FAA Commercial Pilot Helicopter (CRH) knowledge test — also preparing for Commercial Pilot Helicopter Canadian Conversion (CCH)
The written test for your commercial helicopter certificate — commercial rules, rotor aerodynamics, performance and loading, emergencies and weather, at the depth a working helicopter pilot needs.
About the exam
A commercial pilot certificate with a rotorcraft category, helicopter class rating lets you fly helicopters for compensation or hire — tours, utility work, flight instruction once you add a CFI, and the path to Part 135 and air ambulance jobs. The Commercial Pilot Helicopter (CRH) knowledge test is the written test you pass before the commercial helicopter checkride; the same bank also prepares you for the Commercial Pilot Helicopter Canadian Conversion test (CCH) for Transport Canada licence holders. QuizMe does not yet cover the sport-pilot helicopter tests (SHF and IHF).
CRH has 100 multiple-choice questions in 2 hours 30 minutes; CCH has 40 questions in 2 hours. Every question has three answer choices, and you need 70% to pass. You test on computer at a PSI test center with a photo ID and an FAA Tracking Number (FTN) from IACRA; minimum testing age is 16 for CRH and 18 for CCH (the commercial certificate itself requires age 18). CRH needs an endorsement from an authorized instructor or a pilot school graduation certificate; CCH needs no endorsement. Performance charts, loading tables, weather products and chart excerpts come from the FAA commercial testing supplement (FAA-CT-8080-1E) or embedded images. A passing result is valid for 24 calendar months. If you already hold a commercial certificate with an airplane or other category rating, adding a helicopter rating needs no additional knowledge test (61.63(b)).
Our practice covers every area with original questions mapped to the Commercial Helicopter ACS, with step-by-step worked solutions for every calculation — density altitude, hover performance in and out of ground effect, longitudinal and lateral CG, weight shift, wind triangle, fuel and time. Add flashcards for commercial regulations, helicopter limits and weather codes, worked case walkthroughs of performance planning and emergency decisions, illustrated guides to rotor systems and the height-velocity diagram, and timed practice tests at the real length — 100 questions in 2 hours 30 minutes — 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-16, Commercial Pilot for Rotorcraft Category Helicopter Rating ACS (November 2023; effective May 31, 2024) — Commercial privileges and regulations, helicopter aerodynamics, systems, performance and weight & balance, emergencies, helicopter operations, weather, cross-country planning and airspace, and human factors — one bank for CRH and CCH. Domain weights are QuizMe estimates — the FAA does not publish them. Tap a domain to see its topics.
1 Commercial Privileges and Regulations about 15% (est.) of the exam
50 practice questions in this domain so far
2 Helicopter Aerodynamics about 15% (est.) of the exam
60 practice questions in this domain so far
3 Helicopter Systems and Instruments about 10% (est.) of the exam
50 practice questions in this domain so far
4 Performance, Limitations and Weight & Balance about 16% (est.) of the exam
60 practice questions in this domain so far
5 Emergencies and Hazards about 10% (est.) of the exam
50 practice questions in this domain so far
6 Helicopter Operations about 8% (est.) of the exam
60 practice questions in this domain so far
7 Weather Information about 14% (est.) of the exam
51 practice questions in this domain so far
8 Cross-Country Planning and Airspace about 7% (est.) of the exam
21 practice questions in this domain so far
9 Human Factors about 5% (est.) of the exam
17 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 a Commercial Helicopter ACS area — three choices like the real test, with hover and height-velocity charts, loading tables, sectional excerpts and weather reports described in text.
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 regulations, helicopter limits, rotor hazards and weather codes, 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.
Test at home or at a center
CRH and CCH are scheduled and taken through PSI, the FAA's knowledge-testing provider. Get your FAA Tracking Number (FTN) in IACRA and your instructor's endorsement (not needed for CCH), then choose a PSI test center and time. Remote testing is not offered for FAA airman knowledge tests.
At a PSI test center
- Book through PSI's FAA scheduling site; the fee is paid to PSI, not the FAA — about $175 at PSI (confirm when you book).
- Bring a current government-issued photo ID that meets FAA identification rules, and your FAA Tracking Number (FTN).
- The center gives you the FAA-CT-8080-1E commercial testing supplement with the performance, loading, weather and chart figures; some questions show images on screen.
- You may use an FAA-approved flight computer (E6B) and calculator under the test center's rules; PSI's testing system also includes an on-screen E6B.
Before you book
- Pick the right test: CRH for a commercial helicopter certificate, CCH if you're converting a Transport Canada commercial licence.
- The testing matrix accepts an endorsement from an authorized instructor or a graduation certificate from an FAA-certificated pilot school as the authorization for a first attempt. CCH needs no endorsement.
- Already a commercial pilot with an airplane or other category rating? Adding a helicopter rating needs no additional knowledge test (61.63(b)) — confirm with your instructor.
- If you retake after a failure, bring the failed test report and an endorsement from an authorized instructor who gave you the additional training.
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, the CRH length — as one block of single-answer, three-choice questions; CCH is shorter. Figures that the real test shows from the FAA-CT-8080-1E 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 commercial privileges and limits — what counts as holding out, when Part 91 applies and when an operator certificate is needed.
- Rehearse chart work: hover ceilings IGE and OGE, the height-velocity diagram, and CG after loading changes.
- Confirm your PSI appointment, your endorsement (or graduation certificate), your FTN, your ID and the flight computer and calculator you'll bring.
During the test
- Pace yourself at about 1 minute 30 seconds a question — at 100 questions, don't let one chart eat five minutes.
- Read for helicopter-specific rules — fuel reserves, Class G minimums and minimum altitudes differ from airplanes.
- For performance and loading questions, write down the inputs and units before you read the chart.
- Watch for EXCEPT and NOT — they flip what you're looking for.
- Mark hard questions, answer every one and come back if time allows — 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 — a few long chart problems won't sink you.
After you test
- You get your Airman Knowledge Test Report at the test center; it shows your score and the ACS codes of any knowledge areas you missed, and your instructor reviews them with you before the checkride.
- A passing result is valid for 24 calendar months — complete the commercial helicopter practical test within that window or retake the knowledge test.
- Next comes the commercial helicopter practical test under FAA-S-ACS-16 — an oral on commercial knowledge plus a flight test held to tighter tolerances, including autorotations, confined-area and pinnacle work and special operations.
Official sources and further reading
- Commercial Pilot Helicopter ACS (FAA-S-ACS-16) ↗The official areas of operation, tasks and knowledge elements the test is built on.
- FAA Airman Knowledge Testing Matrix ↗Official question count, time, minimum age and the authorization each test requires.
- FAA airman knowledge testing supplements ↗The commercial figures book (FAA-CT-8080-1E) provided at the test center.
Ready to start?
419 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.