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Which of the following is the correct sequence of the four steps in the telling-and-doing technique?
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Key Facts: FAA FOI Exam
50
Questions on the FOI Test
FAA Airman Knowledge Testing Matrix (Oct 2025)
1.5 hours
Time Limit
FAA Airman Knowledge Testing Matrix
70%
Passing Score (35 of 50)
FAA Airman Knowledge Testing Matrix
$175
PSI Test Fee
PSI FAA Knowledge Test Pricing 2026
24 months
AKTR Validity
14 CFR 61.39 / FAA-G-8082-7
FAA-H-8083-9B
Source Handbook
FAA Aviation Instructor's Handbook (May 2020)
The FAA FOI knowledge test is a 50-question multiple-choice exam with a 1.5-hour (90-minute) time limit and a 70% passing score (35 of 50 correct) at PSI testing centers for $175. It is required for the AGI, IGI, BGI, CFI, CFII, and MEI unless exempt under 14 CFR 61.213(b) (state teacher's certificate or college/university instructor). The exam is drawn from the FAA Aviation Instructor's Handbook (FAA-H-8083-9B): human behavior, learning process, communication, teaching process, assessment, planning, professionalism, flight instruction techniques, and risk management/ADM. Knowledge test results are valid for 24 calendar months toward instructor certification; once an instructor certificate is issued the FOI does not need to be retaken for additional ratings.
Sample FAA FOI Practice Questions
Try these sample questions to test your FAA FOI exam readiness. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 100+ question experience with AI tutoring.
1The FAA Aviation Instructor's Handbook (FAA-H-8083-9B) defines learning as a change in the behavior of the learner as a result of experience. Which of the following best illustrates this definition?
2The Law of Readiness states that learners learn best when:
3Under the Law of Primacy, what is the most important instructional consideration?
4A student watches a vivid video of an aircraft accident caused by VFR-into-IMC and afterward recalls the weather decision factors more clearly than from any classroom lecture. Which law of learning best explains this?
5The Law of Recency implies that an instructor should:
6Which of the four levels of learning (Rote, Understanding, Application, Correlation) is demonstrated when a student associates the principles of crosswind landings with the principles of slow flight and crab/wing-low techniques in turbulence?
7A student can recite the V-speeds for a Cessna 172 but cannot explain what they mean or apply them to operations. The student is at which level of learning?
8The three domains of learning recognized in FAA-H-8083-9B are:
9Insight, in FAA-H-8083-9B terms, occurs when a learner:
10Which of the following is NOT one of the characteristics of learning identified in FAA-H-8083-9B?
About the FAA FOI Exam
The FAA Fundamentals of Instructing (FOI) knowledge test is the gateway test for every aviation instructor certificate. It is required for the AGI, IGI, BGI, CFI, CFII, and MEI under 14 CFR 61.183(d) and 61.213(a)(4), unless the applicant holds a current state teacher's certificate or is employed as a teacher at an accredited college or university (14 CFR 61.213(b)). The exam covers material drawn entirely from the FAA Aviation Instructor's Handbook (FAA-H-8083-9B): human behavior, the learning process, effective communication, the teaching process, assessment, planning instructional activity, instructor responsibilities and professionalism, techniques of flight instruction, and teaching practical risk management. Because the FOI tests teaching theory rather than aviation operations, it has no pilot certificate, flight experience, or medical certificate prerequisite.
Questions
50 scored questions
Time Limit
1.5 hours (90 minutes)
Passing Score
70% (35 of 50 questions correct)
Exam Fee
$175 (FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) / PSI Services)
FAA FOI Exam Content Outline
The Learning Process
Definitions of learning, laws of learning (readiness, exercise, effect, primacy, intensity, recency), levels of learning (rote, understanding, application, correlation), domains of learning (cognitive, affective, psychomotor), perceptions and insight, characteristics of learning.
The Teaching Process
Preparation, presentation, application, assessment; teaching methods (lecture, guided discussion, demonstration-performance, problem-based, e-learning, scenario-based); telling-and-doing technique; integrated flight instruction.
Assessment
Purpose of assessment; characteristics of effective assessment; traditional vs. authentic assessment; written test characteristics (reliability, validity, usability, objectivity, comprehensiveness, discrimination); oral quizzing; critique vs. criticism; collaborative assessment.
Human Behavior and Communication
Maslow's hierarchy of needs; defense mechanisms (denial, repression, rationalization, projection, displacement, reaction formation, fantasy); basic elements of communication; barriers to effective communication; teaching adults.
Instructor Responsibilities and Professionalism
Aviation instructor responsibilities, professionalism, flight instructor responsibilities, student pilot supervision, evaluating student ability, minimizing student frustrations, accident/incident prevention.
Risk Management, SRM and ADM
ADM and the DECIDE model; SRM; PAVE checklist (Pilot, Aircraft, enVironment, External pressures); I'M SAFE checklist; 5 P checklist; hazardous attitudes (anti-authority, impulsivity, invulnerability, macho, resignation) and their antidotes.
Techniques of Flight Instruction
Obstacles in learning during flight instruction, demonstration-performance in flight, integrated flight instruction, positive exchange of flight controls, sterile cockpit rule, use of distractions to evaluate division of attention.
Planning Instructional Activity
Course of training, blocks of learning, training syllabus, lesson plans (unity, content, scope, practicality, flexibility, relation to course of training, instructional steps), well-written objective elements (description/conditions/criteria).
How to Pass the FAA FOI Exam
What You Need to Know
- Passing score: 70% (35 of 50 questions correct)
- Exam length: 50 questions
- Time limit: 1.5 hours (90 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 FOI Study Tips from Top Performers
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the FAA Fundamentals of Instructing (FOI) test?
The FOI is a 50-question multiple-choice FAA Airman Knowledge Test covering the principles of teaching, learning, and instructional risk management drawn from the FAA Aviation Instructor's Handbook (FAA-H-8083-9B). It is the gateway prerequisite for every FAA aviation instructor certificate (AGI, IGI, BGI, CFI, CFII, and MEI). The exam tests pedagogical theory rather than aviation operations, so no pilot certificate or flight experience is required.
How many questions are on the FOI test and what is the passing score?
The FOI knowledge test has 50 multiple-choice questions with a 1.5-hour (90-minute) time limit. The passing score is 70%, which means you must answer at least 35 of the 50 questions correctly. Scores are reported on the Airman Knowledge Test Report (AKTR) at the testing center immediately after the exam.
How much does the FOI exam cost?
The FOI knowledge test costs $175, paid to PSI at the testing center when you schedule. Retakes cost an additional $175 each after you receive additional instruction and an endorsement from an authorized instructor. Most candidates pair the FOI with the AGI or IGI ($175 each), making the total ground-instructor exam cost typically $350.
Who is required to take the FOI test?
The FOI is required for the initial issuance of any FAA aviation instructor certificate: AGI (Advanced Ground Instructor), IGI (Instrument Ground Instructor), BGI (Basic Ground Instructor), CFI (Certified Flight Instructor), CFII (Flight Instructor - Instrument), and MEI (Multi-Engine Instructor). Once you hold any of those certificates the FOI does not have to be retaken for additional instructor ratings.
Who is exempt from the FOI test?
Per 14 CFR 61.213(b) and 61.183(d), an applicant is exempt from the FOI knowledge test if they hold a current teacher's certificate authorizing them to teach at an accredited 7th-grade-or-higher educational level, or are employed as a teacher at an accredited college or university. The exemption applies to all instructor certificates and removes the FOI from the initial-certification path.
What handbook does the FOI test cover?
The FOI knowledge test is drawn from the FAA Aviation Instructor's Handbook (FAA-H-8083-9B, May 2020 edition). Chapters cover risk management and single-pilot resource management, human behavior, the learning process, effective communication, the teaching process, assessment, planning instructional activity, instructor responsibilities and professionalism, techniques of flight instruction, and teaching practical risk management during flight instruction.
How long are FOI test results valid?
FOI Airman Knowledge Test Report results are valid for 24 calendar months. If you do not apply for an instructor certificate within that window, you must retake the FOI. However, once you hold any instructor certificate, the FOI requirement is permanently satisfied for additional ratings.
Do I need a pilot certificate to take the FOI?
No. The FOI tests teaching theory rather than aviation operations, so there is no pilot certificate, flight experience, or medical certificate requirement to take the test. You only need an FAA Tracking Number (FTN) via IACRA, English proficiency, and a $175 PSI fee. The age requirement applies to certificate issuance, not the knowledge test itself.
What is the best study material for the FOI?
The single authoritative source is the FAA Aviation Instructor's Handbook (FAA-H-8083-9B), available free as a PDF from faa.gov. Supplement with the FAA's official FOI Sample Questions PDF and a current commercial test-prep guide. Most candidates pass with 15-30 hours of focused study because the content is conceptual rather than memorization-heavy.