United States · Mechanic certificateFAA material, sample tests and test prep compared
| Option | Price | Free to use | Links |
|---|---|---|---|
| Official sources | |||
FAA mechanic ACS, companion guide and AMT handbooksThe FAA’s Aviation Mechanic Airman Certification Standards (ACS), its companion guide and the three Aviation Maintenance Technician (AMT) HandbooksFAA-S-ACS-1 is the testing standard for the knowledge, oral and practical tests after July 31, 2023. The FAA says many test questions are based on the General (FAA-H-8083-30B), Airframe (FAA-H-8083-31B) and Powerplant (FAA-H-8083-32B) handbooks. | No charge; PDFs on faa.gov | Yes, the FAA says the handbooks can be viewed and downloaded free of charge | |
PSI sample testsSample tests on the FAA site of PSI Services, the FAA’s knowledge testing vendorThe FAA’s mechanic FAQ says practice exams are on PSI’s website, and the ACS companion guide says PSI provides sample tests for registered users. You need an account, which uses your FAA Tracking Number (FTN). | Not listed | PSI and the FAA don’t state a price; the FAA calls them practice exams | |
| Question banks and test guides | |||
Gleim AMT Test Prep OnlineOnline question bank and study outlines for the General, Airframe and Powerplant knowledge testsGleim says the set includes study outlines and FAA figures, unlimited customized quizzes and test center emulations. Gleim also sells IA training, listed on its maintenance page. | $179.95 for the set of all three tests | No; Gleim offers a free course demo | |
ASA Prepware, test guides and oral and practical guidePractice software, printed test guides for each test, and an oral and practical exam guideASA also sells the 2027 test guides bundled with Prepware at $49.95 each, the mechanic testing supplement FAA-CT-8080-4G at $28 and an Inspection Authorization Test Prep book at $99.95. | Prepware download $149.95 for all three tests, or $49.95 for one; 2027 test guides $19.95 each; Oral & Practical Exam Guide, Fifth Edition, $19.95 | No | |
Prices and ratings checked November 2026.
Who is an A&P license 2 week course for?
It’s for someone who has met the experience rule, through on-the-job training or the military, and needs to turn that experience into passing scores. The FAA’s experience page puts it that way: once you meet the on-the-job experience requirements, there are commercially available A&P refresher and prep courses to help you pass the written, oral and practical tests.
What a course can’t do is shorten the experience. The FAA’s FAQ says the rules allow nothing less than 18 months of practical experience for one rating, or 30 months working on both, and its experience page says time spent in training can’t be counted. A school is the other way in: graduating from an FAA-certificated Aviation Maintenance Technician School (AMTS) meets the experience rule, and the FAA estimates 18 to 24 months there.
The FAA’s own study material
Start with what the FAA publishes. Every test is built on one document, and the handbooks are the textbooks:
- The Aviation Mechanic General, Airframe, and Powerplant Airman Certification Standards (ACS), FAA-S-ACS-1. It lists every knowledge, risk management and skill element, and it’s the testing standard for the knowledge, oral and practical tests after July 31, 2023
- The Companion Guide to the ACS, FAA-G-ACS-1, with Change 2 of September 2024. It explains the tests, the test report and the oral and practical process
- The Aviation Maintenance Technician (AMT) Handbooks: General (FAA-H-8083‑30B), Airframe (FAA-H-8083‑31B) and Powerplant (FAA-H-8083‑32B). The FAA says many test questions are based on them
- The testing supplement FAA-CT-8080‑4G, the book of figures the test center gives you during the knowledge tests
The FAA says the handbooks can be viewed and downloaded free of charge. The companion guide says the FAA encourages applicants and instructors to use the ACS when preparing.
Sample questions and practice tests
The FAA doesn’t publish the questions on its live tests. Its mechanic FAQ says the questions are objective multiple choice and that practice exams are on the website of PSI Services, the FAA’s testing vendor. The ACS companion guide adds that PSI provides sample tests for registered users, and that the test center lets you practice with the testing software before your test starts.
For more practice, Gleim and ASA sell question banks for all three mechanic tests. ASA also sells an oral and practical exam guide, which is useful once your knowledge tests are behind you.
A study path for the three knowledge tests
- Check you qualify first: a school graduation document, a signed Form 8610‑2 or a military Certificate of Eligibility.
- Read the ACS for the section you’re testing on, starting with General, which everyone takes.
- Work through the matching AMT handbook, subject by subject.
- Practice with the testing supplement open, because you get the same figures at the test center.
- Try PSI’s sample tests, then work through a question bank until you pass its practice tests.
- Read the missed-subject codes on your test report: the examiner asks about those subjects in the oral test.
Sources: FAA · Gleim · ASA and 5 more. Checked November 2026.
- FAA: Experience Requirements to Become an Aircraft Mechanic ↗
- FAA: Become an Aviation Mechanic, with FAQs ↗
- FAA: Aircraft Mechanic Oral, Practical, & Written Tests ↗
- FAA: Companion Guide to the Aviation Mechanic ACS, FAA-G-ACS-1 (PDF) ↗
- FAA: Aviation Handbooks & Manuals (last updated July 31, 2026) ↗
- FAA: Airman Testing Frequently Asked Questions (PDF) ↗
- Gleim: AMT Test Prep Online Set ↗
- ASA: Aviation Mechanic Prepware ↗
Rules and fees can change, so check the official site before your test.
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