FAA Publishes New Test Standards

After five years of work in collaboration with aviation industry experts, the FAA has published its new Airman Certification Standards for the private pilot (airplane) certificate and the instrument (airplane) rating. The new standards replace the current Practical Test Standards as of Wednesday. The ACS provides guidance for both the knowledge exam and the practical test. It aims to evaluate pilots in a range of "areas of operation," including task-specific knowledge, skills and risk-management elements in each area, the FAA said.

The new standards have been in the works since 2011. GAMA was among the industry groups that collaborated on the project, and said in a statement today the new standards are "clearer and more relevant" than the previous standards, and do a better job of teaching risk management and decision-making skills. "The FAA has worked closely with industry over the past five years to address longstanding issues with how the standards for pilot training are presented," said Jens Henning, GAMA's vice president of operations. "With the ACS, the introduction of clear risk-management requirements will help advance general aviation safety and improve the flight-training experience." A new series of revised pilot-training handbooks will be published by the FAA later this month.