# FIA Knowledge Test — Study Plan from the Free FAA Corpus Pass the FAA Flight Instructor Airplane (FIA) written: 100 questions in 2.5 hours mixing instructing fundamentals with commercial-level airplane knowledge. Free FAA corpus, adaptive plan. Canonical URL: https://exclam.ai/faa/fia/ [FAA](https://exclam.ai/faa/index.md)›FIA, Flight Instructor — Airplane FAA FIA · Updated August 2026 The FIA combines airplane knowledge with the instructor’s responsibility to explain and teach it. Review technical subjects, maneuver instruction, instructor regulations, and the applicable FAA references. Recent CAX and FOI study can help, but use practice to identify the material you still need. Questions 100 Allotted time 2.5 hours CY2025 pass rate 95.35% Typical prep ~65 hours [See the free corpus](https://exclam.ai/faa/fia/index.md#corpus) ## Test format 100 multiple-choice questions, 2.5 hours, passing score 70%. Taken at PSI testing centers with access to CT-8080-5H until its announced removal. Embedded images begin October 26, 2026. Minimum age 16; often taken near the FOI. Study airplane knowledge and how to teach it. Include the Aviation Instructor’s Handbook and the references for each applicable ACS task. The CY2025 FIA pass rate was 95.35%, below CAX and FOI. The report does not establish the reason for that difference. Coordinate FIA and FOI study where topics overlap. Check instructor-specific and technical topics separately. CY2025: 14,736 tests, 95.35% pass rate, 88.89% average score (FAA AKT Volume Report). The FIA passing score is 70%. Verify current testing details at [faa.gov/training\_testing](https://www.faa.gov/training_testing/testing) before scheduling. Flight instructor tests begin using embedded images on October 26, 2026. 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). ## FIA knowledge areas These study topics summarize the FAA Airman Certification Standards and source handbooks. Consult the applicable standards and references for the complete requirements. ### Fundamentals of Instructing, Applied FOI theory re-asked in flight-training scenarios rather than the abstract. Applying learning theory to flight maneuvers instruction Lesson plans and performance-based objectives for flight lessons Demonstration-performance method in the cockpit Student pilot supervision, endorsements, and solo requirements ### Technical Subject Areas Commercial-depth aerodynamics, systems, and performance — now with "teach it" framing. Aerodynamics of maneuvering flight, stalls, and spins Airplane systems and instruments an instructor must explain Performance and limitations; weight and balance teaching points Regulations, airspace, and night operations review ### Maneuver Analysis and Common Errors The instructor-specific layer: how maneuvers go wrong and how to correct them. Elements, common errors, and correction techniques per maneuver Takeoffs, landings, and go-arounds from the right seat Slow flight, stalls, and spin awareness instruction Ground reference maneuvers and commercial maneuvers instruction ### Instructor Regulations and Endorsements The paperwork spine of instructing: what a CFI may sign and when. Flight instructor privileges and limitations (14 CFR 61.193, 61.195) Student pilot, knowledge test, and checkride endorsements (AC 61-65) Records, expirations, and renewal requirements 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 FIA 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. [AIH Aviation Instructor's Handbook (FAA-H-8083-9) THE source for the FOI written and the instructing half of the CFI written: learning theory, teaching methods, assessment.](https://www.faa.gov/sites/faa.gov/files/regulations_policies/handbooks_manuals/aviation/aviation_instructors_handbook/aviation_instructors_handbook.pdf) [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) [ACS (CFI) Flight Instructor — Airplane Airman Certification Standards (FAA-S-ACS-25) The official blueprint for both the FOI and FIA writtens.](https://www.faa.gov/training_testing/testing/acs/cfi_airplane_acs_25.pdf) ## How exclam.ai helps with the FIA ### 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 4 FIA knowledge areas. Every answer traces back to a page. ### A dated daily plan ~65 hours of weighted coverage paced to your test date, with review of weak areas and recomputation when you fall behind. ## FIA questions Should I take the FOI or FIA first? Most candidates take the FOI first or the same week — the instructing fundamentals overlap, and the FOI is the shorter test. Both come from the CT-8080-5H supplement family. How much of the FIA is new after the CAX? FIA shares airplane topics with CAX and adds the instructor’s teaching responsibilities. Review the current instructor ACS, regulations, and endorsements. A text-overlap percentage does not establish how much of your exam or study will be new. How long should I study? With a recent CAX pass, 3-4 weeks focused on the AIH and instructor regs is common. From scratch, plan 8+ weeks — the corpus spans five documents. Is there a spin endorsement question trap? Spin awareness and stall/spin instruction appear on the written; the actual spin training endorsement is a flight requirement (14 CFR 61.183). Know both the aerodynamics and the paperwork. ## 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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