Written exams
The written exams are multiple choice knowledge based exams designed to evaluate an individual’s knowledge, and understanding of relevant concepts and regulations. They are conducted on a desktop computer at a test proctoring facility. The content, number of questions, and passing score will vary depending upon the specific rating.
The FAA uses the test proctoring service PSI (Professional Service Industries) and you must schedule your written exam through their website faa.psiexams.com . When you first visit this link you will need to read the page in its entirety, then scroll down and click the Create an Account button. This requires 2 factor authentication with the use of either the Google Authenticator App or Microsoft Authenticator App. When I went through this process I ran into some difficulty with the 2 factor authentication. There was a timing delay between my cell phone and laptop, so I would recommend installing the authenticator app of choice on the same device used to create and login to your PSI account. After your account is successfully created, you are ready to schedule your exam. You will use this account for all FAA exams regardless of the rating. If you experience technical difficulty with this step you must directly contact PSI. PSI Contact Information. Continue studying up to the date of your exam, don’t burn yourself out or procrastinate and cram all of your studying into the night before your exam.
Once you are scheduled for your written exam, be sure to make note of and set a reminder for the time and location of your testing, and arrive to the testing center early. Generally you must pass your written exams with a score of 70% or higher, but be sure to verify the minimum score for your desired certificate. If you fail, don’t panic, it’s not the end of the world. You are able to take a written exam as many times as necessary to obtain a passing score but you must continue to meet eligibility requirements and wait for a specified period of time after a failed attempt to retake that same exam; 30 days for mechanic certifications. Those taking the general, airframe, or powerplant mechanic written exams may retest within 30 days if you receive remedial training in the areas of deficiency from an appropriately rated mechanic. They must sign at the bottom of your failed exam results to authorize an early re-test. This is a special case for mechanics; those seeking all other ratings must wait the full designated period before a re-test. If the results of your exam do not mention specific areas of deficiency by name it may give you ACS codes (Airmen Certification Standards codes). These codes are directly associated with specific sections and topics in the ACS (Airmen Certification Standards). Keep up the hard work!