Turn your FAA knowledge-test report into a study plan

Protect the report and read the whole page

The FAA's June 2026 Airman Testing FAQ says the Airman Knowledge Test Report, or AKTR, shows the applicant's name, FAA Tracking Number, score and codes associated with questions answered incorrectly. It also says to retain the original so an evaluator can review noted areas during the oral portion of the practical test.

Before studying, compare the name on the report with the name you use in IACRA and place the original somewhere protected. Make a working copy for notes. If a recent report is lost, the FAA's current guidance explains how to print a duplicate through the testing vendor; do not write on your only copy until your instructor confirms how the endorsement will be handled.

Identify whether each code is an ACS or learning-statement code

The report can show Airman Certification Standards codes or Learning Statement Codes. The FAA Companion Guide explains that an ACS code, such as its commercial-airplane example, points into the applicable ACS. An older or transitional PLT code is looked up in the FAA Learning Statement Reference Guide and then reviewed in the context of the related ACS area of operation and task.

Do not treat the code as the exact test question or search for recalled test answers. Use it to locate the broader knowledge element. If a code is archived, the Companion Guide says an unexpired report can span ACS revisions and points readers to the guide's archived-code section or the ACS revision in effect on the test date. Bring that uncertainty to the instructor instead of guessing.

• Copy each code exactly as printed, including periods and letters.
• Label it ACS, PLT or unknown after checking the current FAA references.
• Write the associated element or learning statement in plain language.
• Record the FAA source and the date you checked it.
• Leave an unclear code marked for instructor review.

Build an instructor agenda, not a pile of flash cards

Group related codes into two or three themes rather than treating every code as an isolated fact. For each theme, prepare one explanation, one source and one question. A weather-code group might lead to a discussion of how the information changes a go, delay or divert decision. A performance-code group might lead to a calculation using the airplane records and conditions selected by the instructor.

Under 14 CFR 61.39(a)(6), when that endorsement is required, the authorized instructor certifies practical-test preparation and satisfactory knowledge of the subject areas in which the applicant was deficient on the knowledge test. The instructor decides what review and demonstration are appropriate; an online quiz score or this worksheet is not the endorsement.

• Theme: the related ACS task or learning statement.
• Explain: your two-minute explanation without notes.
• Apply: a calculation, chart, regulation lookup or scenario selected with the instructor.
• Source: the current FAA reference used to correct the misunderstanding.
• Question: the point you still cannot explain confidently.

Connect each weak area to practical-test context

The FAA Companion Guide says the evaluator reviews the AKTR during the oral portion of the practical test and assesses noted areas of deficiency. That does not make the report a script for the oral. Use the applicable ACS to see the surrounding knowledge, risk-management and skill elements, then ask your instructor to place the weak area into a realistic planning or decision scenario.

Practice explaining why an answer matters, where you would verify it and what changes the decision. That is more useful than memorizing a sentence detached from the aircraft, weather, route or regulation. The FAA Learning Statement Reference Guide also warns that its statements are not a ready-made ground-training syllabus.

Handle a failed test as a separate retest process

If the report shows a failed knowledge test, 14 CFR 61.49 requires the necessary additional training and an endorsement from the authorized instructor who provided it before the applicant may reapply. The FAA Companion Guide likewise says to bring the failed report and the required instructor endorsement when retesting.

Do not schedule a retest based only on repeated practice scores. Ask the instructor what evidence will show that the weak areas are understood and what documents the current testing process requires. Keep the retest plan separate from later practical-test preparation so neither endorsement is assumed.

Your next action

Make a one-page table with the printed code, the matched FAA element, your plain-language explanation, an application question and instructor notes. Schedule a focused review with an authorized instructor and bring the original report, the working copy and the current ACS for your certificate or rating. Ask the instructor to confirm the remaining study, endorsement record and next review point before you schedule around a hoped-for test date.

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