# CAX Knowledge Test — Study Plan from the Free FAA Corpus Prepare for the FAA Commercial Pilot Airplane (CAX) written: 100 questions in 2.5 hours. Review airplane knowledge and commercial topics with official FAA sources. Canonical URL: https://exclam.ai/faa/cax/ [FAA](https://exclam.ai/faa/index.md)›CAX, Commercial Pilot — Airplane FAA CAX · Updated August 2026 Commercial study builds on private-pilot knowledge with commercial regulations, airplane systems, and performance calculations. Our ACS text comparison found PAR matches for about 86% of CAX elements. That measures shared wording, not exam questions or weighting. Use practice results to decide which topics need review. Questions 100 Allotted time 2.5 hours CY2025 pass rate 99.17% Typical prep ~55 hours [See the free corpus](https://exclam.ai/faa/cax/index.md#corpus) ## Test format 100 multiple-choice questions, 2.5 hours, passing score 70%. Taken at PSI testing centers, with embedded images and access to CT-8080-1E until its announced removal. Minimum age 16 for the written (18 for the certificate). About 86% of CAX ACS element texts matched PAR in our comparison. Text overlap does not determine how much study you need. CY2025 pass rate: 99.17%; average score: 91.25%. These statistics do not identify why candidates pass or fail. 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). The CAX passing score is 70%. Verify current testing details at [faa.gov/training\_testing](https://www.faa.gov/training_testing/testing) before scheduling. Commercial pilot tests already use embedded images. Printed supplements remain available until the FAA announces their removal. See the [August 2026 FAA testing advisory](https://www.faa.gov/training_testing/testing/August_2026_ATCA.pdf). ## CAX knowledge areas These study topics summarize the FAA Airman Certification Standards and source handbooks. Consult the applicable standards and references for the complete requirements. ### Commercial Regulations and Privileges What a commercial certificate actually lets you do — the most commercially-specific domain. Commercial pilot privileges and limitations (14 CFR 61.133) Common carriage vs private carriage; holding out Second-in-command and high-performance/complex endorsements Flight and duty considerations for compensation flying ### Airplane Systems and Performance Complex-airplane systems and the performance charts asked at commercial depth. Constant-speed propellers, retractable gear, turbocharging Takeoff, climb, cruise, and landing performance computations Weight and balance: CG computation and shift problems Airspeeds: Va behavior with weight, Vx/Vy trends with altitude ### Advanced Aerodynamics and Maneuvers The aerodynamic reasoning behind the commercial maneuver set. Load factor, accelerated stalls, and maneuvering speed Left-turning tendencies and P-factor at high power Chandelles, lazy eights, and steep spirals — the physics being tested Stability, spins, and spiral divergence ### Weather and Cross-Country Planning PAR-level weather and navigation, re-asked with commercial scenario framing. Weather products for a commercial cross-country brief Icing, thunderstorm, and wind-shear avoidance Pilotage, dead reckoning, and VOR/GPS navigation review Fuel planning with reserves for compensation operations ### ADM, Night Operations, and Aeromedical Decision-making and physiology at the depth the commercial ACS demands. Risk management frameworks (PAVE, 5P, IMSAFE) Night vision, illusions, and night operation requirements Hypoxia, fatigue, and IMSAFE self-assessment exclam.ai does not reproduce FAA test questions. Area names and focus points above are paraphrased from the publicly published ACS at faa.gov. ## Free FAA corpus for the CAX These official FAA handbooks and standards provide a starting source list. The ACS also references regulations, the AIM, advisory circulars, charts, and aircraft-specific POH/AFM material. Use the references applicable to your test alongside these documents. [PHAK Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge (FAA-H-8083-25C) The base aeronautical-knowledge text: aerodynamics, systems, performance, airspace, navigation, and weather theory.](https://www.faa.gov/regulations_policies/handbooks_manuals/aviation/faa-h-8083-25c.pdf) [AFH Airplane Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8083-3C) Maneuvers, takeoffs and landings, emergency procedures, and night operations — the flight-procedure half of the written.](https://www.faa.gov/sites/faa.gov/files/regulations_policies/handbooks_manuals/aviation/airplane_handbook/00_afh_full.pdf) [AWH Aviation Weather Handbook (FAA-H-8083-28B) The consolidated weather reference — theory, hazards, and every weather product the ACS references.](https://www.faa.gov/sites/faa.gov/files/FAA-H-8083-28B.pdf) [WBH Weight and Balance Handbook (FAA-H-8083-1B) Weight-and-balance theory and computation problems, a fixture of the commercial written.](https://www.faa.gov/sites/faa.gov/files/regulations_policies/handbooks_manuals/aviation/FAA-H-8083-1.pdf) [ACS (CAX) Commercial Pilot — Airplane Airman Certification Standards (FAA-S-ACS-7B) The official test blueprint: every CAX question maps to a knowledge element in this document.](https://www.faa.gov/training_testing/testing/acs/commercial_airplane_acs_7.pdf) ## How exclam.ai helps with the CAX ### Study the real handbooks The FAA PDFs above are free to study. Upload them with the additional references your test requires, and exclam.ai builds a reading plan. ### Quizzes mapped to the source Practice questions and quick checks generated from the handbooks themselves, mapped to the 5 CAX knowledge areas. Every answer traces back to a page. ### A dated daily plan ~55 hours of weighted coverage paced to your test date, with review of weak areas and recomputation when you fall behind. ## CAX questions How long should I study for the CAX? 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. Is the CAX harder than the private written? CY2025 pass rates were 99.17% for CAX and 89.56% for PAR. Different candidates take these tests, so pass rates alone do not establish relative difficulty. Check both familiar topics and commercial requirements with practice. What is actually new vs the private written? Review commercial privileges and limitations, common and private carriage, airplane systems, and performance calculations. Our text comparison found no PAR match for about 14% of CAX elements. This is a wording comparison, not an estimate of new exam questions. Do I need a paid question bank? 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. ## Other exclam.ai study systems 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. 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