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Flight Instructor, Airplane (CFI) Practice Test 2026

Practice with exam-style questions drawn straight from the FAA's own source material. Every answer is explained in plain English, so you understand it instead of just memorizing it.

Start PracticingReal pass odds · Targets weak spots
HOW WE HELP YOU PREPARE

1,391 questions, 4 practice runs, and 1 exam simulator for the CFI Airplane test.

CFI AIRPLANE REQUIREMENTS

100 questions on the real test, 70% passing score (70 of 100).

Last verified October 2026

Sample FAA Flight Instructor certificate, a knowledge-prep study visual

Study by category

Master each topic before test day.

PersonalizedStudy your weak spots first PRO
STEP 1
Start with the Airplane Flying Handbook

Every CFI Airplane question below comes from this FAA book. Skim it first. When you miss a question, we show you the page to reread.

Read it freeBuy on Amazon+ Test chart booklet

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Fundamentals of Instructing 144 questions
Fundamentals of Instructing 2PRO65 questionsPractice run: Fundamentals of Instructing20 free of 36 · mixed topicsStart run

Pro study tools

The free runs cover the basics. These tools answer one question: would you pass the CFI Airplane test today?

CFI Airplane Exam SimulatorPROTimed test at real length: 100 questions, 70% to pass (70 of 100), same pressure.
Quick QuizPROA short set drawn from the questions you miss most, reshuffled every time.
Charts & FiguresPRODrill the 40 chart, graph, and figure questions in the CFI Airplane bank, the part most people find hardest.
Readiness analysisPROYour strengths, weak spots, and estimated pass probability across the bank.

Your CFI Airplane pass probability, before you book.

The IQ Readiness Score measures multiple dimensions of test readiness from your own answers.

★ INCLUDED WITH PRO
  • Multi-dimension analysisWhere you are strong and where you need work.
  • Personalized study pathFinds your weakest topics so you study what matters most.
  • Pass probabilityYour real chances before you sit. No guessing.
  • Weak-topic recoveryMissed questions return until you have truly learned them.

Try It Yourself

Get a taste of the study experience. Answer a real question, or preview the timed exam simulator.

SAMPLE · FIAFAA-H-8083-3

After a simulated engine failure, a learner applies back-elevator pressure to reach the intended landing spot. What cardinal rule of descent should the instructor reinforce?

Ch 3 Basic Flight Maneuvers, Descents and Descending Turns, GlidesPICK ONE
EXAM SIMULATOR1 / 100
Exam Simulator

A 100-question test that mirrors the real Flight Instructor, Airplane (CFI) exam. 70% to pass.

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100 questions · 70% to pass · 2.5 hr limitPRO

About the CFI Airplane test

The Flight Instructor (Airplane) knowledge test covers aeronautical knowledge from the instructor's point of view, including regulations, the elements of flight maneuvers, and how to teach them safely.

You take it if you are pursuing a Certificated Flight Instructor (CFI) certificate for airplanes so you can give flight training and endorse student pilots.

The Flight Instructor, Airplane (CFI) knowledge test has 100 questions and requires 70% to pass, which is 70 correct. It is a computer-based test given at a PSI test center for a $175 fee. You must pass with 70% or higher before taking the practical test (checkride) or oral and practical for your certificate.

Aviator IQ's bank for this test holds 1,391 practice questions across 30 categories, each grounded in Airplane Flying Handbook. Every question shows an explanation and cites the section it comes from, so a wrong answer teaches the rule rather than just marking you down.

A passing knowledge-test result is one requirement. A certificated instructor still endorses you, and the practical test or checkride is separate. Aviator IQ prepares the knowledge test so that step is behind you.

FREE TOOLS

Helpful CFI Airplane tools

E6B Wind Triangle & Cross-Country CalculatorCalculatorsDensity Altitude CalculatorCalculatorsCrosswind Component CalculatorCalculatorsWeight & Balance SandboxCalculatorsMETAR & TAF DecoderWeather
READING

Recommended reading for the CFI Airplane test

These are the official FAA documents, printed. They are also free to download from the FAA. A paper copy is handy when you want to study away from a screen.

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Common questions about the Flight Instructor, Airplane (CFI) Test

The Flight Instructor, Airplane (CFI) knowledge test has 100 questions and is delivered on a computer at a PSI testing center. The passing score is 70%, which means you need 70 correct. Our bank holds 1,391 practice questions across 30 subject categories, so you can drill well past the length of a single sitting.

A sitting at a PSI testing center runs about $175, and if you do not pass you pay that fee again for each retake. Aviator IQ Pro is $29 paid once, so the goal is to walk in ready and clear the 70% mark on the first attempt.

Every question is written from Airplane Flying Handbook and the other FAA source documents for this certificate. Each one carries a verbatim quote from the source, and that quote is checked against the document before the question ships, so a wrong answer teaches the rule rather than just marking you down. When the FAA reissues a handbook, the questions that cite it are pulled for review.

No. Aviator IQ is test preparation only and is not affiliated with the FAA. Under 14 CFR § 61.35 the authorization to take the official knowledge test comes from a certificated instructor or an approved course, not from a prep tool. The knowledge test is also only one requirement: the practical test or checkride is separate.

No. Pro is $29 paid one time and never renews. It unlocks every subject category, all practice runs, the full-length exam simulator, hints, and the readiness score. There is no monthly or annual charge.

MORE EXAMS

Prepping for more than one?

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IRAInstrument Rating, Airplane60 questions on exam · 2.5 hr limit · 70% passingFAA-G-8082-13883Start Free
CAXCommercial Pilot, Airplane100 questions on exam · 2.5 hr limit · 70% passingFAA-G-8082-61,461Start Free
ATPAirline Transport Pilot, Airplane125 questions on exam · 4.0 hr limit · 70% passingFAA-G-8082-11,551Start Free