2.1 Testing Matrix Facts for AMG, AMA, and AMP

The matrix is the controlling logistics map

The FAA Airman Knowledge Testing Matrix (current edition effective October 22, 2025) is the authoritative source for the logistics of the Aviation Maintenance Technician (AMT) knowledge tests. It lists three separate test codes: AMG (Aviation Mechanic General), AMA (Aviation Mechanic Airframe), and AMP (Aviation Mechanic Powerplant). For each test the matrix publishes the test code, test name, number of questions, allotted time, passing score, and the acceptable authorization document.

These tests are administered under 14 CFR Part 65 (the certification rule for airmen other than flight crew) at PSI computer-testing centers using FAA's contracted delivery system.

The numbers are simple but easy to distort if written from memory, so anchor them to the matrix exactly:

There is no single combined "A&P written." A candidate pursuing both ratings sits three distinct tests, earns three distinct Airman Knowledge Test Reports (AKTRs), and is graded against three separate 70 thresholds. Passing AMG does not satisfy AMA or AMP, and vice versa.

Validation questions and the 24-month clock

The matrix warns that any AMT test may include validation questions (pretest items the FAA is statistically calibrating for future use). Validation questions are not scored and do not count for or against the result. The published count — 60, 100, 100 — is the scored count and excludes validation questions, but the 2.0-hour allotted time already includes time to answer them. So a candidate may see more than 60 or 100 screens, and that is normal; it is not a sign of a malfunction or a harder test.

A passed AKTR is valid for 24 calendar months, within which the candidate must complete the oral and practical (O&P) test with a Designated Mechanic Examiner (DME). If 24 months lapse, that knowledge test must be retaken. Because the three tests can be passed on different dates, the earliest-dated AKTR effectively starts the practical-test clock for that rating's path.

How matrix facts drive pacing and scheduling

Use the matrix to build disciplined pacing rather than anxiety:

• AMG: 60 scored questions in 120 minutes ≈ 2.0 minutes per question — generous, leaving time to read embedded figures.
• AMA / AMP: 100 scored questions in 120 minutes = 1.2 minutes per question — tighter; practice timed 100-question sets.
• Build a separate tracker for each code so progress in one is never confused with another.
• Expect possible validation items and keep a steady cadence; do not slow down because the screen total looks high.
• Confirm your authorization document matches the code you are scheduling: an FAA Form 8610-2 with the appropriate boxes checked, authenticated Part 147 Aviation Maintenance Technician School (AMTS) graduation paperwork, or a military Certificate of Eligibility.

Knowing all three tests share the same 2.0-hour clock lets you rehearse different question counts under one fixed time standard. Knowing they share a 70 passing score keeps you from inventing per-test thresholds. And knowing the validation rule prevents the most common test-day surprise — an unexpected extra question that an unprepared candidate misreads as a problem.

Where the matrix sits in the wider Part 65 path

The knowledge tests are one stage of the 14 CFR Part 65 mechanic-certification path, and the matrix only governs that stage.

The full path is: eligibility (at least 18 years old and able to read, write, speak, and understand English) → experience (either 18 months of documented practical experience for a single rating, 30 months for both Airframe and Powerplant, or graduation from an FAA-approved Part 147 AMTS) → the three knowledge tests in this matrix → the oral and practical (O&P) with a Designated Mechanic Examiner.

The matrix logistics matter precisely because they sit in the middle of that chain: a 24-month-valid AKTR is the token that lets you proceed to the O&P, and an expired or missing AKTR stalls the whole path.

Common matrix traps to avoid

Several predictable errors cost candidates time or confidence:

• Assuming a bundled exam. There is no one combined A&P written. Schedule, pay for, and prepare for AMG, AMA, and AMP as three events.
• Mis-stating the counts. It is 60 / 100 / 100, not 100 for all three and not 60 for all three.
• Treating the 70 as a percentage of raw screens. The 70 is scored against the scored questions; validation items never move your score.
• Forgetting the order freedom. The FAA does not mandate a fixed test order, but most candidates take AMG first because General knowledge underpins both rating tests; this is a study-efficiency choice, not a matrix rule.
• Letting an AKTR expire. Track the 24-month deadline from each AKTR's date so the O&P is completed in time.

Finally, the matrix is a living document — the FAA reissues it periodically (this is the October 22, 2025 edition). Always confirm against the current edition before test day rather than a cached copy, because question counts, supplement references, and delivery notes can be updated between editions.