FAA Flight Instructor Helicopter (FRH) knowledge test — also preparing for Flight Instructor Helicopter Added Rating (HFA)
The knowledge test for your helicopter CFI — the technical knowledge you'll teach, plus endorsements, student requirements and how to teach hovering, autorotations and the helicopter hazards.
About the exam
A flight instructor certificate with a rotorcraft helicopter rating (helicopter CFI) lets you give flight and ground training and the endorsements student, private and commercial helicopter pilots need. The Flight Instructor Helicopter (FRH) knowledge test covers the technical subjects you'll teach and the instructor rules; the same bank also prepares you for the Flight Instructor Helicopter Added Rating test (HFA), the shorter version the FAA allows only if you already hold a flight instructor certificate — for example an airplane CFI adding helicopter. QuizMe does not yet cover the sport-pilot helicopter tests (SHF and IHF, including the sport helicopter instructor test).
FRH has 100 multiple-choice questions in 2 hours 30 minutes; HFA has 25 questions in 1 hour. 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; the testing matrix lists no instructor endorsement for a first attempt and a minimum testing age of 16. Charts, performance graphs and weather products come from the FAA instructor testing supplement (FAA-CT-8080-5H). Fundamentals of Instructing (FOI) is a separate test — you need it for your first instructor certificate unless you already hold a flight or ground instructor certificate, hold a state teaching certificate for grade 7 or higher, or teach at an accredited college or university (61.183(e)); if you're taking HFA you already hold an instructor certificate, so FOI doesn't apply. A passing result is valid for 24 calendar months for the practical test.
Our practice covers every area with original questions mapped to the Flight Instructor 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 and fuel. Add flashcards for instructor regulations, helicopter endorsements and SFAR 73, worked case walkthroughs of student errors and hazard scenarios, illustrated guides to rotor systems and autorotation aerodynamics, and timed practice tests at the FRH length — 100 questions in 2 hours 30 minutes — with a score. If you're taking HFA, aim to finish the full test comfortably inside the time.
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-29, Flight Instructor for Rotorcraft Category Helicopter Rating ACS (November 2023; effective May 31, 2024) — Instructor regulations and endorsements, helicopter aerodynamics, systems, performance and weight & balance, emergencies, operations, teaching helicopter maneuvers, weather, navigation and airspace, and human factors — one bank for FRH and HFA. Domain weights are QuizMe estimates — the FAA does not publish them. Tap a domain to see its topics.
1 Instructor Regulations and Endorsements about 16% (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 12% (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 7% (est.) of the exam
60 practice questions in this domain so far
7 Teaching Helicopter Maneuvers about 10% (est.) of the exam
50 practice questions in this domain so far
8 Weather Information about 8% (est.) of the exam
52 practice questions in this domain so far
9 Navigation, Airspace and Flight Planning about 7% (est.) of the exam
62 practice questions in this domain so far
10 Human Factors and Aeronautical Decision-Making about 5% (est.) of the exam
18 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 Flight Instructor Helicopter ACS area — three choices like the real test, with hover and height-velocity charts, loading tables and sectional excerpts described in text, and student-error scenarios.
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, the FRH length — with a pacing indicator, full review and a percent score against the 70% pass mark.
Flashcards, walkthroughs and guides
Flashcards for instructor regulations, helicopter endorsements, 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
FRH and HFA are scheduled and taken through PSI, the FAA's knowledge-testing provider. Get your FAA Tracking Number (FTN) in IACRA, confirm which test applies to you, 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-8080-5H instructor testing supplement with the chart, performance and weather 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: FRH for your first helicopter CFI, HFA only if you already hold a flight instructor certificate — the testing matrix allows added-rating tests only for current flight instructors.
- The testing matrix lists no instructor endorsement for a first attempt at FRH or HFA — check the current matrix before you book.
- Plan for FOI too unless you're exempt: current flight or ground instructors, state-certified teachers for grade 7 or higher and accredited college or university teachers don't take it (61.183(e)).
- 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 FRH length — as one block of single-answer, three-choice questions; HFA is shorter (25 questions in 1 hour). 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.
- Review instructor privileges, limits and recent experience, and the helicopter endorsements — student solo, cross-country, night, knowledge and practical tests, and SFAR 73 for the R22 and R44.
- Drill each helicopter hazard as a teacher would: cause, recognition, recovery and the common student error.
- Confirm your PSI appointment, 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 the instructor's angle — many questions ask what the student did wrong or what you must endorse.
- 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 you'll show it to your examiner.
- A passing result is valid for 24 calendar months — complete the helicopter CFI practical test within that window (and pass FOI first unless you're exempt).
- Next comes the helicopter CFI practical test under FAA-S-ACS-29, where you teach lessons on the ground and in the air and the examiner reviews your missed topics. Once certificated, flight instructors keep their privileges by meeting the recent-experience requirements every 24 calendar months.
Official sources and further reading
- Flight Instructor Helicopter ACS (FAA-S-ACS-29) ↗The official standard for the helicopter CFI practical test — what a helicopter instructor must know and teach.
- FAA Airman Knowledge Testing Matrix ↗Official question count, time, minimum age and the authorization each test requires.
- 14 CFR 61.183 — Flight instructor eligibility ↗Eligibility, the FOI requirement and its exemptions.
Ready to start?
512 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.