So you are finally ready to take your orals and practicals for your Airframe and Power plant Technicians license. You’ve put in a lot of time and effort and spent many a day trudging through general, airframe, and powerplant classes. You’ve passed your written exams and gathered your documents, and now you are ready for your orals and practicals, or are you? What does it take to complete and pass your orals and practicals? Well, it takes a lot of review and effort, but the good news is it’s achievable, and all the information you need is available to you.

First, let’s talk about documentation. What do you need to have to be able to take your O’s and P’s?

1. Government issued id with photo

2. Two 8610/2 Applications, rev 7/23

3. Graduation certificates

4. Written test results

The process starts by contacting a DME, a Designated Mechanic Examiner. By the way, who is this person, and why is he testing me?

The DME is a highly experienced aircraft mechanic the FAA has selected to administer O and P tests. The DME has completed the FAA's initial and recurrent training curriculums, assembled projects, parts, airplanes, and documentation, and was certified by the FAA to conduct O & P tests.

Contact your DME and schedule a testing date for the general, airframe, and power plant tests you will take. Send the above-listed documents so he can review them and see if you are eligible for testing. He will enter your information into the FAA DMS registration and test generator systems. Before testing, you must talk with the DME by phone or in-person to confirm the testing date, time, procedures, and fees.

How do I study for this test?

You’ve been through school and covered a lot of information. You've been quizzed on the material and taken tests that cover it. You thought your instructors were strict, but they follow FAR 147, Aviation Maintenance Technician Schools requirements.

So now you need to remember everything you learned long ago, right?

Well, you will need to remember a good bit of that information. The good news is everything you need to know is in the Airman Certification Standards publication, available for free at FAA.GOV.