Flight Instructor — Airplane (FIA) knowledge test
The technical knowledge test for your CFI — aerodynamics, performance, navigation, weather and the instructor regulations and endorsements, in 100 three-choice questions.
About the exam
The Flight Instructor — Airplane (FIA) test is the technical knowledge test for a flight instructor certificate with an airplane category rating. Commercial and airline transport pilots who want to teach take it alongside the separate Fundamentals of Instructing (FOI) test. It covers the technical subject areas of the Flight Instructor ACS: aerodynamics and principles of flight, systems and performance, airspace, navigation and flight planning, weather, the regulations that govern instructors and their students — including endorsements and logbook entries — and the knowledge behind every maneuver you'll teach.
The test has 100 multiple-choice questions in 2 hours 30 minutes, each with three answer choices (A, B, C), and you need 70% to pass. It's taken on computer at a PSI test center; charts, performance graphs, loading tables and weather products come from the FAA instructor testing supplement (FAA-CT-8080-5H) handed to you at the center. You need an FAA Tracking Number (FTN) from IACRA, and the testing matrix lists no instructor endorsement for the first attempt. A passing result stays valid for 24 calendar months for the practical test.
Our practice covers every area with original questions mapped to the ACS, including step-by-step worked solutions for every calculation — wind triangle, density altitude, weight and balance and weight shift, load factor and stall speed in a bank, crosswind components, time, speed, distance and fuel. Add flashcards for regulations, endorsements and V-speeds, worked case walkthroughs of student scenarios, illustrated guides to aerodynamics, instruments and airspace, 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-25, Flight Instructor for Airplane Category ACS (November 2023; effective May 31, 2024) — Technical subject areas of the CFI ACS — aerodynamics, systems and performance, airspace and navigation, weather, regulations and endorsements, human factors, and the knowledge behind teaching the flight maneuvers. Domain weights are QuizMe estimates — the FAA does not publish them. Tap a domain to see its topics.
1 Aerodynamics and Principles of Flight about 15% (est.) of the exam
60 practice questions in this domain so far
2 Systems, Instruments, Performance and Weight & Balance about 20% (est.) of the exam
80 practice questions in this domain so far
3 Airspace, Navigation and Flight Planning about 20% (est.) of the exam
80 practice questions in this domain so far
4 Weather about 10% (est.) of the exam
40 practice questions in this domain so far
5 Regulations, Endorsements and Pilot Qualifications about 20% (est.) of the exam
80 practice questions in this domain so far
6 Human Factors and Risk Management about 8% (est.) of the exam
32 practice questions in this domain so far
7 Teaching Flight Maneuvers about 7% (est.) of the exam
28 practice questions in this domain so far
What you get when you access this exam
Free with your QuizMe account.
Questions built on the official standard
Every question is tagged to an FIA area and ACS knowledge task — original three-choice questions in the FAA style, with described charts, performance tables, loading graphs and weather products.
Hints that teach the concept
Reveal the regulation, principle or formula behind the question when you're stuck. Every answer comes with the full rationale, and every calculation a step-by-step worked solution.
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 an estimated score against the 70% pass mark.
Flashcards, walkthroughs and guides
Flashcards for regulations, endorsements, V-speeds and airspace minimums, 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
Listen to your student on the radio, catch the errors and teach the fix — 10 scenarios including stall-horn, emergency and radio-failure lessons.
Test at home or at a center
The FIA test is scheduled and taken through PSI, the FAA's knowledge-testing provider. Before you book, create a profile in IACRA to get your FAA Tracking Number (FTN), 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 FTN.
- The center gives you the FAA-CT-8080-5H testing supplement with the charts and 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
- The testing matrix lists no instructor endorsement for a first attempt at FIA — check the current matrix before you book.
- You must be at least 16 to take the test; the instructor certificate itself requires age 18 and a commercial or ATP certificate with an instrument rating.
- Plan to take the FOI test too, unless you're exempt (for example, you already hold a flight or ground instructor certificate).
- If you retake after a failure, bring the failed test report and an instructor's endorsement for the additional training you received.
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 three-choice questions. Figures that the real test shows from the FAA-CT-8080-5H 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 instructor rules: student solo and cross-country requirements, endorsements, and Part 61 Subpart H.
- Rehearse the calculations until they're routine: wind triangle, density altitude, weight shift, load factor and crosswind.
- Confirm your PSI appointment, your FTN, your ID and the flight computer and calculator you'll bring.
During the test
- Pace yourself at about 1½ minutes a question — calculation and chart questions take longer, recall questions much less.
- For chart questions, check the figure number and read the legend, units and notes before you start computing.
- Watch the exact regulatory wording — 'within the preceding 90 days', 'calendar months', 'solo' versus 'PIC'.
- With three choices, eliminate the one you know is wrong first; your odds jump to 50–50.
- 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.
- You need 70%, not 100% — a handful of tough chart questions won't sink you.
- Missed topics show up as ACS codes on your report, and your evaluator will review them with you — it's a study list, not a black mark.
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 you'll show it to your examiner.
- A passing result is valid for 24 calendar months — you must complete the flight instructor practical test before it runs out.
- Next comes the CFI practical test: your instructor reviews the missed ACS codes and endorses you, and the examiner covers them on the oral and flight portions. Once certificated, instructors keep privileges by meeting recent-experience requirements every 24 calendar months.
Official sources and further reading
- Flight Instructor — Airplane ACS (FAA-S-ACS-25) ↗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 FIA sample questions (PDF) ↗Official sample questions with the supplement figures they use.
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.