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Human factors: stress

One of the topics candidates miss most on the Commercial Pilot Airplane written test. It sits under Preflight Preparation (Task H: Human Factors) in the FAA standards, code CA.I.H.K1g.

Updated September 2026 · Reporting window: 2nd Quarter CY2024 (Jul 2023 to Jun 2024)

83.59%
of Commercial candidates miss this code
1st
most-missed of 9 codes the FAA lists
Severe
threat level

What this topic actually is

Stress in aviation is the body's response to demand, and a little of it sharpens you. Too much, and performance falls off a cliff: attention narrows, you fixate on one thing, and you stop taking in new information. That collapse under overload is acute stress, and it can hit a sharp, well-prepared pilot in a single busy moment.

The exam separates acute stress (sudden, situation-driven) from chronic stress (built up over time from life pressures), and both from physical causes like fatigue or hypoxia. The scenario details tell you which: a sudden breakdown during a demanding task points to acute stress and task saturation.

Where to study this
Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge (FAA-H-8083-25), aeromedical factors chapter; the AIM.
Read Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge on Aviator IQ →

Why most candidates miss it

Candidates reach for a physiological label like hypoxia, or for complacency, when the scenario describes ordinary task overload. They also blur acute and chronic stress, which have different causes and fixes. The trap that catches people: underestimating how stress affects judgment. Try it yourself.

Sample trap question

A normally sharp pilot suddenly fixates and stops responding to instructions during a demanding approach. This breakdown is most consistent with:

How to master it

Read the timeline. Sudden and tied to a hard task means acute stress; slow and tied to life outside the cockpit means chronic; and complacency is the opposite problem, boredom under low workload.

Then lock it in with repetition. The Commercial written test practice on Aviator IQ is built from the same FAA handbooks and figures, and every answer cites its source.

The one thing to remember

A sudden breakdown during a demanding task is acute stress, not hypoxia or complacency.

More questions people miss on the Commercial

This code is one of several the Commercial catches people on. Here are example questions across the topics candidates miss most. Try each for an instant breakdown.

1. Constant-speed propellers

When reducing power in an airplane with a constant-speed propeller, the correct sequence is:

2. Commercial privileges

A commercial pilot who does not hold an instrument rating is limited to carrying passengers for hire:

3. Ground effect

Lifting off inside ground effect before reaching the recommended climb speed most often results in:

4. Supplemental oxygen

Above which cabin pressure altitude must the required minimum flight crew use supplemental oxygen at all times?

5. Center of gravity and stability

An airplane loaded with its center of gravity aft of the aft limit will be:

6. Adverse yaw

Adverse yaw during a roll is caused primarily by:

7. Weight and performance

Increasing an airplane's gross weight will:

8. Careless or reckless operation

Operating an aircraft carelessly or recklessly so as to endanger the life or property of another is prohibited by:

9. Turbocharging

A turbocharger allows a piston engine to:

10. Night vision

To see a dim object at night most effectively, you should:

Sources & data notes
  • Pass rates, volumes, and average scores are the FAA's published figures. Difficulty rankings and threat levels are Aviator IQ's analysis of that public data, not official FAA ratings.
  • Aviator IQ is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or associated with the Federal Aviation Administration.

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