Federal Aviation Administration

Commercial Pilot Airman Certification Standards Federal Aviation Administration

The Airman Certification Standards (ACS) is the guide for aviation students, instructors, and FAA-designated examiners to know what pilot and industry license applicants must know, do, and consider for their FAA Knowledge Exam and practical (checkride), in order to earn a certificate or rating. This is the revised edition (FAA-S-ACS-7A) of the new ACS (effective June 11, 2018). The ACS replaced the previous FAA Practical Test Standards (PTS) and it is basically an enhanced version of the PTS. It adds task-specific knowledge and risk management elements to each PTS "Area of Operation" and "Task." The result is a presentation that integrates the standards for passing both the FAA Knowledge Exams and the FAA Oral and Practical Exams in a way that coordinates the study and learning for both, making them relevant to each other.