The A&P Oral and Practical Exam (O&P): Everything You Need to Know

October 8, 2026 · Based on 14 CFR part 65, FAA-S-ACS-1, and the FAA's Mechanic Test Generator FAQ · Updated October 18, 2026

The A&P oral and practical exam (the O&P) is the last test you take for an FAA mechanic certificate. A Designated Mechanic Examiner (DME) gives it, usually after you pass the knowledge tests: first an oral test, answered out loud with no references, then hands-on practical projects. General, Airframe, and Powerplant each have their own oral and practical test, and the minimum passing grade for each test is 70 percent.

Where the O&P fits in mechanic certification

The O&P comes last, after you meet the experience requirement and pass the knowledge (written) tests. The rules are in 14 CFR part 65, subpart D. To be eligible for a mechanic certificate, you must:

• Be at least 18 years old.
• Be able to read, write, speak, and understand English (with an exception for some applicants employed outside the United States by a U.S. air carrier).
• Show experience: a document from a certificated aviation maintenance technician school (AMTS), or at least 18 months of practical experience for one rating, or 30 months working on both airframes and powerplants at the same time.
• Pass all of the prescribed tests within a period of 24 months.

Under 14 CFR 65.75(b), you must pass each section of the knowledge test before you apply for the oral and practical tests. Section 65.79 then requires you to pass an oral test and a practical test by showing satisfactory understanding of the knowledge, risk management, and skill elements in the Aviation Mechanic Airman Certification Standards (ACS), FAA-S-ACS-1.

There is one exception to the order. Under 14 CFR 65.80, a student at a certificated AMTS whom the school shows is ready may take the O&P during the final subjects of training, before passing the written tests. According to the FAA's Mechanic Test Generator FAQ, those applicants can expect the maximum number of oral questions, because there is no knowledge test result to build from.

The FAA's mechanic FAQ says that after you complete the O&P satisfactorily, you receive a Temporary Mechanic Certificate.

Who gives the A&P oral and practical

A Designated Mechanic Examiner (DME) gives the O&P. The FAA lists DMEs in its Designee Locator. The FAA's mechanic FAQ also says:

• To take the O&P, you present your FAA Form 8610-2 along with your Airman Knowledge Test Reports (AKTRs) to the DME.
• There is a fee for the O&P tests. The FAA does not set a single price. See what a DME exam costs for reported ranges.
• At this time, no DMEs are located outside the U.S. to give the O&P.

In the ACS, the DME is called "the evaluator." You will see both words below.

The three sections: General, Airframe, Powerplant

The A&P oral and practical is really six tests: an oral and a practical for each of the three sections. The FAA's MTG FAQ says there are three tests (General, Airframe, and Powerplant) for each test type (oral and practical). Each section covers its own subjects in the ACS.

The project counts come from the MTG FAQ (updated 5/22/2023): 9 for General, 11 for Airframe, and 11 for Powerplant.

For sample questions by section, see our posts on General, Airframe, and Powerplant oral questions.

The oral vs. the practical: the key difference

In the oral you answer from memory; in the practical you may use references. The ACS states it plainly:

"During the Oral portion of the test the applicant is not allowed to use any reference material to answer the oral questions asked by the examiner."

FAA-S-ACS-1, Appendix 1

For the practical, the ACS says you are allowed to use reference materials to answer the questions asked while the projects are being done. Because of that difference, the ACS says it is imperative that the examiner keep the oral and practical portions separate. The MTG FAQ adds that the oral is a standalone test. The ACS also says the evaluator must not combine subjects or elements during testing.

How the A&P oral is built

Your oral is built from the ACS codes on your knowledge test reports, plus random questions. The DME asks for your AKTRs before generating the test planning sheet, then pulls every question from the FAA's Mechanic Test Generator (MTG). The MTG FAQ sets the rules:

• Each section has a minimum of 4 random questions, even if you scored 100 percent on the knowledge test.
• Every ACS code you missed adds one question. Several misses under the same code add only one question.
• An applicant who passed the written with 70 percent could get the maximum: 22 General, 34 Airframe, 34 Powerplant.
• All questions on the planning sheet must be asked. In the FAQ's words, "The DME does NOT get to pick and choose what questions to ask any more."

The ACS adds that you are not permitted to know, before testing begins, which selections will be on your test. So you should be ready across every subject, not only your codes. Our post on reading your ACS codes explains the code format.

The FAA's published sample test shows the style. Each question carries an ACS code:

AM.I.C.K2: The weight and balance system commonly employed among aircraft consists of three equally important elements. What are they?

AM.II.A.K2: What are the four common basic stresses on an aircraft?

AM.III.K.K1: What is the purpose of inlet guide vanes on a turbine engine?

From the FAA sample oral and practical test, Sections I, II, and III.

Grading works on the whole oral test, not on each subject. The MTG FAQ says this means an applicant "can miss all the questions in a subject such as electricity and still pass the test," as long as the section as a whole reaches 70 percent. The ACS also tells evaluators that information shown in parentheses in an answer is extra or clarifying, and the applicant is not expected to recite all of it. For more on the kinds of questions you will hear, read what a DME asks on the oral.

How the practical projects work

The practical is a set of hands-on projects. The DME watches each one and asks two questions during it. The details come from the ACS and the MTG FAQ:

• Each project stands alone. Projects can no longer be combined during testing.
• Two questions per project. At a safe and appropriate time during the project, the DME must ask 2 practical questions relevant to it, as provided by the MTG. You may use references to answer them.
• The DME watches. The ACS says the evaluator personally observes all practical projects.
• Each project is pass or fail. If you complete the project but answer a practical question incorrectly, the whole project fails. If you answer the questions but do not complete the project satisfactorily, it also fails.
• 70 percent of the whole test. In the FAQ's General example, there are 9 projects, so you must pass 7. Failing 3 is below 70 percent and fails the General practical.

Here is a project from the FAA sample test:

Project (General, Weight and Balance), AM.I.C.S6: Compute forward and aft loaded CG limit. Given: manufacturer's publications, weight and balance records, and project information on the assigned aircraft.

Practical questions: What is the total moment of the assigned aircraft? (AM.I.C.K4) What is the total arm of the assigned aircraft? (AM.I.C.K5)

From the FAA sample oral and practical test.

Two more ACS rules shape the practical. First, applicants demonstrate an approval for return to service standard where applicable, and the ability to locate and apply the required reference materials. If that standard cannot be met, you explain why. Second, safety comes first: if a step would jeopardize safety, the evaluator will ask you to simulate it, and the ACS says any disregard for safety "will result in a failure." For a step-by-step picture of the day, read what to expect on exam day.

If you fail part of the O&P

You retest only the failed test, and for the practical, only the failed projects. The MTG FAQ explains:

• If you fail the General oral as a whole, the MTG FAQ says you retake the entire General oral test. FAA Order 8900.1 words the retest as the ACS codes marked failed or not tested, so ask your DME which applies.
• If you fail the practical, you are retested only on the failed projects, plus any projects not tested before. You do not retest projects you passed.

Under 14 CFR 65.19, you may apply for retesting 30 days after the date you failed. You can apply sooner if you present a signed statement from an airman holding the certificate and rating you seek, certifying that they gave you additional instruction in each failed subject and consider you ready. More in our post on failing and retesting the O&P.

How to prepare for the A&P oral and practical

Prepare from the same FAA sources the test is built from, and practice answering out loud. The MTG FAQ says every test item has an ACS code and comes from the FAA mechanic handbooks or other documents listed in the ACS companion guide. A plan that follows from that:

1. Collect your AKTRs. List every ACS code by section. These topics are certain to come up.
2. Read the ACS for each code. FAA-S-ACS-1 is free. Then read the matching chapter in the FAA handbooks (FAA-H-8083-30, -31, and -32), which the FAA also publishes free.
3. Cover the random questions. At least four per section come from anywhere in the ACS, so study every subject.
4. Say your answers out loud. The oral has no notes and no multiple choice. Knowing an answer and explaining it clearly to an examiner are different skills, so practice the second one. If English is not your first language, see our advice for non-native speakers.
5. Practice finding things in manuals. Practical questions allow references, and the ACS expects you to locate and apply them. In the FAA sample test, both Powerplant practical answers point to the manufacturer's maintenance manual.
6. Build safe habits. The ACS lists eye protection, hearing protection, and other required personal protective equipment among the safety precautions the evaluator checks.

For a fuller study plan, read how to pass the A&P oral.

Sources

• eCFR, 14 CFR part 65, subpart D (Mechanics), sections 65.71, 65.75, 65.77, 65.79, 65.80; and part 65, subpart A, sections 65.17 and 65.19.
• FAA, FAA-S-ACS-1, Aviation Mechanic General, Airframe, and Powerplant Airman Certification Standards, Table of Contents, Appendix 1, and Appendix 2.
• FAA, Mechanic Test Generator FAQs (updated 5/22/2023).
• FAA, Sample Test, Oral and Practical.
• FAA, Become an Aviation Mechanic, including FAQs.
• FAA, Aircraft Handbooks & Manuals (FAA-H-8083 mechanic handbooks).

About this guide: drafted with AI from the FAA sources listed on this page and checked claim by claim against them. Not reviewed by an A&P mechanic or DME. How we make our guides