How hard is the Aviation Mechanic Airframe written test?
A consistently hard written whose single most-missed topic is the inspection you do after something goes wrong. It ranks 3rd-hardest of 7 exams in this index.
The test at a glance
Four numbers that tell you what you are walking into.
Down 1.9 points vs 2023. 3rd-hardest of 7.
Mean score of everyone who sat it in 2024.
Up 96% since 2020.
Aviator IQ's read of the pass rate.
100 questions70% to pass (70 correct)~2 hr at the testing centerBuilt from FAA-H-8083-31
How the A&P Airframe is trending
Pass rate, average score, and test volume by year. Flip between them.
The lighter final bar is the preliminary 2025 figure, which the FAA has not yet finalized. Source: FAA Airman Knowledge Test statistics.
Our read on it
Open the volume tab and the story is obvious: the A&P Airframe has surged. 16,885 people sat it in 2025 (still a preliminary count), up 133% from 7,252 in 2020. This is the aircraft-maintenance hiring boom in a single chart. Airlines and repair stations are short thousands of certified mechanics, pay has climbed, and A&P schools have expanded fast to feed the pipeline.
That growth changes who is in the room. When a field grows this quickly, most test-takers are new to it, and it shows: the pass rate has fallen to 72.6% and the average score sits at 75.4%. The exam did not get harder, the pool got greener. For you that is good news. A real study plan puts you well ahead of the first-timers treating a hot industry as an easy ticket in.
Where it ranks
Every dot is one FAA written test, placed by its pass rate. The A&P Airframe is highlighted; the dashed line is the average across all 7.
The topics you are most likely to miss
These are the ACS codes the FAA reports missed most on the A&P Airframe. Try a sample question, then read why the wrong answer is so tempting.
Special inspections
80% miss itMost inspections run on a clock or an hour count: the annual, the 100-hour, progressive inspections. Special inspections are different. They are triggered by an event, not a date, and they exist because certain events hide damage a routine look would miss. See the full breakdown.
The 10 questions people miss most
These are the topics that trip up the most A&P Airframe candidates, written as example questions you can try. Answer each one for an instant breakdown of why the wrong choice is so tempting, then take a full A&P Airframe practice test under real test conditions.
When a solid rivet is driven correctly, the finished shop (bucked) head should be about:
After a hard landing, the airframe should receive:
The airworthiness of aircraft fabric covering is judged primarily by its:
Correct control-surface travel is verified by:
A pressure relief valve in a hydraulic system is installed to:
A squat switch (weight-on-wheels switch) is used to:
The purpose of a fuel system sump drain is to:
A thermal anti-ice system for a turbine-aircraft wing leading edge typically uses:
A leak in the static line will most directly affect which instruments?
A landing-gear warning horn typically sounds when:
What to watch for
The habits that cost people points on this exam, drawn from the topics they miss most.
- Special inspections: Candidates treat every inspection as calendar- or hour-based, so they miss that a special inspection is event-driven and happens regardless of when the last annual was. They also reach for AC 43.13 when the manufacturer's data governs first.
Special inspections are triggered by events, not the calendar, and the maker's manual leads.
Common questions
Other exams in the index
See how the A&P Airframe compares to the tests candidates take alongside it.
Sources & data notes
- FAA Airman Knowledge Test Statistics (hub)Annual and quarterly Airman Knowledge Test volume, pass rate, and average score by test code. Last verified Sep 15, 2026.
- Airman Knowledge Test annual statistics, 2019 to 2025Per-exam volume, pass rate, and average score. Calendar-year reports 2019 through 2025 (2025 preliminary). Last verified Sep 15, 2026.
- Frequently Missed Knowledge Test ACS CodesFAA Safety Analysis Branch quarterly report: the most-missed ACS code per test code, with percent missed. Last verified Sep 15, 2026.
- Airman Certification Standards (ACS) documentsPlain-English topic and Area/Task definitions for each ACS code (Private FAA-S-ACS-6, Commercial FAA-S-ACS-7, Aviation Mechanic FAA-S-ACS-1). Part 107 (UAG) follows the PSI UAG Applicant Information Bulletin, the current test blueprint that supersedes the FAA-S-ACS-10 blueprint. Last verified Sep 15, 2026.
- 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.
Spotted an error? Let us know and we will fix it.