1.4 FTN, IACRA, and the Authorization File

What the FTN Is and Why It Comes First

An FAA Tracking Number (FTN) is the unique identifier the FAA assigns to an airman applicant. The FAA Airman Knowledge Testing process requires that an applicant have an FTN before taking a knowledge test if they do not already have one. The FTN is established by creating a profile in the Integrated Airman Certification and Rating Application (IACRA) system, the FAA's web portal for airman certificate applications.

The FTN follows you across your entire airman career — it ties together your knowledge-test results, your applications, and eventually your certificate. For a mechanic candidate, the practical consequences are immediate: the FTN is entered at the testing center, and it is printed on each Airman Knowledge Test Report (AKTR) you receive for AMG, AMA, and AMP. If you create a fresh IACRA profile sloppily — misspelled name, wrong date of birth — those errors propagate onto your test reports and can delay certification later. Create the IACRA profile carefully, once, and reuse it.

FTN vs. Authorization: Two Different Requirements

A recurring point of confusion is treating the FTN as if it were authorization to test. It is not. These are two separate requirements, and you need both:

The FTN identifies you; the authorization document permits the specific test. On a Form 8610-2, an FSDO inspector (or an authorized representative) verifies your experience and signs the form, and the checked boxes determine which test codes you are authorized for — for example, checking the Airframe and Powerplant boxes with 'Original Issuance' authorizes the General (AMG) test as well. Bringing your FTN but forgetting the signed authorization (or vice versa) is a common reason candidates are turned away at the door.

Scheduling, Provider, and Fees

FAA knowledge tests for mechanics are delivered at FAA-approved testing centers operated by the FAA's contracted provider, PSI. You schedule each test (AMG, AMA, AMP) as a separate appointment, present a valid government-issued photo ID plus your authorization document, and the proctor matches your authorization to the test code before you begin.

On fees: each knowledge test carries a fee paid to the testing provider, and that amount is set by PSI and can change over time. This guide deliberately does not quote a fixed dollar figure, because a memorized fee is exactly the kind of fact that goes stale and misleads candidates. The correct study habit — and the correct exam answer — is to confirm the current fee directly with PSI when you schedule. Treat any specific dollar amount you see in third-party material as potentially outdated. Budget for three separate test fees if you are pursuing both ratings, plus any retake fees if a test must be repeated.

Build One Organized Testing File

The cleanest way to manage all of this is to keep a single testing file — physical or digital — with four clearly separated items:

1. FTN / IACRA profile — your identifier and login.
2. Authorization document(s) — signed Form 8610-2, authenticated AMTS certificate, or Military COE, matched to each test code you plan to take.
3. Scheduling records — PSI appointment confirmations and the testing center's ID/document requirements.
4. AKTRs — the score report from each passed test, retained for the O&P and for the 24-month clock (covered in 1.5–1.6).

Why separate them? Because each item fails differently: an FTN typo delays certificate issuance, a missing authorization stops you at the door, a scheduling error wastes a trip, and a lost AKTR can force a retake. Candidates who lump these together discover the gap only on test day. Verify each item against the test code you intend to take, and you eliminate the most common avoidable obstacles before they cost you a fee or a day.

IACRA Beyond the Knowledge Tests

It helps to understand that IACRA is not just an FTN generator — it is the same system you (and your DME or FSDO) ultimately use to file the final certificate application. The FTN you create now threads through that entire process. When you eventually apply for the certificate after passing the O&P, the application links to your existing FTN and your knowledge-test history, which is part of why accuracy at profile-creation time pays off later.

A mismatched name between your IACRA profile, your photo ID, and your authorization document is a classic source of last-minute delays, because the testing center must confirm that the person in front of them is the person the documents describe.

A Pre-Scheduling Checklist

Before you book any test, run a quick self-audit: (1) FTN created in IACRA and verified against your legal name and date of birth; (2) authorization document in hand and signed, with the correct test boxes checked or the correct AMTS/COE coverage; (3) valid government photo ID whose name matches; (4) current PSI fee confirmed and budgeted; and (5) a plan for where each AKTR will be stored after the test. Five minutes with this list prevents the overwhelming majority of preventable testing-day problems, none of which are about the maintenance knowledge you actually studied for.