What Do I Need To Bring to the FAA Written Exam?

When going to take your FAA written exam, you will need to bring along a valid form of identification such as a passport, driver’s license, U.S Government, or U.S military ID.

To be able to take the test you’ll need to bring test authorization through the form of a certification of graduation, a statement of accomplishment, logbook entries of your training and studies, or a written statement from the correct authorities.

Make sure you know your FAA tracking number (FTN) before the exam.

You will also be allowed to bring in a protractor, a flight computer, a plotter, and an electronic calculator into the exam, but everything will be thoroughly checked over to make sure there is no previous memory stored on any devices and everything is clear of notes or possibly aids to help you in the exam.

The testing center will provide you with blank paper, the appropriate FAA supplemental book, pencils, a transparent sheet of paper, and also a dry erase marker to help you do any calculations throughout the exam.

You will not be able to mark on the supplemental book provided to you, so you’ll need to use transparent paper to overlay over graphs and charts. 

As with any exam, you will not be allowed to have a phone or other personal belongings with you whilst you take the test. 

Is the FAA written exam open book?

No, the FAA written exam is not an open book. All information you’ll need to answer the questions correctly will be covered in your training and most, if not all the questions will be readily available to you in practice exams.

You may need to memorize information and facts for the test, but the rest of the questions will come from your knowledge and understanding of topics you’ve covered in your training. 

If you prepare properly for the FAA written exam through consistency practice exams then you’ll be familiar with the format, possible questions, and the time limit available to you to complete the exam so you won’t freeze on the day and be unable to answer the questions properly.

The best way to revise for the exam is using flashcards to memorize all the information you need or you could just memorize the questions and answers on the practice exams available to you.

However, most experienced pilots would recommend people not to memorize the question and answers on FAA questions and answers and instead to learn and understand their revision as it will benefit them in their aviation career in the future. 

The FAA written exam is made up of 60 questions, each question has 3 multiple choice answer options. The multiple-choice answers may make it easier for those who don’t like exam environments. 

You should never leave a question unanswered if you are unsure of the answer and you should try to make an educated guess instead. You will have 2 hours and 30 minutes to complete the exam and if you pass, the exam result will be valid for 2 hours after you’ve completed the test. 

What is your FAA tracking number?

An FAA tracking number (FTN) is a number that is assigned to you by the FAA to identify you and to stay with you throughout your flying career. If you have previous airman experience then you may already have a registered FTN.

You will be given your FTN after you have completed your registration with the FAA. You should always keep your FAA tracking number written down as it will always be required for any training, exams, or job prospects you go for. 

If you’re unsure of where to find out your FTN then you can follow these steps:

  1. Go to the IACRA website and log in to your account or register for a new account
  2. Enter in your certificate number that was given to you during the registration process

Before you schedule any FAA tests, you must find out your FTN and enter it into the PSI Services Test Delivery System. Your FTN will then be verified and a profile will be created for you and you’ll then be eligible to schedule FAA tests.

Your FAA certificate number is different from your FTN number so make sure you’ve noted them down correctly as this can cause a lot of confusion going forward in an aviation career. 

Where can I take the FAA knowledge test?

You can find out where you can take your FAA knowledge test using the PSI Exams website and searching the exam you need to take and also the area that you live in, this search result will provide you with the nearest testing centers.

You can select the nearest one to you and find out the address of the location which you can note down for when you need to travel to the exam.

However, some of the locations may not be available for your chosen FAA test, so make sure you have a handful of nearby options to choose from in case your first choice is not available. Book in a date and location that best suits your schedule.

If you need to reschedule or cannot schedule your exam as long as you do so within 24 hours or more before the exam to get your money back. 

Where can I take the FAA written exam?

There are many PSI testing centers across the US where you can do your FAA written exam. You will need to search your nearest location online through the PSI Exams website and schedule your appointment.

There may not be an available date near you for the exam, so you may have to wait a bit longer to take it or you could trial various nearby locations. 

When do you find out the results of the FAA written exam?

You will get your results from your FAA exam immediately after completing the test. The pass score is 70% but the FAA currently states that the average score is around 84%.