Testing for Your A&P Certifications
To earn your Airframe and Powerplant (A&P) certifications, you are required to show aptitude through a few certain tests. Overseen by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), these tests are required to become an FAA-certificated aircraft mechanic! Once completed, your A&P certifications never expire.
There are three separate tests given, they are as follows:
- General subjects covering basic science and regulations
- Airframe subjects covering aircraft construction, systems, and operations
- Powerplant subjects covering engine theory, construction, and operations
The three tests the FAA requires for each certificate consists of written, oral, and practical examinations. Once your testing process starts you have 24 months to complete the required exams to receive your ratings. The FAA will then issue you a certificate, officially declaring you able to work as an aviation maintenance technician!
At National Aviation Academy, we understand the importance of building a solid foundation and testing as you go. Students are tested as they progress through coursework and projects to prove competency and understanding of the subject material. This way, they can show they fully grasp the content that will later make up the tests that the FAA mandates to earn those A&P certifications.
Benefits at National Aviation Academy
As part of National Aviation Academy’s offerings, we pay for the first attempt of FAA-mandated exams for up to 12 months from the date of graduation.
Additionally, National Aviation Academy is permitted to allow certain students who fit certain criteria to take their Oral and Practical exams early. The criteria include metrics on attendance, GPA, and more.
This would mean that students could be a certified Airframe and Powerplant mechanic as soon as they finish the program!
NAA’s curriculum begins with topics that cover the General portion of the exams. From there, the next curriculum may cover either Airframe or Powerplant subject material based on which campus a student attends.
Testing Breakdown
The three areas of testing are General, Airframe, and Powerplant. Each of these subjects has three tests that one must complete to satisfy Federal Aviation Administration subjects. Those three tests include:
- Written exams to test basic comprehension and knowledge
- Oral exams to test for auditory comprehension and understanding
- Practical exams to test for hands-on comprehension and understanding
The General exam covers both Airframe and Powerplant subjects. The Oral and Practical portion of the General are actually taken at the same time as the first Airframe or Powerplant Oral and Practical test! Basically, you will be tested on General/Airframe Orals and Practical’s or General/Powerplant Orals and Practical’s, depending on which one you take first.
The Oral and Practical tests cover 43 technical subjects. An FAA-approved Designated Mechanic Examiner (DME) distributes these tests at a separate facility.
So, Are The Tests Difficult?
If you’re interested in training for your Airframe and Powerplant (A&P) certifications, you may be wondering if it’s hard to pass the tests that are required to actually earn those licenses. Full disclosure: it depends.
Are you committed and driven? Do you enjoy working hands-on with materials and tools? Are you able to overcome obstacles to better your life? Then you’d be the perfect fit for an aviation maintenance technician!
As anyone who has earned their A&P certifications can tell you: studying and attending every class are a major part of being successful in Aviation Maintenance Technician (AMT) schools.
Will it take hard work, studying, and time to earn A&P certifications? Of course! The type of curriculum taught at National Aviation Academy allows students the opportunity to be successful when taking General, Airframe, and Powerplant exams. However, the work is dependent on the student.
Do you have what it takes to earn your certifications? Fill out the form below to learn more about the required exams, the benefits of our training methods, and more!