FAA Instrument Written Exam 2026: The IRA Test, 60 Questions

What’s on the FAA instrument written exam?

PSI’s bulletin for the IRA test gives the share of items from each area of the Instrument Rating Airplane Airman Certification Standards (ACS), FAA-S-ACS-8C:

Content area	ACS	Items
Preflight preparation	IR.I	26%
Preflight procedures	IR.II	14%
Air traffic control clearances	IR.III	7%
Flight by reference to instruments	IR.IV	11%
Navigation systems	IR.V	8%
Instrument approach procedures	IR.VI	26%
Emergency operations	IR.VII	6%
Postflight procedures	IR.VIII	2%

PSI adds 5 unscored validation questions, and the 2 hours allow for them.

FAA: Instrument Rating Airplane ACS (PDF) ↗

Who can take the instrument written exam

An instrument rating needs at least a private pilot certificate, or an application for one at the same time, under Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR) 61.65. For the IRA and IRH tests, the FAA’s testing matrix accepts a pilot school graduation certificate or a statement of accomplishment for the ground school portion of a course, or a written statement or logbook endorsement from an authorized ground or flight instructor that you’re prepared. The matrix sets the minimum age for the test at 15.

If you already hold an instrument rating in one aircraft category, 61.65 says you don’t take another knowledge test to add it in another.

eCFR: 14 CFR 61.65, instrument rating requirements ↗

Chart images on the IRA from October 26, 2026

From October 26, 2026, the IRA test includes image-based questions that aren’t in the testing supplement, the FAA’s September 2026 advisory says. The images come from the FAA’s instrument flight rules (IFR) Low Altitude Enroute Charts and Instrument Approach Charts, so study from real, up-to-date charts as well as the supplement, FAA-CT-8080‑3F.

The FAA’s sample questions in that advisory are built on enroute chart extracts: crossing altitudes, chart flags at intersections and military training routes. They’re only examples, and the live images can’t be previewed.

FAA: Airman Testing Community Advisory, September 2026 (PDF) ↗FAA: IFR Low Altitude charts ↗

Other instrument tests

IRH, Instrument Rating Helicopter: 60 questions in 2 hours.
ICP and ICH: Canadian conversion tests, 40 questions in 2 hours, no endorsement needed.
IEP, IFB and IFP: for European Union and other foreign pilots, 40 or 50 questions.
FII, Flight Instructor Instrument Airplane: 50 questions in 2.5 hours, and AIF, a one-hour added rating test for those who hold a flight instructor certificate with an instrument rating in another category.
IGI, Ground Instructor Instrument: 50 questions in 2.5 hours.

Every test code explained →Instrument test prep and prices →

Sources: PSI · FAA · eCFR and 2 more. Checked October 2026.