FAA Commercial Pilot Airplane (CAX) airman knowledge test
The written test for your commercial pilot certificate — commercial privileges, aerodynamics and performance, weight & balance, weather and complex-airplane systems in one 100-question FAA test.
About the exam
The commercial pilot certificate lets you be paid to fly — banner towing, aerial photography, sightseeing flights, flight instruction (with a CFI certificate) and the hours-building jobs on the way to the airlines. Before the commercial checkride you must pass the FAA's Commercial Pilot Airplane (CAX) knowledge test, which goes deeper than the private test on performance, aerodynamics, regulations and complex-airplane systems. You must be 18 to hold the certificate.
The test has 100 multiple-choice questions in 2 hours 30 minutes, each with three answer choices, and you need 70% to pass. It's taken on computer at an FAA-authorized PSI testing center with a photo ID, your FAA Tracking Number (FTN) from IACRA and an endorsement from an authorized instructor. Performance charts, weight & balance tables, weather products and chart excerpts come from the FAA testing supplement (FAA-CT-8080-1E) or embedded images, and you may use an approved calculator or E6B. A passing result is valid for 24 calendar months.
Our practice covers every ACS area with original questions mapped to the knowledge elements, with step-by-step worked solutions for every calculation — load factor and stall speed in turns, maneuvering speed at reduced weight, weight shift and CG, performance-table interpolation, fuel, true airspeed and density altitude, and crosswind components. Add flashcards for commercial privileges, oxygen and inspection rules, worked case walkthroughs of for-hire scenarios and performance planning, illustrated guides to complex-airplane systems and aerodynamics, and timed practice tests at the real length with a score.
How we track your progress
Every blueprint domain moves through five levels as you study:
- Not startedNo questions answered in this domain yet.
- Getting startedFirst questions answered — not enough yet to judge.
- DevelopingAt least 5 answered and 50% or better on your recent questions.
- ProficientAt least 15 answered and 70% or better on your recent questions.
- Exam readyAt least 25 answered, 80% or better recently, and holding up on hard questions.
The exam blueprint
FAA-S-ACS-7B Commercial Pilot for Airplane Category ACS (effective May 31, 2024) — Regulations, airworthiness, weather, planning and airspace, performance and aerodynamics, systems, human factors and operations. Domain weights are QuizMe estimates — the FAA does not publish them. Tap a domain to see its topics.
1 Pilot Qualifications and Regulations about 17% (est.) of the exam
68 practice questions in this domain so far
2 Airworthiness Requirements about 7% (est.) of the exam
28 practice questions in this domain so far
3 Weather Information about 17% (est.) of the exam
68 practice questions in this domain so far
4 Cross-Country Planning and Airspace about 10% (est.) of the exam
40 practice questions in this domain so far
5 Performance, Aerodynamics and Weight & Balance about 22% (est.) of the exam
88 practice questions in this domain so far
6 Systems and High-Altitude Operations about 10% (est.) of the exam
40 practice questions in this domain so far
7 Human Factors about 6% (est.) of the exam
24 practice questions in this domain so far
8 Airport and Emergency Operations about 11% (est.) of the exam
44 practice questions in this domain so far
What you get when you access this exam
Free with your QuizMe account.
Questions built on the ACS
Every question is original and tagged to an ACS area of operation — three choices like the real test, with performance tables, weight & balance problems, described charts and weather reports.
Hints and worked solutions
Reveal the rule, reference or formula behind the question when you're stuck. Every answer has the full rationale, and every calculation is solved step by step.
Adaptive practice
Questions steer toward your weakest areas, weighted like the real test, and get harder as you get stronger.
Timed practice tests
Full-length tests at the real pace — 100 questions in 2 hours 30 minutes — with a pacing indicator, full review and a percent score against the 70% pass mark.
Flashcards, walkthroughs and guides
Flashcards for commercial privileges, oxygen, inspection and airspace rules, worked case walkthroughs that reason through harder questions step by step, and interactive illustrated guides you explore hotspot by hotspot.
Progress in every area
Each area moves from Not started to Exam ready, so you know exactly what to study next.
Radio & callouts drill
Class B arrivals, LAHSO, wake turbulence, emergencies and commercial work on the radio — 10 spoken scenarios with alert tones and replayable calls.
Test at home or at a center
Get your FAA Tracking Number (FTN) in IACRA and an endorsement from your instructor, then schedule the CAX test with PSI.
At a PSI test center
- Schedule through PSI's FAA testing portal and pick an FAA-authorized PSI knowledge testing center near you.
- Bring a current government-issued photo ID and your FAA Tracking Number (FTN) from IACRA plus your authorized instructor's endorsement.
- The center provides the FAA testing supplement (the figures book), scratch paper and a pencil; phones, notes and bags are stored away.
- You may use an approved electronic calculator or flight computer (E6B) without stored aviation data — the proctor checks it before you start.
Before you book
- Remote or online testing isn't offered for the CAX test — it's taken in person at a PSI center.
- At 100 questions, this is a longer sitting than the private test — plan for about 2½ hours of focused work.
- Bring your own approved calculator or E6B if you want one; check PSI's rules before test day.
- If you fail, you need additional training and a new endorsement from an authorized instructor before you retest (61.49).
Exam-day game plan
How to walk in ready — and how to pace 100 questions in 2 hours 30 minutes.
Pacing checkpoints
Our timed test uses the real length and time — 100 questions in 2 hours 30 minutes — as one block of single-answer, three-choice questions. Figures that the real test shows from the testing supplement or as embedded images are reproduced as described text, tables or simple diagrams — not the official FAA charts.
The week before
- Take one full-length timed practice test 4–7 days out, then shorter sets and rest.
- Drill the performance formulas: stall speed × √load factor, Va × √(new weight ÷ max weight), and weight-shift CG.
- Review commercial privileges and the 119.1(e) exceptions, the 100-hour rule and the oxygen altitudes.
- Confirm your PSI appointment, endorsement, FTN and photo ID, and check your E6B or calculator.
During the test
- Pace yourself at about 1½ minutes a question — bank time on quick regulation questions for the chart work.
- On performance charts, trace each step and note the conditions (weight, pressure altitude, temperature, wind) before reading a value.
- Watch for EXCEPT and NOT — they flip what you're looking for.
- Mark hard questions, pick your best answer and come back if time allows.
- Answer every question — there's no penalty for guessing.
Keep your head
- A few nerves sharpen focus. If you freeze, take three slow breaths and reread the question.
- With three choices, ruling out one wrong answer leaves you a coin flip at worst.
- You need 70 of 100 — you can miss 30 and still pass.
After you test
- Your Airman Knowledge Test Report (AKTR) shows your percent score and the ACS codes of every topic you missed; your instructor reviews them with you, and the examiner checks them on the checkride.
- The report is valid for 24 calendar months — you must complete the commercial practical test within that window or retake the knowledge test.
- Next comes the commercial practical test with an FAA examiner — an oral exam on the ACS knowledge areas and a flight test of the commercial maneuvers to tighter standards.
Official sources and further reading
- Commercial Pilot Airplane ACS (FAA-S-ACS-7B) ↗Official areas of operation, tasks and knowledge elements.
- FAA Airman Knowledge Testing ↗Testing advisories, applicant information, sample questions and the knowledge test table.
- FAA airman knowledge testing supplements ↗The figures books (FAA-CT-8080 series) provided at the test center.
Ready to start?
400 questions and scenarios across the blueprint — and growing.
QuizMe is not affiliated with or endorsed by the FAA or PSI. All questions are original. Details are summarized from FAA sources (ACS, testing matrix, 14 CFR); rules and policies change — always confirm at faa.gov. Estimated scores are rough guides.