100+ Free FAA FIA Practice Questions

The FAA Flight Instructor Airplane (FIA) knowledge test has 100 multiple-choice questions with a 2-hour-30-minute time limit. The passing score is 70%, meaning you must correctly answer at least 70 of 100 questions. Questions draw from the Airplane Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8083-3C), Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge (FAA-H-8083-25C), Aviation Instructor's Handbook (FAA-H-8083-9A), and FAA-S-ACS-25 Airman Certification Standards.

Candidates must pass the Fundamentals of Instructing (FOI) knowledge test before being recommended for the FIA, unless exempt under 14 CFR 61.183 (typically holding a current teacher's certificate, grade 7 or higher, or employed as a college or university instructor). Both tests are administered at PSI testing centers at $175 each. You must also hold a Commercial Pilot or ATP certificate with airplane category and an instrument-airplane rating to ultimately receive the CFI certificate.

Each FAA knowledge test is $175 at PSI testing centers. Most FIA candidates take both the FOI ($175) and the FIA ($175), for a total of $350. If you qualify for the FOI exemption, your total is $175. Retakes also cost $175 each.

Per 14 CFR 61.183(i), a CFI applicant must have received and logged spin training from an authorized instructor and obtained a logbook endorsement certifying competency in stall/spin awareness, spin entry, spin recovery, and instructional proficiency. The spin training is typically conducted in an aircraft approved for intentional spins (e.g., Cessna 152 Aerobat, Citabria, Decathlon). The FIA practical test may or may not include actual spin demonstration depending on the examiner, the airplane, and current ACS guidance.

PARE stands for Power idle, Ailerons neutral, Rudder opposite (against the direction of rotation), Elevator forward (briskly through neutral to break the stall). PARE is the universal generic spin recovery sequence taught in the Airplane Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8083-3C). Always follow the airplane-specific POH procedure when it differs, but PARE is the foundation for teaching primary students stall-spin recognition and the muscle-memory recovery.

Per the Airplane Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8083-3C), the four left-turning tendencies are: (1) Torque reaction — Newton's third law, the engine and prop spinning clockwise (as seen from the cockpit) twist the airframe counterclockwise; (2) P-factor — at high angles of attack and high power, the descending right blade has a higher angle of attack than the ascending left blade, producing asymmetric thrust that yaws the nose left; (3) Spiraling slipstream — propwash spirals clockwise around the fuselage and strikes the left side of the vertical fin, yawing the nose left; (4) Gyroscopic precession — any pitch change of the spinning prop is felt 90 degrees later in the direction of rotation. All four are strongest at high power and low airspeed (climb).

Critical V-speeds include Vso (stall speed in landing configuration, lower limit of white arc), Vs1 (clean-configuration stall, lower limit of green arc), Vfe (max flap extended, upper limit of white arc), Vno (max structural cruising, lower limit of yellow arc, smooth-air only above), Vne (never exceed, red line), Va (design maneuvering speed, decreases with weight), Vx (best angle of climb, max altitude in shortest distance), Vy (best rate of climb, max altitude in shortest time), and Vbg (best glide for L/D max). The student must be able to find each in the POH and explain why it changes with weight where applicable.

Most candidates report 60-100 hours of focused study over 8-12 weeks. Commercial pilots already familiar with the pilot-knowledge content typically focus the majority of their time on the Fundamentals of Instructing (the AIH), CFI-specific regulations (61.183/61.185/61.193/61.195/61.197), endorsements (AC 61-65), and teaching points for each maneuver. Many CFI candidates use a structured course (e.g., Sheppard Air, Sporty's, King Schools) combined with the FAA handbooks plus full-length practice tests at the 70% bar.

Per 14 CFR 61.197, a CFI certificate expires at the end of the 24th calendar month after issuance or renewal. Renewal options include: completing an FAA-approved Flight Instructor Refresher Course (FIRC) within 3 months of expiration; passing the CFI practical test or a renewal practical; demonstrating an 80% student recommendation rate over the previous 24 months on at least 5 students; or completing alternative qualifying activity per the current rule. Online FIRCs (e.g., AOPA, Aviation Seminars, King Schools) are the most common renewal path.