Failed Your A&P Oral and Practical? The Retest, Explained

October 8, 2026 · Based on 14 CFR 65.19, FAA-S-ACS-1, the FAA's Mechanic Test Generator FAQ, and FAA Order 8900.1 · Updated October 25, 2026

If you failed part of your A&P oral and practical, you can retest after 30 days, or sooner if a mechanic holding the rating you are seeking signs a statement that they gave you more instruction in each failed subject and consider you ready. That is the rule in 14 CFR 65.19. You retake the failed sections, not the whole exam; for a failed oral test, FAA documents differ on whether you retake all of it or only the failed ACS codes.

First, take a breath. A failed section is a delay, not the end. The FAA built a clear path back, and the paperwork you were handed tells you exactly where to focus.

The retest rule: 30 days or a signed statement

You can retest 30 days after the date you failed, or earlier with a signed statement. Here is the regulation, 14 CFR 65.19, "Retesting after failure." An applicant for a written, oral, or practical test may apply for retesting:

"(a) After 30 days after the date the applicant failed the test; or (b) Before the 30 days have expired if the applicant presents a signed statement from an airman holding the certificate and rating sought by the applicant..."

14 CFR 65.19, Retesting after failure.

The statement must certify two things: that the airman has given you additional instruction in each of the subjects you failed, and that they consider you ready for retesting. So if you are going for Airframe, the person signing needs to hold a mechanic certificate with an Airframe rating.

FAA Order 8900.1, the FAA's guidance for examiners, adds a useful detail: this statement of training is required only for portions of the test you failed. It is not required for subject areas you simply did not complete on the previous test.

Why you failed: how the oral and practical are graded

You fail a section when your score for that whole test falls below 70 percent. 14 CFR 65.17 sets the minimum passing grade for each test at 70 percent. The FAA's Mechanic Test Generator (MTG) FAQ explains how that applies:

• Oral: the 70 percent standard applies to each oral test (General, Airframe, or Powerplant) as a whole, not by subject area. The FAQ notes you could miss every question in a subject such as electricity and still pass the test.
• Practical: each project is graded pass or fail. The 70 percent standard applies to the whole practical test. The FAQ's example: in General there are 9 projects, so you must pass 7. Fail 3 and you are below 70 percent.
• Practical questions count: if you complete a project but answer one of its practical questions wrong, the entire project is failed. The reverse is also true.

Safety matters too. The ACS states that "any disregard for safety is not tolerated and will result in a failure."

What gets retested after a failed oral and practical

You retake only the failed parts, and the oral and practical work differently. The MTG FAQ is direct about both:

FAA documents word the oral retest differently. The MTG FAQ and the FAA's ACS Companion Guide (FAA-G-ACS-1) say you retest the entire oral section you failed. Order 8900.1 says the retest consists of the ACS codes marked failed or not tested on your previous test. Ask your DME which applies before you schedule.

The oral rules do not change on a retest. You still answer without any reference material, as the ACS requires. On the practical projects, you may still use the reference materials provided.

Your 8610-2 and the "notice of disapproval"

For mechanic applicants, your FAA Form 8610-2 is the record of what you failed. Many people search for a "notice of disapproval." In FAA Order 8900.1, that form (FAA Form 8060-5) belongs to the pilot-side procedure: it is prepared with FAA Form 8710-1 and records the aircraft and flight time used on the test. The order's procedure for mechanic oral and practical tests works through the 8610-2 instead.

When an applicant fails a section of the oral and practical, the order says the DME will:

• Give you your copy of the completed FAA Form 8610-2. It "will serve as notification of the areas passed or failed," and you must present it to the examiner before your retest.
• Record the ACS codes of the oral questions and practical projects you failed. A section that was not tested or not completed is noted in the Remarks section.
• Return your knowledge test reports (AKTRs) and the original 8610-2 forms from any previously failed tests.

Keep that form safe. It is both your study guide and your ticket back in.

What to bring to the retest

Bring your old 8610-2, your knowledge test reports, and a newly completed application. Order 8900.1 lists what the examiner must have from you before a retest:

1. A newly completed FAA Form 8610-2 (two originals, sections I, II, and IV), following the form instructions.
2. Your computerized Airman Knowledge Test Report(s).
3. Your original 8610-2 from the previous test, showing what you failed or did not complete.
4. If you retest within 30 calendar-days, the signed statement of additional instruction described in 65.19.

Retest fees are set by each DME, not the FAA. Ask your DME about their retest fee when you schedule. Our DME exam cost guide lists published ranges.

A plan for the next 30 days

Use the waiting period on the exact topics your 8610-2 lists. A simple plan:

1. List your failed items. Write down each failed ACS code recorded on your 8610-2.
2. Re-read the source. Find the matching chapter in the FAA handbooks (FAA-H-8083-30, -31, and -32). If you also have ACS codes from your knowledge test, look each one up, since every missed code adds an oral question.
3. Get instruction if you want to go sooner. A mechanic with the right rating can teach you the failed subjects and sign the 65.19 statement.
4. Say it out loud. Many applicants know the material but freeze when they have to explain it. Practice explaining each answer as if the DME is across the table.

Here are a few General questions from FAA handbook material to practice out loud. Try each one before reading the summary.

For a wider view of the whole test, see our A&P oral and practical exam guide.

Sources

• eCFR, 14 CFR 65.19, Retesting after failure and 14 CFR 65.17, Tests: General procedure.
• FAA, Mechanic Test Generator FAQs (updated 5/22/2023), oral-related and practical-related questions.
• FAA, FAA-S-ACS-1, Aviation Mechanic Airman Certification Standards, Appendix 1 (Roles, Responsibilities, and Outcomes) and Appendix 2 (Safety).
• FAA, Order 8900.1, Volume 5, Chapter 5, Section 11, Administer an Oral and a Practical Test: Mechanic Applicant Under Part 65 Subpart D (CHG 929, 9/17/2024), paragraphs 5-5-11-5E, 5-5-11-7C, 5-5-11-7E, 5-5-11-7F, 5-5-11-9D, and 5-5-11-11A; and Volume 5, Chapter 1, Section 6, Issuance of Notices of Disapproval of Application (FAA Form 8060-5).
• FAA, FAA-G-ACS-1, Companion Guide to the Aviation Mechanic ACS (with Changes 1 & 2, September 2024), Chapter 7, Retesting the Oral and Practical.
• FAA, Aviation Maintenance Technician Handbook, General (FAA-H-8083-30B), chapters 4, 7, 8, 10, and 12.

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