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What is the standard holding-pattern leg length at or below 14,000 feet MSL?
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Key Facts: FAA FII Exam
60
Exam Questions
FAA Airman Knowledge Testing Matrix
70%
Passing Score
42 of 60 correct
2h 30m
Time Limit
150 minutes
$175
Test Fee
PSI testing centers
No endorsement
Authorization to Test
FAA Testing Matrix
24 months
Result Validity
FAA 14 CFR 61
The FAA FII is a 60-question, 2 hour 30 minute multiple-choice knowledge test with a 70% passing score (42 of 60 correct), administered at PSI testing centers for $175. Per the FAA Testing Matrix, NO instructor endorsement is required to take the FII test itself — but applicants for the CFII certificate must hold a commercial or ATP certificate with an instrument-airplane rating, pass the Fundamentals of Instructing (FOI) test (unless waived), and obtain CFI endorsements for the practical test under 14 CFR 61.183. The test is based on FAA-H-8083-15B (Instrument Flying Handbook), FAA-H-8083-16B (Instrument Procedures Handbook), and FAA-H-8083-9 (Aviation Instructor's Handbook). Knowledge test results are valid 24 calendar months. Failure requires additional instruction and an instructor endorsement under 14 CFR 61.49 before retake.
Sample FAA FII Practice Questions
Try these sample questions to test your FAA FII exam readiness. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 100+ question experience with AI tutoring.
1Per the FAA Airman Knowledge Testing Matrix, how many multiple-choice questions are on the Flight Instructor Instrument Airplane (FII) knowledge test?
2What is the minimum passing score on the FAA FII knowledge test?
3Per the FAA Airman Knowledge Testing Matrix, what is the time allotted for the FII knowledge test?
4Per the FAA Testing Matrix, authorization to take the FII knowledge test requires what form of instructor endorsement?
5An applicant for the initial Flight Instructor Instrument certificate (CFII) must already hold which underlying pilot credentials?
6Per 14 CFR 91.167, the basic IFR fuel reserve rule (the '45-minute rule') requires enough fuel to fly to the first airport of intended landing, then to the alternate when one is required, and then to fly after that for how long at normal cruise?
7Under the 14 CFR 91.169 '1-2-3 rule,' an IFR alternate must be filed when, from 1 hour before to 1 hour after the ETA at the destination, the forecast ceiling is less than ___ and visibility is less than ___.
8When an instrument approach is published at the alternate airport but is NOT a precision (or APV) approach, the standard alternate airport weather minimums under 14 CFR 91.169 are at least:
9A student asks how often a VOR receiver used for IFR must be checked for accuracy under 14 CFR 91.171. The correct answer is:
10Per 14 CFR 91.171, what tolerance is allowed for a dual-VOR cross-check (one VOR against the other on the same station)?
About the FAA FII Exam
The FAA Flight Instructor Instrument Airplane (FII) knowledge test is the academic exam required to add an instrument rating to a flight instructor certificate — commonly called CFII. The test measures the applicant's instrument knowledge across IFR regulations (14 CFR Part 91), instrument approach procedures (ILS, RNAV GPS, VOR), holding procedures, ATC clearances and communications, instrument systems and failures, IFR charts, emergency procedures, aeromedical factors and spatial disorientation, and the instructor's ability to teach those topics. The FII knowledge test is administered by PSI under the FAA Airman Knowledge Testing Matrix and contains 60 multiple-choice questions in a 2 hour 30 minute time window. The passing score is 70 percent (42 of 60). No instructor endorsement is required to TAKE the FII test, although an endorsement is required to take the subsequent CFII practical test.
Questions
60 scored questions
Time Limit
2 hours 30 minutes (150 minutes)
Passing Score
70% (42 of 60 questions correct)
Exam Fee
$175 (FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) / PSI Services)
FAA FII Exam Content Outline
IFR Regulations (14 CFR Part 91)
91.167 fuel reserves, 91.169 alternate requirements and the 1-2-3 rule, 91.171 VOR checks, 91.173 IFR flight plan, 91.175 approach procedures and descent below MDA/DA, 91.177 minimum IFR altitudes, 91.179 IFR cruise altitudes, 91.185 lost comm (AVEF/MEA), 91.205 IFR equipment, 91.211 oxygen, 91.213 MEL.
Instrument Approach Procedures
ILS components, CAT I/II/III categories, localizer (±2.5 deg) and glideslope (±0.7 deg) sensitivity, RNAV GPS minimums (LPV/LNAV-VNAV/LNAV), circling approaches and TERPS protected radii, missed approach procedures, MDA vs. DA semantics, approach categories (A through E).
Holding Procedures
Direct/parallel/teardrop entries, the 70-degree rule, standard right turns vs. nonstandard, 1-minute (and 1.5-minute above 14,000) leg timing, holding airspeeds (200/230/265 KIAS by altitude), EFC time, standard-rate turn fundamentals, FMS-coupled hold bank limits.
ATC Clearances & IFR Communications
CRAFT clearance elements, SIDs and 'top altitude,' STARs, radar vectors (30-degree maximum intercept; 20-degree within 2 NM of FAF on precision approaches), altitude restriction phraseology, clearance readback responsibilities, TCAS RA priority over ATC.
Aeromedical Factors & Spatial Disorientation
Vestibular illusions: somatogravic (forward acceleration = nose-up), leans, graveyard spiral, Coriolis, inversion, false horizon. Four types of hypoxia (hypoxic, hypemic, stagnant, histotoxic), oxygen rules under 91.211, fatigue, CRM.
IFR Charts & Symbology
Enroute low/high altitude charts, MEA, MOCA, MAA, OROCA. Approach plate symbology: FAF Maltese cross, VDP, alternate-minimums 'A' triangle, takeoff-minimums 'T' triangle, profile and plan views.
Emergency Procedures
14 CFR 91.185 lost-comm rules — AVEF route rule and MEA altitude rule, clearance-limit and EFC procedures, transponder codes (7500 hijack / 7600 lost comm / 7700 emergency), windshear recognition and escape, TCAS RA response, inadvertent IMC, partial-panel and unusual-attitude recovery.
Instrument Systems
Six-pack instruments (airspeed, attitude, altimeter, turn coordinator, heading indicator, VSI), pitot-static failures (blocked pitot with/without drain blockage, blocked static, alternate static source effects), gyroscopic instruments, magnetic compass errors (ANDS / UNOS), VOR/DME slant range, GPS RAIM and WAAS, ADF relative bearing.
Fundamentals of Instructing & Teaching Techniques
Aviation Instructor's Handbook (FAA-H-8083-9) content as applied to instrument instruction: hazardous attitudes and antidotes, DECIDE model, laws of learning (Readiness/Exercise/Effect/Primacy/Intensity/Recency), levels of learning (rote/understanding/application/correlation), Bloom's cognitive taxonomy, demonstration-performance method, lesson planning, debrief technique, scan errors (fixation/omission/emphasis), control-performance vs. primary-supporting scan.
How to Pass the FAA FII Exam
What You Need to Know
- Passing score: 70% (42 of 60 questions correct)
- Exam length: 60 questions
- Time limit: 2 hours 30 minutes (150 minutes)
- Exam fee: $175
Keys to Passing
- Complete 500+ practice questions
- Score 80%+ consistently before scheduling
- Focus on highest-weighted sections
- Use our AI tutor for tough concepts
FAA FII Study Tips from Top Performers
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the FAA Flight Instructor Instrument Airplane (FII) knowledge test?
The FII is the academic knowledge test required to add an instrument rating to an airplane flight instructor certificate — commonly called the CFII. It is 60 multiple-choice questions in 2 hours 30 minutes at PSI testing centers, with a 70 percent passing score (42 of 60 correct). It is one of the FAA airman tests listed in the Airman Knowledge Testing Matrix.
What is the passing score on the FII test?
70 percent (42 of 60 questions correct). All FAA airman knowledge tests use a 70 percent passing standard, and the FII follows that rule per the Airman Knowledge Testing Matrix.
How many questions are on the FII test and how much time is allowed?
The FII knowledge test has 60 multiple-choice questions with a 2 hour 30 minute (150-minute) time allotment per the FAA Airman Knowledge Testing Matrix. The FAA's 50-question test is the Fundamentals of Instructing (FOI), which is a separate test.
Do I need an instructor endorsement to take the FII knowledge test?
No. The FAA Airman Knowledge Testing Matrix explicitly states that the AIF, FIH, FII, HIF, ICH, ICP, IEP, IFB, IFP, and IGI tests do not require an instructor endorsement or any other form of written authorization. (However, the Fundamentals of Instructing test now does require an endorsement as of September 2024, and the CFII practical test does require endorsements under 14 CFR 61.183.)
What pilot prerequisites apply to the CFII certificate?
Per 14 CFR 61.183, an applicant for a flight instructor certificate with an instrument rating must hold at least a commercial pilot certificate (or ATP) with an instrument rating in the same category and class as the instructor rating sought. The applicant must also pass the FOI knowledge test (unless waived for a current flight instructor or qualifying educator) and the FII knowledge test.
How much does the FII test cost?
The FII knowledge test costs $175 at PSI testing centers. If FOI must also be taken, that is an additional $175. Retakes are $175 each after the applicant receives additional instruction and an endorsement per 14 CFR 61.49.
What FAA handbooks should I study for the FII?
The three core references are FAA-H-8083-15B (Instrument Flying Handbook), FAA-H-8083-16B (Instrument Procedures Handbook), and FAA-H-8083-9 (Aviation Instructor's Handbook). The FAA-S-ACS-25 (Flight Instructor for Airplane Category ACS) and the FAA Airman Knowledge Testing Supplement for Flight and Ground Instructors are also direct references for chart, plate, and figure questions.
How long are FII knowledge test results valid?
FAA knowledge test results are valid for 24 calendar months. If the practical test is not completed within that window, the FII knowledge test must be retaken.
What is the difference between FII and IGI?
FII is the knowledge test for the Flight Instructor Instrument Airplane (CFII) — a CFII can give both ground and flight instruction toward an instrument rating and sign off applicants for the rating practical test. IGI (Instrument Ground Instructor) authorizes ground instruction only for the instrument rating; an IGI cannot endorse a candidate for the flight portion. Many CFIIs hold both, but the FII test is a CFI prerequisite while IGI is a separate ground-only credential.
What happens if I fail the FII test?
Per 14 CFR 61.49, you must receive additional instruction from an authorized instructor and obtain a logbook endorsement stating you have received that instruction and are competent to pass the test. There is no mandatory calendar waiting period, but the $175 retest fee must be paid for each retake attempt.