Airframe & Powerplant Certificate Process

Overview:

This is an overview of the Airframe & Powerplant (A&P) certificate process for the three groups who will use the Rated application. These groups include students and/or graduates of Aviation Maintenance Technician schools (also known as 14 CFR Part 147 or simply Part 147), individuals with work experience in aviation maintenance (civilian or military) who meet the 14 CFR Part 65 required practical experience, and military personnel who have completed the Joint Service Aviation Maintenance Technician Certification Council (JSAMTCC) program.

The first hurdle is obtaining authorization to “test,” which means authorization to take the three Knowledge Tests (titled General, Airframe, and Powerplant, commonly referred to as the “written” exams, though they are now electronic). These multiple-choice tests are administered at authorized testing centers. For specifics about the Knowledge Tests, refer to the Companion Guide to the Aviation Mechanic General, Airframe, and Powerplant Airman Certification Standards (Companion Guide), FAA-G-ACS-1 with Change 1 and Aviation Mechanic General, Airframe, and Powerplant Airman Certification Standards (ACS), FAA-S-ACS-1. The Companion guide provides detailed information about the tests, too much for this overview document, including information such as the number of questions and the time allowed for each test and much more. The ACS details the individual topic Knowledge codes and subtopic codes for each test, along with the respective Risk Management and Skill codes that are used for the Practical portion which I will discuss later.

For Part 147 students, authorization to take the Knowledge Tests will be provided during training as per the school's “operations manual,” which outlines the regulatory specifics. For JSAMTCC participants, completion of the JSAMTCC program itself grants the authorization to test. Individuals with work experience may receive authorization after being evaluated (“interviewed”) by an Aviation Safety Inspector (ASI) at a Flight Standards District Office (FSDO). This is a significant challenge for the work experience group that Rated aims to address. According to the FAA “Become an Aviation Mechanic” FAQ page, the FSDO is supposed to evaluate practical experience. However, many candidates report that it often feels more like an interview, which can be subjective.

In my area, the FSDO only conducts evaluations once a month and requires a long drive. If an individual overcomes these logistical challenges, the next barrier is the evaluation process. In my personal story, I arrived at the FSDO with 20 years of practical experience, having taken a day off work and driven for an hour. The ASI, who was former USAF, was unfamiliar with my documentation. While the ASI did his best, human nature and personal bias can affect the outcome. Similarly, during my naval career, I had to write evaluations for USAF personnel and initially approached it with my Navy bias, which was not appropriate. Only after consulting an Air Force colleague did, I manage to get it right. In my FSDO experience, I managed to convince my ASI to have a Navy colleague intervene, which resulted in receiving authorization.

Even with Rated’s support, there is no guarantee of authorization to test. However, Rated aims to set users up for success by ensuring hard requirements such as age, language proficiency, and practical work experience are confirmed prior to going to the FSDO. Additionally, it will help fill knowledge gaps by asking users about their practical experience and rating their responses to each Knowledge Test topic. Users can use the ratings to study topics that they lack exposure to better arm themselves with the knowledge that may be expected, even if not explicitly required by regulation because having the required practical is the only hard requirements.

Now, understanding that the process may involve an “interview” rather than a simple evaluation, Rated aims to improve the likelihood of obtaining test authorization and reduce the horror stories that prevent many from seeking their Airframe & Powerplant Certificate.

Authorization to test is a significant hurdle, and achieving it can be all some individuals need to succeed. However, poor study materials, misinformation and lack of motivation when studying for the actual test can be the next barrier that our users will face. Rated is designed to overcome this barrier for all groups. We must discuss some recent Knowledge Test history to understand how Rated claims to help. In 2022, the tests transitioned from the Practical Test Standards (PTS) to the Airman Certification Standards (ACS). This change was beneficial to the A&P process but highlighted the lack of infrastructure for aviation maintenance training. The ACS change aligned maintenance training with pilot training, but the number of thirdparty companies producing study materials for pilots far exceeds those for maintenance training. Many that provide maintenance study materials have not updated more than 10% of their databases, which were created in 2012.

This is where Rated comes to the rescue. Though not a perfect solution (only the actual test questions is the perfect solution), if used according to the outlined Phase Study Strategy, Rated can significantly boost success rates. Select the Phase Study Strategy button to automatically navigate through our study strategy, or read our study philosophy/strategy document in the resource folder to utilize sections that best suit your learning style. The main takeaway is that Rated’s study strategy focuses on learning the fundamentals rather than rote memorization. Our questions are generated from the reference documents that the FAA test writers use, ensuring our users receive an dynamically updated database and the best opportunity to learn the underlying principles.

Rated strongly recommends starting with the General test because the topics and questions are theory-based. Many users, especially those away from academia for years, find it challenging to learn the topics in the General test like publications, physics, and math formulas. Rated aims to keep users engaged and progressing towards their goal by emphasizing fundamental learning and using our Phase Strategy.