FAA CAX
·Updated August 2026
The commercial written re-tests private-pilot knowledge at greater depth — measured ~86% content overlap with PAR — plus commercial regulations, complex-airplane systems, and heavier performance math. The right plan is a weighted review, not a cover-to-cover re-read. That is exactly what exclam.ai composes from the free FAA corpus.
100 multiple-choice questions, 2.5 hours, passing score 70%. Taken at PSI testing centers with the CT-8080-1E figures supplement. Minimum age 16 for the written (18 for the certificate).
Measured ~86% content overlap with the private written — the delta is commercial regulations, complex systems, and deeper performance math. Weight your study toward the delta.
CY2025 pass rate 99.17% with a 91.25% average — candidates fail by skipping the regulations domain, not the flying knowledge.
Performance and weight-and-balance computations from the CT-8080-1E supplement reward practiced chart work under time.
CY2025: 20,530 tests, 99.17% pass rate, 91.25% average score (FAA AKT Volume Report). Passing score is 70% on every FAA airman knowledge test. Verify current testing details at faa.gov/training_testing before scheduling.
Paraphrased from the FAA Airman Certification Standards and the source handbooks. Every CAX question maps to a knowledge element in the ACS.
What a commercial certificate actually lets you do — the most commercially-specific domain.
Complex-airplane systems and the performance charts asked at commercial depth.
The aerodynamic reasoning behind the commercial maneuver set.
PAR-level weather and navigation, re-asked with commercial scenario framing.
Decision-making and physiology at the depth the commercial ACS demands.
exclam.ai does not reproduce FAA test questions. Area names and focus points above are paraphrased from the publicly published ACS at faa.gov.
Every document below is a work of the U.S. federal government, public domain under 17 U.S.C. §105 — the same PDFs the test questions are written against. Upload them to exclam.ai to build a study plan from the source material itself.
The base aeronautical-knowledge text: aerodynamics, systems, performance, airspace, navigation, and weather theory.
Maneuvers, takeoffs and landings, emergency procedures, and night operations — the flight-procedure half of the written.
The consolidated weather reference — theory, hazards, and every weather product the ACS references.
Weight-and-balance theory and computation problems, a fixture of the commercial written.
The official test blueprint: every CAX question maps to a knowledge element in this document.
The FAA PDFs above are free and public domain. Upload them and exclam.ai builds the reading order, weighted by what the test actually asks — no paid course required.
Practice questions and quick checks generated from the handbooks themselves, mapped to the 5 CAX knowledge areas. Every answer traces back to a page.
~55 hours of weighted coverage paced to your test date, with review of weak areas and recomputation when you fall behind.
For a current private pilot, 4-6 weeks of weighted review is typical. exclam.ai’s composed plan allocates ~55 hours, weighted toward the commercial-only material rather than a full PHAK re-read.
The numbers say no: 99.17% pass vs 89.56% for PAR in CY2025. The material is familiar; the depth is greater. Most CAX takers are experienced pilots, which inflates the pass rate.
Commercial privileges and limitations, common vs private carriage, complex airplane systems (constant-speed props, retractable gear, turbocharging), and heavier performance/W&B computation. Roughly 14% of knowledge elements are new.
The FAA publishes the blueprint (ACS) and the source handbooks free. exclam.ai generates practice questions mapped to those sources. If you also own a commercial bank, upload your notes alongside.
Upload the free FAA handbooks or your own ground-school notes and exclam.ai builds an adaptive daily plan around your test date.
Preparing for more than one exam? exclam.ai works across every major professional credential. Your flashcard history, spaced repetition data, and study preferences carry across verticals in a single account.