The Aviation Mechanic Airframe (AMA) written test is one of the FAA's mechanic knowledge tests. It covers aircraft structures and the systems built into them: sheet metal and composites, flight controls, landing gear, hydraulics, cabin environment, instruments, avionics, fuel, electrical power, ice and rain control, fire protection, helicopters and water and waste systems, along with airframe inspection.
The format
- 100 multiple-choice questions, each with a single correct response (FAA-G-ACS-1).
- 2 hours to finish (FAA-G-ACS-1).
- 70 percent to pass (14 CFR 65.17; FAA-G-ACS-1).
The fifteen subjects
The FAA publishes the share of questions in each subject as a range. Metallic Structures and Airframe Inspection are each 5 to 15 percent of the test. The other thirteen are 5 to 10 percent each: Non-Metallic Structures; Flight Controls; Landing Gear Systems; Hydraulic and Pneumatic Systems; Environmental Systems; Aircraft Instrument Systems; Communication and Navigation Systems; Aircraft Fuel Systems; Aircraft Electrical Systems; Ice and Rain Control Systems; Airframe Fire Protection Systems; Rotorcraft Fundamentals; and Water and Waste Systems (FAA-G-ACS-1).
What the questions are like
Many questions ask what a mechanic should do, check or expect. Examples from the subject areas: how long after the annual inspection month an aircraft stays legal, what a red disc on a fire extinguisher's thermal discharge indicator means, or why prepreg composite is kept in a freezer. Others call for a calculation with every value given, such as a bend setback, a rivet diameter, a control surface balance moment, a tire pressure change or a rotor rpm.
Where the answers come from
The primary source is the FAA's Aviation Maintenance Technician Handbook for the Airframe subjects, FAA-H-8083-31B. Inspection and records questions also draw on current 14 CFR, including parts 39, 43 and 91. The FAA's Aviation Mechanic ACS lists the knowledge elements the test can draw on, and its companion guide (FAA-G-ACS-1) gives the format and blueprint.
Handbook figures are for illustration
Some handbook questions turn on a typical example, such as a pressure or a part's dimensions. Where a question or a source note says the manufacturer's maintenance data governs, such as the minimum wear indicator pin length on a brake, the answer is that the maintenance data governs, not the handbook's example.
Practice FAA Aviation Mechanic Airframe questions with explanations and timed mock tests.