Test Tips

Ready to take the FAA Exams?

Not if you believe these 5 myths that lead to missed answers and failing scores. Here’s how to avoid them.

As an AMT instructor, I send students into the FAA test room all the time. I sit them down, study them up, and send them on their way. I love helping students earn that tasty A&P license. 

But over the years as an A&P, I’ve heard the same busted logic, bad advice and flat-out wrong guesses that tank scores and rattle confidence. 

Students walk into the test center–or worse, the DME’s office–believing one thing and find the truth is something completely different. Here are the 5 biggest FAA test myths and how to avoid them before they cost you a passing score.

Myth #1: You can take any test first

There are three FAA written exams for AMT students:

• General (AMG) 

• Airframe (AMA) 

• Powerplant (AMP)

To take the Oral and Practical for either Airframe or Powerplant, you must pass the General written first. That’s not a suggestion–it’s a requirement. 

A lot of students try to hold off on the General and move ahead to the next written. Big mistake. You’ll end up wasting months prepping for a test you’re not even eligible to take yet. So, take the General first. It unlocks everything else. 

Myth #2: There’s a formula sheet in the test room 

The only thing you’ll have is the FAA’s figure book, and while it contains some formulas, it’s not a cheat sheet.

So do this instead: memorize the formulas you need, and the second you sit down at the testing computer, write them down on the two blank pages you’re given. That’s right–you get two pieces of blank paper and two pencils. Use them wisely.

Myth #3: Memorizing answers is enough to pass 

Downloaded Prepware? Crushing practice tests? Think you’re good? 

Think again. 

ASA Prepware and tools like Dauntless are awesome but if you’re just memorizing answers, you’re setting yourself up to fail. 

These tools are meant to reinforce what you’ve learned–not replace it. Real understanding is what the FAA tests for (and what employers want to see). 

So, here’s what actually works: read the FAA’s 8083 handbooks (General, Airframe, Powerplant). These books form the backbone of your school’s curriculum–and the exam. They explain the why, not just the what. 

Understand the system and the answers will follow.

Myth #4: The DME is trying to fail you 

This one? Totally false.

You’ll hear rumors and think:

“This is the hardest part.”

“I need months to prep.”

“The DME is waiting for me to mess up.”

Nope.

DME’s (our beloved Designated Mechanic Examiners) aren’t gatekeepers–they’re gate openers. Their goal is to verify you’re ready, not ruin your day. 

Here’s the move: come fresh off your last written and sign up for the O&P immediately. Don’t wait months and lose your momentum. That basic theory you just studied? That’s exactly what you need to show the DME.

Be confident. Be prepared. Know how to read a manual. That’s all they’re looking for.

Myth #5: You have to take all three writtens before the O&P

Still waiting to finish all your classes and pass every exam before scheduling your O&P? You’re stalling–and it’s holding you back. 

Here’s what most student don’t realize:

To test for a single rating, all you need is the General written and either the Airframe or Powerplant written. That’s it.

Once you’ve passed those two, you can schedule the Oral & Practical for that rating—and I highly recommend that you do. It breaks the process down, builds confidence and gets you licensed faster. 

Then what?

Go back and finish the third written. Use your momentum and take the second O&P to earn the full A&P. Don’t stop short—and don’t wait forever to start.

This isn’t about shortcuts, it’s about smart sequencing.

Key Takeaway:

Most students don’t fail because they’re unprepared. They fail because they walk in with the wrong expectations. Here’s how to beat it:

Cut through the myths, study smart, and walk into that test room ready to win.

Author: Nathan LaVoie