ACS Benefits Federal Aviation

Administration

The ACS:

 Provides clear information

on what an applicant must
know, consider, and do to
Introducing the ACS:
qualify for a given airman
certificate or rating.

 Allows the FAA to ensure

that test questions are Airman
aligned to the standards and
supported by H-series
handbooks and other
Certification
guidance.
Standards
 Increases standardization.

 Enhances safety by ensuring

that standards, guidance
and testing for airman
certification all work
together effectively.

For More Information

ACS Focus Team (9-AVS-ACS-Focus-Team@[Link])

Photo by Chris Morris
Airman Testing ([Link]/training_testing/testing/acs)

Rev. 170601
 Background ACS Coding
Since September 2011, the FAA has been working
The ACS assigns a unique code to each
with aviation community stakeholders to help
knowledge, skill, and risk management
improve standards, guidance, and test development
element. These codes are anchored in the
practices for airman certification.
ACS, unlike today’s reference-based Learning
Statement Codes.
Under the auspices of an Aviation Rulemaking
Committee (ARC) and the industry’s Aviation
ACS codes will provide better feedback to
Rulemaking Advisory Committee (ARAC), three
applicants, instructors, and evaluators. The
industry working groups have developed and refined
ACS codes also enable the FAA to keep
the ACS framework. These groups have also made
standards clearly aligned with H-series
recommendations to improve the FAA’s H-series
handbooks and test questions, and to develop
handbooks and bring knowledge test development
Photo by Chris Morris
timely and relevant test questions.
procedures in line with accepted best practices.
Example from Commercial Pilot Airplane ACS
An Integrated Approach ACS documents for the ATP, Instructor, and AMT CA.I.F.K2f
certificates are in development. The FAA and aviation
community members of the ACS Working Group will CA = Commercial Pilot Airplane (applicable ACS)
The Airman Certification Standards jointly establish priorities for expanding the ACS I = Preflight Preparation (Area of Operation)
(ACS) provides a single-source set of framework to other airman certificates and ratings. F = Performance & Limitations (Task)
standards for both the knowledge K2f = Weight & Balance (Task element)
test and the practical test. It also
enables the FAA to keep standards
aligned with H-series handbooks and
knowledge test questions.
Built on the Practical Test Standards
(PTS), the ACS adds the aeronautical
knowledge and risk management
elements needed to support each
PTS Task. It does not change or
lengthen the practical test.
The ACS provides a clear, easy-to-use
“flight plan” for the material the FAA
expects an applicant to know
(knowledge), consider (risk
management), and do (skill) to qualify
for an airman certificate or rating.
The ACS replaced the PTS for Private
Pilot Airplane (PAR) and Instrument
Rating Airplane (IRA) June 15, 2016,
and for Commercial Pilot Airplane
(CAX) on June 12, 2017.