To pass the oral exam, you must correctly answer three of the four questions to pass. After a year in GA, I went to the navy as a fuselage mechanic and in the squadron working on the F-8 crusaders they thought I was a god because I knew more about fixing things than anyone else in the squadron. From there, the following curriculum may cover material from the Airframe or Powerplant subject depending on the campus a student is attending. For example, when preparing for the powerplant test, I reviewed more than 1,000 multiple-choice questions from the FAA “question bank” and found that the overwhelming emphasis was on radial engines, pressurized carburetors, Hamilton Standard hydraulic propellers, and similar topics of unquestionable interest to fans of birds of war, but without any relevance to contemporary GA aircraft of the type that interested me.
Secondly, the applicant must take and pass three multiple-choice knowledge tests of 100 questions of general mechanic, fuselage mechanic and mechanical power plant and score at least 70% on each. I guess I must have done a very practical job of studying and memorizing, because when I finally took the three FAA knowledge tests at my LaserGrade computerized testing center for children “Don't test this at home, I got 96% overall and 99% on both the airframe and powerplant. To obtain airframe and powerplant certifications (A&P), you must demonstrate proficiency through a few tests. This may include engine troubleshooting, reciprocating engine compression and timing testing, riveting, rivet design, electrical troubleshooting, selecting suitable tools and hardware, ECT.
Similarly, the fuselage test lacked questions about composite construction (unless you count wood and fabric, which I assume is the original composite). The 8083 series has test guides for general, powerplant and fuselage that you can pick up for study. The practical part of the exam is where you really show that you understand and that you can perform basic fuselage and powerplant tasks, repairs and maintenance to the required standards. The question bank for the power plant test did not contain a single syllable about any technology that was less than 30 years old.
If you are interested in training for Airframe and Powerplant (A&P) certifications, you may be wondering if it is difficult to pass the tests required to obtain those licenses. When I did the test there were six sections, but you could skip the general section of fuselage or engine tests. The General test contains 60 questions, and the Airframe and Aviation Powerplant tests contain 100 questions each.
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