Can you test for your A&P? Find out in 2 minutes.
Answer 5 quick questions and get a personalized roadmap — whether you're a civilian mechanic, military vet, international applicant, or just getting started.
Three legal paths to an FAA A&P.
The FAA doesn't care how you got the experience — they care that you can prove it. Pick your card. Click it. See how your route works.
- Minimum
- 18 mo. single / 30 mo. both ratings
- Key document
- FAA 8610-2 + supervisor sign-offs
- Timeline
- 18–36+ months to eligibility
- Minimum
- Same 18/30 rule — service time counts
- Key document
- DD-214, JST + 8610-2
- Timeline
- Often immediate if separated
- Minimum
- Graduate an FAA-approved AMTS program
- Key document
- School certificate of completion
- Timeline
- 12–24 months (school-dependent)
- Minimum
- Same 18/30 rule + English requirement
- Key document
- Translated records + IFO/FSDO paperwork
- Timeline
- Varies — extra steps for foreign docs
Four rules decide if you can test.
Miss one and you can't sit for the exams — no matter how much you know.
Age 18+
You must be at least 18 on the day you apply.
18 or 30 months experience
18 for one rating, 30 for both. It's a calendar rule — 60-hour weeks don't shorten it.
English
Read, speak, write, and understand English. The FAA can test this in the oral.
Prove it
Experience only counts if it's on FAA Form 8610-2 with the right signatures.
The paperwork turns people away — not the tests.
Most rejections happen at the FSDO before the applicant ever sits for an exam. Not for lack of experience — for paperwork the inspector won't accept.
Don't guess what your FSDO wants — find out before you show up. The free quiz tells you which route you're on and what to document. 2 minutes, no signup.
Take the free quiz →5 questions. 2 minutes. Your roadmap.
Tell us your situation. We'll show you your path, the documents you need, and what to do first.
Take the free quiz → No credit card. No signup gate. Instant answer.Four eligibility courses. One for every route.
Already know your path? Click your course and get moving.
Straight answers.
Can I get an A&P without going to an A&P school?
Yes. The experience route — 18/30 months on the job under a certificated A&P — is fully legal and how most working mechanics do it. You prove it on FAA Form 8610-2.
Does my military maintenance time count?
Almost always. The FAA credits U.S. military maintenance through JSAMTCC and the experience route. Your DD-214, JST, and service records document the time. Course 3 walks you through it.
How long does the 8610-2 process take?
The form takes an afternoon. The FSDO appointment can take weeks to schedule. Once approved, you get 24 months to pass all three writtens plus the oral & practical.
What if I trained on aircraft outside the U.S.?
There's an international path — same 18/30 rule plus an English requirement and translated documents. Some countries route through the FAA's International Field Office. Course 4 covers it end to end.
Is 30 months really the minimum for both ratings?
Yes. The FAA counts calendar time, not hours logged. 60-hour weeks don't shorten it. And some work (avionics-only, fabrication) doesn't count at all — Course 1 shows you what does.
What's the difference between these courses and the Written Prep courses?
Eligibility courses (1–4) get you cleared to test — documentation, paperwork, FSDO.
Written + Oral Prep courses (General / Airframe / Powerplant) teach the material for the exams you take after you're cleared. Different problem, different course.
Does ASM issue the A&P certificate?
No. Only the FAA issues it. We get you prepared — the FAA makes the call.
Get your personalized A&P roadmap.
5 questions. 2 minutes. Free. Your path, your documents, your next step.