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A&P mechanic: General

Eleven lessons on the General section of the FAA’s aviation mechanic tests, the part every A&P takes: how to qualify, shop maths and physics, weight and balance, reading drawings, aircraft hardware and rivet codes, fluid lines, corrosion, basic electricity, ground handling and fueling, inspections and crack testing, and the rules and records a mechanic signs.

An unofficial study course for the FAA’s A&P mechanic tests, not made by or affiliated with the FAA.

Part of the Aircraft mechanic (A&P) path.

  1. The A&P certificate

    What an A&P mechanic may do, the two ways to qualify, the three kinds of test, and what an inspection authorization adds.

    6 questions

  2. Shop maths and physics

    Area and volume, engine displacement, pressure and force, horsepower, the gas laws, density altitude and Bernoulli.

    6 questions

  3. Weight and balance

    Datum, arm and moment, finding the center of gravity, weighing an aircraft, and how adding or removing weight moves the CG.

    6 questions

  4. Reading aircraft drawings

    Views and lines, the title block, tolerances, and station numbers that say where a part is on the aircraft.

    5 questions

  5. Materials and hardware

    Aluminum alloys and steel, reading AN bolt and rivet part numbers, nuts and safety wire, and torque wrench sums.

    7 questions

  6. Fluid lines and fittings

    Rigid tubing and its sizes, flared and flareless fittings, flexible hose and its lay line, and O-rings.

    6 questions

  7. Cleaning and corrosion control

    Why metals corrode, the kinds you'll find on aircraft, where to look, and how to remove, treat and protect.

    6 questions

  8. Basic electricity

    Ohm's law and power, series and parallel circuits, meters, wire sizes and circuit protection, and aircraft batteries.

    7 questions

  9. Ground handling and servicing

    Starting and running engines safely, towing and tying down, fueling with the right fuel, and fire extinguishers.

    6 questions

  10. Inspections and testing for cracks

    Annual and 100-hour inspections, then visual inspection, dye penetrant, magnetic particle, eddy current, ultrasonic, X-ray and the tap test.

    6 questions

  11. Rules, records and human factors

    Approved data, airworthiness directives, logbook entries, Form 337, which records to keep, and the Dirty Dozen.

    6 questions
More info

How it works

Each lesson is a short read with worked examples, then practice questions in our own words, written like the knowledge test’s: most have you pick an answer, some ask you to work out a number (a CG, a rivet length, a torque setting) or name a part, and some have you tap steps into order. You can try again as often as you like; after two misses there’s a button to show the answer. To quiz each other, play Hangar Quiz, which draws its questions from all three courses, alone, on one phone or online.

What do I need to know first?

Nothing. Arithmetic and a calculator are enough; each formula is explained where it's used. It's the first of three courses, and the Airframe and Powerplant courses build on it.

The other aviation maintenance courses

Where is my progress saved? In this browser, like the rest of the site. Nothing to sign up for.

Which rules does it follow? The US ones, as of November 2026: 14 CFR parts 39, 43, 65 and 91, and the FAA’s Airman Certification Standards for aviation mechanics (FAA-S-ACS-1). Other countries license mechanics differently. Check the current rules and the FAA’s test guides before your tests.

An unofficial study course, not made by or affiliated with the FAA; the questions are our own, not from the tests, and finishing it doesn’t count toward a mechanic certificate. For real aircraft, always work from the manufacturer’s current manuals and approved data. Nothing here is a substitute for them or for supervised training.