The A&P Ready Room · Certification Guide
How to Get Your A&P License: A Step-by-Step Guide
From confirming FAA eligibility to passing the written, oral, and practical tests, here is the complete path to earning your Airframe and Powerplant certificate.
If you have spent months or years working around aircraft, earning your Airframe and Powerplant certification may be the step that turns your experience into a credential recognized throughout the aviation industry.
The process can feel confusing at first. There are eligibility requirements, multiple knowledge tests, FAA paperwork, a Designated Mechanic Examiner, and an oral and practical exam to prepare for. But when you break it into clear stages, the path becomes much easier to understand.
This guide walks you through the complete process—from confirming that you qualify to walking away with your A&P certificate.
What Is an A&P Certificate?
An A&P certificate is an FAA-issued mechanic certificate that may include two ratings:
- Airframe: Covers the aircraft’s structure and related systems, such as flight controls, landing gear, electrical systems, hydraulics, and environmental systems.
- Powerplant: Covers aircraft engines, propellers, fuel and induction systems, ignition, lubrication, cooling, and other powerplant-related systems.
You may earn one rating at a time, but many mechanics pursue both. Holding both Airframe and Powerplant ratings gives you the broadest qualification and is what employers generally mean when they ask for an “A&P mechanic.”
Step 1: Confirm That You Meet the Basic FAA Requirements
Under 14 CFR Part 65, an applicant for a mechanic certificate must generally:
- Be at least 18 years old
- Be able to read, write, speak, and understand English
- Meet the experience or education requirements for the rating sought
- Pass the required knowledge, oral, and practical tests
The most important question at the beginning is how you will establish your eligibility.
FAA-Certificated School
Graduates of a school certificated under 14 CFR Part 147 can use the school’s authenticated graduation documentation to establish eligibility.
Practical Experience
You may qualify with 18 months of appropriate experience for one rating or 30 months of concurrent experience for both ratings.
The FAA evaluates the nature, duration, supervision, and documentation of your experience—not simply your job title. Your records should show the kind of maintenance work you performed, identify the appropriately certificated mechanic who supervised it, and support the amount of experience you are claiming.
Military aircraft maintenance experience may count, but eligibility depends on your actual duties and documentation. Your local Flight Standards District Office, or FSDO, makes the determination.
The FAA provides additional guidance on its Experience Requirements to Become an Aircraft Mechanic page.
Step 2: Obtain Authorization to Test
If you are qualifying through practical experience, schedule an appointment with your local FSDO. The FAA advises applicants to bring:
- Two completed copies of FAA Form 8610-2
- Government-issued identification
- Records supporting their claimed maintenance experience
An Aviation Safety Inspector will review your application and documentation. If the inspector determines that you meet the applicable requirements, your application will be signed to authorize testing.
Graduates of FAA-certificated aviation maintenance technician schools generally use their authenticated school documentation when registering for the applicable tests.
Do not leave this step until the last minute. Missing, vague, or poorly organized experience records can delay the process before studying ever becomes the issue.
Step 3: Prepare for the FAA Knowledge Tests
To earn both ratings, most applicants take three computer-based knowledge tests:
- Aviation Mechanic General (AMG)
- Aviation Mechanic Airframe (AMA)
- Aviation Mechanic Powerplant (AMP)
The FAA states that the General knowledge test must be taken first, followed by the Airframe and/or Powerplant test appropriate to the rating you are pursuing. A score of at least 70 percent is required to pass each knowledge test.
The subjects are broad. General includes areas such as mathematics, basic electricity, aircraft drawings, weight and balance, materials, maintenance publications, and mechanic privileges and limitations. Airframe and Powerplant then move into their respective systems, structures, inspection practices, troubleshooting, and maintenance procedures.
This is where structured preparation matters. Many experienced technicians know how to perform their jobs well but have not recently studied every subject covered by the FAA standards. Work experience is invaluable, but the exam may reach beyond the systems or aircraft you handle every day.
Do not prepare by memorizing answers alone
The knowledge tests are only one stage of certification. Your test report identifies the subject areas associated with questions you missed, and those areas may be revisited during the oral portion of your exam.
Study to understand:
- Why an answer is correct
- How the principle applies to aircraft maintenance
- Where to locate the applicable technical information
- How you would explain the concept clearly to an examiner
Use the current FAA Aviation Mechanic Airman Certification Standards as your roadmap. The ACS identifies the knowledge, risk-management, and skill elements that may be evaluated.
Step 4: Take and Pass the Knowledge Tests
Schedule the applicable tests through an FAA-authorized knowledge testing center. Verify the current identification and authorization requirements before your appointment.
After each test, keep your Airman Knowledge Test Report. Review the ACS codes shown on the report, especially for questions you answered incorrectly. Those codes are not merely a score report—they form part of your study plan for the oral and practical exam.
Passing all three knowledge tests is a major milestone, but it does not complete the certification process. You must still demonstrate that you can explain and apply what you know.
Step 5: Schedule Your Oral and Practical Exam with a DME
After passing the required knowledge tests, locate and schedule an appointment with a Designated Mechanic Examiner, commonly called a DME.
A DME is an experienced, FAA-appointed mechanic examiner authorized to administer the oral and practical portions of the certification test. The FAA maintains an online Designee Locator to help applicants find examiners.
Before committing to a date, ask the DME about:
- Scheduling availability
- Required documents
- Testing location
- Examiner fees
- Tools or materials you are expected to bring
- How the exam will be organized
Availability and procedures can vary, so communicate with the examiner directly and confirm the details in advance.
Step 6: Prepare for the Oral and Practical Exam
The oral and practical exam is where your knowledge becomes performance.
During the oral portion, the DME asks questions based on the FAA standards, the ratings you are seeking, and the subject areas identified on your knowledge test reports.
During the practical portion, you complete assigned maintenance projects while the DME evaluates your:
- Technical knowledge
- Use of maintenance publications and reference material
- Tool and equipment practices
- Safety awareness and risk management
- Workmanship
- Ability to complete and document maintenance tasks correctly
The goal is not to put on a memorization show. The examiner needs to see that you can think, communicate, use approved data, and perform maintenance safely.
A strong preparation plan should include three kinds of practice:
Understand the principles behind General, Airframe, and Powerplant subjects.
Explain concepts out loud without relying on multiple-choice options.
Practice using manuals, selecting tools, performing procedures, and documenting work.
If you only prepare for the written tests, the oral and practical exam can feel like an entirely different event. Treat all stages as parts of one certification process from the beginning.
Step 7: Pass the Exam and Receive Your Certificate
When you successfully complete all tests required for the rating or ratings sought, the examiner completes the certification paperwork and may issue a temporary mechanic certificate. The permanent FAA certificate follows after the application is processed.
That certificate is more than another line on a résumé. It represents an FAA-recognized standard of knowledge and skill and can open the door to opportunities with airlines, repair stations, manufacturers, business aviation operators, government contractors, and other aviation employers.
It is also the beginning—not the end—of professional development. Good aircraft mechanics continue learning throughout their careers as aircraft, regulations, technology, and maintenance programs evolve.
Common A&P Certification Mistakes to Avoid
Assuming experience automatically means eligibility
The FAA must accept your education or practical-experience documentation. Confirm your eligibility and organize your records before building your entire timeline around a test date.
Studying only a bank of answers
Memorization can create false confidence. The oral and practical exam requires you to explain concepts and apply them to maintenance situations.
Ignoring the ACS
The ACS is the standard against which you are tested. It should guide your preparation—not sit unopened in a downloads folder collecting digital dust.
Overlooking missed-question codes
The codes on your knowledge test reports show where your understanding needs work. Build your oral-review plan around them.
Waiting too long to contact a DME
DME schedules can fill up. Begin researching examiners early, while leaving yourself enough time to prepare thoroughly.
Treating the oral and practical as an afterthought
The O&P is not paperwork attached to the “real test.” It is where you demonstrate that you can apply the knowledge expected of a certificated mechanic.
How Aviation School of Maintenance Helps You Prepare
The certification path covers a large amount of information, and studying without a plan can quickly turn into jumping between handbooks, videos, practice questions, and half-finished notes.
Aviation School of Maintenance helps eligible applicants bring that material into a structured preparation process. Our A&P preparation resources are designed to help you:
- Organize your General, Airframe, and Powerplant studies
- Identify weak subject areas before test day
- Understand the reasoning behind correct answers
- Build confidence for the FAA knowledge tests
- Prepare to explain and apply what you know during the DME oral and practical exam
You have already put in the work to build your aviation maintenance experience. Your preparation should help you present that knowledge with clarity, accuracy, and confidence.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is an A&P certificate the same as an A&P license?
In everyday industry language, yes. “A&P license” is the common phrase, but the FAA officially issues a Mechanic Certificate with Airframe and/or Powerplant ratings.
Do I have to attend an FAA-certificated school to get my A&P?
Not necessarily. You may qualify through an FAA-certificated aviation maintenance technician school or through documented practical experience that meets the requirements of 14 CFR 65.77.
How much experience do I need?
The FAA requires at least 18 months of appropriate practical experience for one rating or at least 30 months of concurrent experience for both Airframe and Powerplant ratings.
How many tests are required for an A&P?
Applicants seeking both ratings generally take the General, Airframe, and Powerplant knowledge tests, followed by oral and practical testing covering the applicable subject areas.
What score do I need on the FAA knowledge tests?
The minimum passing score is 70 percent on each knowledge test.
Can I earn only the Airframe or only the Powerplant rating?
Yes. The FAA issues the ratings separately, so an applicant may qualify and test for one rating before adding the other later.
Does an A&P test-preparation course make me eligible to test?
No. A preparation course helps you study for the required exams, but eligibility comes from FAA-accepted school documentation or qualifying practical experience.