Every applicant for an FAA mechanic certificate, with an airframe rating, a powerplant rating or both, passes the Aviation Mechanic General written test. It is one of three FAA mechanic written tests, along with Airframe and Powerplant, and it covers the shared knowledge every mechanic needs.
The format
- 60 multiple-choice questions, each with a single correct response (FAA-G-ACS-1).
- 2 hours to finish (FAA-G-ACS-1; FAA Airman Knowledge Testing Matrix).
- 70 percent to pass (14 CFR 65.17).
Who can take it, and when
You need authorization to test: a document from an FAA-certificated aviation maintenance technician school, or practical experience documented on FAA Form 8610-2 and signed by an FAA inspector, or a military certificate of eligibility. A school student may take the General test before meeting the experience requirements, once the school documents completion of the General part of its curriculum (14 CFR 65.75(c)).
The twelve subjects
The FAA publishes the share of questions in each subject as a range. Fundamentals of Electricity and Electronics and Ground Operations and Servicing are each 5 to 15 percent of the test. The other ten are 5 to 10 percent each: Aircraft Drawings; Weight and Balance; Fluid Lines and Fittings; Aircraft Materials, Hardware, and Processes; Cleaning and Corrosion Control; Mathematics; Regulations, Maintenance Forms, Records, and Publications; Physics for Aviation; Inspection Concepts and Techniques; and Human Factors (FAA-G-ACS-1).
What the questions are like
Expect practical questions: what a mechanic must check, do or record. Several subjects call for a worked answer, such as a center of gravity, a circuit current, a tube's inside diameter or a gear speed, with every value given in the question. The FAA's Aviation Mechanic ACS (FAA-S-ACS-1) lists each knowledge element the test can draw on, and the FAA-H-8083-30B handbook explains them.
Practice FAA Aviation Mechanic General questions with explanations and timed mock tests.