What Is the O&P Exam and Who Conducts It?

The oral & practical test is the final hurdle in the FAA mechanic certification process. The legal authority comes from 14 CFR Part 65 Subpart D: experience requirements are set by §65.77, knowledge requirements by §65.75, and skill requirements by §65.79. In practice, the O&P is administered by a Designated Mechanic Examiner (DME) — an experienced, FAA-authorized mechanic who conducts the test at their own facility or at an FAA Flight Standards District Office (FSDO).

Since July 31, 2023, the testing standard is the Aviation Mechanic General, Airframe, and Powerplant Airman Certification Standards (ACS, FAA-S-ACS-1), which the FAA incorporated by reference into Part 65. The ACS replaced the older Practical Test Standards and organizes everything into three sections: General (AM.I), Airframe (AM.II), and Powerplant (AM.III). If you are seeking both ratings, you will take separate oral and practical tests for General, Airframe, and Powerplant — not one combined event. DMEs build their tests from the FAA's Mechanic Test Generator, so question selection is standardized rather than left to examiner preference.

Eligibility: Experience, Form 8610-2, and the 24-Month Clock

Before you can schedule an O&P, you must satisfy the experience requirement: 18 months of practical experience for a single rating, or 30 months for both Airframe and Powerplant, per §65.77. Graduates of an FAA Part 147 aviation maintenance technician school (AMTS) meet the requirement with their graduation certificate. Your experience must be documented and endorsed on FAA Form 8610-2, which an FAA inspector at a FSDO signs after reviewing your logbook. Part 147 graduates can instead present a graduation certificate to the DME.

Timing matters more than most applicants realize. Under §65.71(a)(3), you must pass all of the prescribed tests — written, oral, and practical — for the rating sought within 24 months. Your written test results (the Airman Knowledge Test Report, or AKTR) expire 24 calendar months after the month you passed. If your O&P is not completed before the AKTR expires, you must retake and pass the written test before you can start or continue the practical test. Do not let your written scores sit: schedule the O&P as soon as your experience and endorsement are in place. There is one notable exception: a Part 147 student in the final 45 days of training can take the O&P early under §65.80, before the written tests.

What to Bring and What Happens First

The process starts with a pre-test interview. The DME reviews your FAA Form 8610-2 for completeness, verifies your identity with a government-issued photo ID, and reviews the ACS codes on your AKTR — the codes identify exactly which knowledge elements you missed on the written tests, and those areas will be probed again orally. Bring your original AKTR, your endorsed 8610-2, photo identification, and any logbooks or school records that document your experience.

This is also the moment to agree on the DME's fee. The FAA authorizes DMEs to charge a reasonable fee for administering the tests and using their facilities, equipment, and materials. Fees vary widely by examiner and region, so confirm the total cost in writing before the testing begins. Ask what equipment and aircraft they provide and what you are expected to bring — many candidates bring their own hand tools, which is standard practice.

The Oral Test: Standards and Strategy

The oral portion is exactly what it sounds like: the DME asks you questions and you answer — no reference material allowed. Under the ACS, the examiner asks a minimum of four questions in each subject area, and the Mechanic Test Generator adds one extra oral question for every ACS code you missed on the written test. A candidate who scored exactly 70 percent on the Airframe written can therefore face more than 30 oral questions; a candidate with a perfect score gets the minimum. The 70 percent passing standard applies to each oral test as a whole — General, Airframe, and Powerplant are graded separately.

Preparation strategy: review your AKTR codes before test day. Every code you missed on the written test is a code the DME is likely to ask about orally. Practice explaining systems out loud as if you were teaching them to an apprentice — the examiner is evaluating whether you can communicate maintenance knowledge clearly, not just recite it. If you fail one oral section, you retest that entire section; sections you passed are not repeated.

The Practical Test: Graded Projects

The practical portion is a series of hands-on projects. Under the current ACS structure, expect around 9 projects for General, 11 for Airframe, and 10 for Powerplant, with two practical questions asked during each project. Projects are standalone and drawn from the skill elements in the ACS — sheet metal repairs, composite patches, hydraulic component inspection, engine component removal and installation, propeller work, and the documentation that goes with each job. The DME assigns projects across all subject areas at three difficulty levels, so you cannot predict which specific tasks you will draw.

Each project is graded pass/fail. You need a satisfactory result on at least 70 percent of the assigned projects to pass that practical test. Answering one of the two practical questions incorrectly fails the entire project, and so does failing to complete the project to the required standard — exceeding a tolerance, skipping an approved procedure, or missing a safety step can all disqualify a project. The good news: if you fail, you only retest the failed projects plus any projects not yet assigned, never the ones you passed.

Documentation is a hidden exam subject. Expect to make maintenance record entries, fill out forms, and look things up in AC 43.13-1B, the aircraft maintenance manual, and 14 CFR Part 43 — the DME wants to see that you can complete a job to a return-to-service standard, which includes the paperwork. See our 14 CFR Part 43 deep dive for the record-keeping rules you will be expected to apply.

How to Prepare for the O&P

Use the ACS as your checklist. The FAA-S-ACS-1 lists every knowledge and skill element for General, Airframe, and Powerplant. Work through the skill elements you have not performed recently and practice each one to the standard in the ACS.
Review your AKTR codes. Missed written questions map to specific subject elements. Close those gaps before the DME does it for you orally.
Practice talking about maintenance. Explain a system, a repair, or a regulation to a study partner. Oral fluency under pressure is a skill you can train.
Drill the paperwork. Logbook entries, Form 337, AD compliance checks, and return-to-service sign-offs appear in practical projects more often than candidates expect.
Bring the right tools and dress for the shop. Ask the DME in advance what they supply. Clean, professional shop attire and your own calibrated tools make a strong first impression.
Keep your written knowledge fresh. The written tests are the foundation of the oral questions. A final pass through FAA A&P study guide material in the weeks before your O&P keeps the details sharp.

After You Pass

When you complete the tests satisfactorily, the DME issues FAA Form 8060-4, the Temporary Airman Certificate, which is valid for 120 days while the FAA mails your permanent certificate. As a certificated mechanic you gain the privileges of §65.83, including approving aircraft for return to service after maintenance — the responsibility that makes the A&P credential so valuable. Many mechanics go on to add an Inspection Authorization (IA) after three years of experience; see our A&P vs IA vs Repairman comparison for that next step.

The O&P is the most direct test of your ability as a mechanic — and it is also the most rewarding part of earning the certificate. Pass your three written tests with confidence, document your experience, and prepare for the O&P with the same discipline you used for the knowledge exams. The certificate at the end is worth every hour.

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