FAA Airman Certification Standards

and Practical Test Standards Information

When you take a Checkride (Practical Test) for a new Pilot Certificate or Rating, your examiner does not randomly select the tasks you are asked to perform. They are clearly defined in the appropriate FAA standards book. The Airman Certification Standards (ACS) and the Practical Test Standards (PTS) are an agreement between you, your examiner and the FAA on exactly what you can be tested on and the criteria the examiner will use to determine if you meet the standard. You will find below the current PTS and ACS information for the most common Certificates and Ratings. 

As of June 15, 2016, the ACS replaced PTS for both the Private Pilot Airplane Certificate and the Instrument Rating Airplane.

The New King ACS Course Is Now Available - Martha King's Blog Post about the new release of (ACS) version of Private Pilot Practical Test (Oral Exam & Flight Test)

The ACS is Here - Richard Martindell, Former King Schools Vice President, Course Content and Experience posts his thoughts on the ACS. on his "Wild Blue Yonder" Blog