does not count, are in A&P Without School: the 18 and 30 Month Experience Route.
The 24-month window for the tests
Once experience or school is out of the way, the clock that matters is the testing window. To be eligible for the certificate, you must have passed all of the prescribed tests within a period of 24 months (14 CFR 65.71(a)(3)).
The FAA’s companion guide adds how the written part works in practice. A written test report (AKTR) expires 24 calendar months after the month you completed the written test. If it expires before you finish the practical test, plan on retaking that written test (Aviation Mechanic ACS Companion Guide, FAA-G-ACS-1, Change 2, chapter 5, p. 19). The rule does allow a practical test with an expired report for applicants who qualify for relief under 14 CFR 61.40 (14 CFR 65.75(d)), so ask the FAA or your examiner before assuming either way.
Here is a simple example of how that works. If you pass General in March, that report runs through the end of March two years later. Anything you want to rely on for the oral and practical tests has to be finished before its own report expires. So pass the written tests close together, then schedule the oral and practical right after.
A certificated mechanic adding a second rating also has a 24-calendar-month window, and must meet the experience rule for that rating (14 CFR 65.71(b)).
What happens if you fail a test
A failed test adds waiting time. You may apply for retesting after 30 days from the date you failed, or sooner if you present a signed statement from an airman holding the certificate and rating you seek. That statement must certify that they gave you additional instruction in each subject you failed and consider you ready to retest (14 CFR 65.19). The testing matrix also requires the failed test report when you retest (Testing Matrix, p. 6). Build a few weeks of buffer into your plan, and keep the 24-month window in mind.
How to plan your timeline
- Pick your route first. Compare a school’s program length to the months of work you could document.
- Count honestly. For the experience route, write down your qualifying months so far and how many remain.
- Decide on one or two ratings. Both ratings need 30 months by experience, not 36, but the work must cover both areas at once (14 CFR 65.77(b)(2)).
- Schedule the written tests as a group. Start the 24-month window only when you are ready to finish. Plan the oral and practical right after.
- Practice before each test. Our free mocks for General, Airframe and Powerplant show you where you stand, and the mathematics topic page is a good place to start on General.
Common mistakes
- Expecting a fixed school length. Part 147 does not set months or hours, so compare programs directly.
- Assuming 30 months is 18 plus 12. It is one block of concurrent work on both ratings (14 CFR 65.77(b)(2)).
- Taking the first written test too early. The 24-month window starts to run once you pass.
- Letting a report expire. A written test report older than 24 calendar months cannot carry you to the practical test (Companion Guide, chapter 5, p. 19).
- Skipping the buffer for a retest. A 30-day wait can push the last test past a deadline.
Common questions
How long does it take to get an A&P license?
By experience, at least 18 months for one rating or 30 months for both (14 CFR 65.77(b)). By school, as long as the school’s program takes, because Part 147 sets no fixed months or hours. Then the tests must be finished within 24 months (14 CFR 65.71(a)(3)).
Is school faster than experience?
Not necessarily, and no rule says so. Part 147 states no months or hours for school, so there is no regulatory number to compare with the 18 or 30 months for experience. School does let you start testing early (14 CFR 65.75(c), 65.80), and it replaces the experience requirement (14 CFR 65.77(a)). Ask schools for their program length and compare it with the months of work you could document.
Do I need 30 months or 36 months for both ratings?
30 months of practical experience concurrently performing the duties of both ratings (14 CFR 65.77(b)(2)).
How long do I have to pass the tests?
All of the prescribed tests within 24 months (14 CFR 65.71(a)(3)). A written test report expires 24 calendar months after the month you took the test (Companion Guide, chapter 5, p. 19).
Can I take any test before I finish school or my experience?
A school student can take the General written test early with the school’s document (14 CFR 65.75(c), 147.31) and may take the oral and practical tests during the final subjects (14 CFR 65.80). Otherwise the written test comes after the experience requirement is met (14 CFR 65.75(a)).