GAO Urges FAA To Review A&P Test Access For High Schoolers
The Government Accountability Office has recommended the FAA review whether students from non-certified high school maintenance programs should be allowed
The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) has called on the Federal Aviation Administration to review a key testing barrier for aspiring aircraft mechanics. The GAO wants the FAA to assess whether students who complete aviation maintenance curricula at high schools not certified by the agency should be permitted to take the FAA's general written knowledge test for airframe and powerplant (A&P) ratings.
At least 43 high school programs across the country are not FAA-certificated, according to the GAO report. Students from these schools, along with those from other uncertificated institutions providing maintenance training, generally cannot take the general knowledge test immediately after graduation if they lack the required work experience or additional education.
The Current Testing Pathway
The general exam is the first of three FAA knowledge tests needed to obtain A&P ratings. There are two primary pathways to establish eligibility. Graduates of an FAA-certificated Aviation Maintenance Technician School can qualify through their schooling. Alternatively, applicants can qualify through practical experience, which requires either 18 months of work for a single rating or 30 months for both ratings.
For students from uncertificated high school programs, the process is more difficult. They typically must pursue additional coursework at an FAA-certificated school after already completing maintenance classes, or they must accumulate the lengthy work experience. The GAO stated this can be a time-consuming and costly process that may discourage students from pursuing careers in aviation maintenance.
Legislative Mandate and Delay
The FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024 directed the agency to establish an Airman Knowledge Testing Working Group. This group was tasked with assessing whether students who successfully complete an aviation maintenance curriculum should be allowed to take the general test. The law required the group to be established by May 2025.
However, the GAO found the FAA had neither established the working group nor obtained the required assessment. FAA officials told the GAO that the work was interrupted after the Department of Transportation terminated all members of the Aviation Rulemaking Advisory Committee. This action was taken pursuant to an executive order affecting federal advisory committees.
GAO Recommendations and Industry Context
The GAO recommended that the FAA assemble industry stakeholders and aviation experts, either through the reconstituted committee or another mechanism, to study the potential advantages and disadvantages of expanding test eligibility. The Department of Transportation agreed with this recommendation, which remains open as the FAA has not yet acted.
The report emerges against a backdrop of persistent workforce shortages in aviation maintenance. The GAO cited Bureau of Labor Statistics projections estimating about 11,300 openings for aircraft mechanics annually through 2034. The office suggested that expanded testing access is one issue the FAA should consider as it examines future workforce demand and strategies to bolster the pipeline of new mechanics.
