FAA knowledge tests: how many questions, how long, and what score to pass?
Each FAA pilot certificate has its own knowledge test. Private Pilot Airplane is 60 questions in 2 hours. Commercial Pilot Airplane is 100 questions in 2.5 hours. ATP Multiengine is 125 questions in 3.5 hours. The passing score is 70 on every one. You then have 24 calendar months to complete your checkride, or 60 for the ATP test.
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Last checked 1 Nov 2026.
01 The tests at a glance
- Private Pilot Airplane (PAR)60 questions, 2 h, pass at 70, minimum age 15.
- Instrument Rating Airplane (IRA)60 questions, 2 h, pass at 70, minimum age 15.
- Commercial Pilot Airplane (CAX)100 questions, 2.5 h, pass at 70, minimum age 16.
- ATP Multiengine Airplane (ATM)125 questions, 3.5 h, pass at 70, minimum age 18.
From the FAA Airman Knowledge Testing Matrix, revised 25 September 2026. The question count leaves out unscored validation questions; the time includes them.
02 The problem
A student pilot flies with an instructor by day and studies for the knowledge test at night.
Sixty questions, 70 to pass. It is tempting to learn the answers and not the reasons.
That's the trap. Every question you miss is printed on your test report as a code. Your instructor has to sign that you now know those areas, and the examiner on your checkride tests them again.
And after the checkride, the knowledge has to work in the aircraft, with nobody beside you to ask.
We're going to change that.
03 What we do about it
We teach each idea in 3D, so you see it before you learn it for the test. You watch the air flow over a wing, the stall build, the forces in a steep turn, a twin swing when one engine fails. Then you answer questions that check you understood why.
04 What we cover for the FAA tests today
We map every lesson to the FAA Airman Certification Standards (ACS). ACS knowledge codes are broad, so we do not turn them into a percentage. Here is what we teach, area by area of the Commercial Pilot ACS.
- Performance and Limitations (aerodynamics)10 lessons teach part of it
- Slow Flight and Stalls9 lessons teach part of it
- Operation of Systems5 lessons teach part of it
- Takeoffs, Landings and Go-Arounds4 lessons teach part of it
- Performance Maneuvers4 lessons teach part of it
- Emergency Operations3 lessons teach part of it
- Weather Information2 lessons teach part of it
- Multiengine Operations2 lessons teach part of it
Pilot Qualifications, Airworthiness, the National Airspace System, Human Factors: not yet.
21 lessons in all, each mapped to the Commercial Pilot ACS, the ATP ACS or both. The Private Pilot and Instrument Rating standards are not mapped yet.
05 Try three questions
Answer on the page, with our explanation after each.
06 Why trust us
- Made by an Airline Captain with over 8,000 hrs.
- From the team behind Wingman Pilot Logbook and AirRoster, trusted by more than 30,000 pilots and cabin crew.
- Every lesson and question is our own, written from published sources such as the FAA's Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge, and checked line by line before you see it.
- True Airspeed is not approved or endorsed by the FAA. Your instructor endorses you for the test and the checkride. We help you understand the material.
See how a wing really works, in 3D. Free.
07 Questions students ask
What score do I need to pass an FAA knowledge test?
70 on each pilot knowledge test: private, instrument, commercial and ATP.
How long is my knowledge test result good for?
You must complete the practical test within 24 calendar months of passing. For the ATP multiengine test it is 60 calendar months, once you have completed the ATP Certification Training Program.
Do I need an endorsement to take the test?
Where Part 61 requires one, an authorised instructor must endorse that you completed the ground training or a home-study course and are ready. For the ATP multiengine test you also need the graduation certificate from the ATP Certification Training Program.
Can True Airspeed be my home-study course?
The rule lets an instructor endorse you after a home-study course. Whether our lessons are enough for that is your instructor's call. Today we teach aerodynamics and flight mechanics in depth, not the whole test.
Do you use US units?
We teach in the ICAO units first: degrees Celsius and hectopascals. Some questions also use inches of mercury. Our lessons do not give Fahrenheit yet.
Are these real FAA test questions?
No. Every question is our own. We never copy real or leaked exam questions. We do not have an FAA-format practice test yet.
What does it cost?
The first lesson and its practice questions are free. The full course is not on sale yet. Sign up and we will tell you first when it opens, with the price.