THE
AIRMAN
CERTIFICATION
STANDARDS
Certification Requirements
For each airman certificate or rating, 14 CFR lists
required areas of:
• Aeronautical Knowledge
• Flight Proficiency
There is nothing that currently links aeronautical
knowledge and flight proficiency in a cohesive
manner.
Certification Requirements
Flight Proficiency:
• Practical Test Standards (PTS) provide
metrics to evaluate flight proficiency in
each Area of Operation and Task.
• “Special Emphasis” areas have no defined
guidance metrics to evaluate “soft skills.”
Certification Requirements
Aeronautical Knowledge:
• There has never been a corresponding set of
“Knowledge Test Standards” (KTS) metrics to
evaluate aeronautical knowledge elements
tested via “the written” exam.
Rationale for Change
As an instructor or DPE, do you believe the knowledge test
accurately determines an applicant’s knowledge?
Do you think the knowledge test has shortcomings? If so, what
are they?
Do you thinks the knowledge test determines real skills
necessary to operate safely in the NAS?
If you had the opportunity to change the knowledge test, what
would you change?
Rationale for Change
Lack of a KTS has allowed the accumulation of too many FAA
knowledge test questions that are:
• Out of date (lots of NDB*, not much RNAV)
• Overly complex (multiple interpolations required to calculate
a 2 knot difference in wind or landing distance within 3 feet)
• Irrelevant (number of satellites in the GPS constellation)
• Disconnected from “real” skills and knowledge required for
safe operation in today’s NAS
* Note: as of February 9, 2015, the FAA has deleted ADF/NDB questions.
Rationale for Change
Until now:
• There has been a disconnect between the knowledge test
and the practical test.
• There has been limited guidance on ways to evaluate “soft
skills.”
• There has been no way to pinpoint an applicant’s areas of
deficiency in knowledge, skills and/or risk management.
Rationale for Change
“If it ain’t broke, why fix it?”
Many in the training industry
believed that the way airman
were tested was indeed broken.
Rationale for Change
How do we quantify “Special Emphasis” areas?
PTS states that “examiners shall place special emphasis upon areas of aircraft
operations considered critical to flight safety.” Among these are:
1. Positive aircraft control
2. Positive exchange of the flight controls
3. Stall/spin awareness,
4. Collision avoidance
5. Wake turbulence avoidance
6. LAHSO
7. Runway incursion avoidance
8. CFIT
9. ADM and risk management
10. Wire strike avoidance
11. Checklist usage
12. Temporary flight restrictions
13. Special use airspace
14. Aviation security
15. Single-Pilot resource management
16. Other areas deemed appropriate
In today’s structure, a given special emphasis area may not be specifically
addressed under any particular Task. All areas are essential to flight and
will be evaluated during the Practical Test.
Rationale for Change
How do we determine airman knowledge deficiencies?
Learning Statement Codes:
• PLT 116 Recall aircraft general knowledge/ publications/ AIM/
navigational aids
• PLT 208 Recall emergency conditions/procedures
• PLT 235 Recall human factors (ADM) – judgment
• PLT 381 Recall regulations – altimeter settings
• PLT 383 Recall regulations – basic flight rules
• PLT 395 Recall regulations – definitions
• PLT 415 Recall regulations – IFR flying
What is the ACS?
ACS
PTS
What is the ACS?
Aeronautical
knowledge
Flight
proficiency
Aeronautical
decision-making and
special emphasis
What is the ACS?
ACS also includes unique
codes for each element of
knowledge, skill, and risk
management.
PA = Private Pilot
Airplane (defines
applicable ACS)
V = Performance
Maneuvers (defines
Area of Operation)
A = Steep Turns
(defines Task)
K5 = Accelerated
Stalls (defines
element)
What is the ACS?
• ACS codes will replace
Learning Statement Codes
(LSCs).
• ACS codes are anchored in
the standard, not in
references like LSCs.
• ACS codes enable FAA to
align standards to
handbooks and test
questions, to maintain that
alignment, and to develop
better test questions.
• ACS codes provide sharper,
more focused feedback to
applicants, instructors, and
evaluators.
CODE COMPARISON
Today’s test report lists referencebased LSCs that are often very broad
– creates an obstacle to effective
remedial training and retesting.
PA = Private Pilot Airplane (Applicable ACS)
III = Airport & Seaplane Base (Area of Operation)
B = Traffic Patterns (Task)
K4 = Right of Way Rules (Element)
A Brief History
Project History
Phase I – 2011-2012
• The ARC (Aviation Rulemaking Committee)
• FAA chartered the Airman Testing Standards and Training
ARC to obtain expert industry and stakeholder advice and
recommendations for improving content, process,
methodology, and priorities for improving airman
knowledge testing.
• The ARC developed the ACS concept and
recommended that the FAA pursue it.
A Brief History
Project History
Phase II – 2012-2013
• The FAA tasked the industry Aviation Rulemaking Council (ARAC)
to develop the ACS concept.
• ARAC formed the Airman Testing Standards and Training
Workgroup (ATSTWG) to perform this work.
• The ATSTWG developed ACS documents for Private, Commercial
and Instructor certificates & Instrument Rating Plus “baseline”
proposal for an ATP ACS
• PVT, IFR & CFI ACS submitted for public comment
• Report and recommendations submitted to FAA in
September 2013
A Brief History
Project History
Phase III – 2014-2015
• The FAA tasked the industry ARAC to further advance the ACS
concept.
• In March 2014, ARAC formed the Airman Certification System
Working Group (ACS WG) to perform this work.
• Ongoing tasks:
• Refine and Complete ACS for COM, ATP & CFI
• Help FAA map standards to guidance
• Prototype use of PVT (PAR) ACS in Orlando area, with strong
support from AFS-800 (policy memo) and ORL FSDO
(assisting with ACS WG efforts).
A Brief History
Project History
Phase III – 2014-2015
Prototyping:
• Initial effort with ERAU Summer Academy – June 2014:
positive feedback from instructor, evaluators, and ORL FSDO
inspectors (still attempting to gather student feedback).
• ACS WG & ORL FSDO are collaborating on a larger prototype to
include part 61 instructors, applicants, and DPEs. Goal is to
develop foundation for future 8900 guidance and ACS job aids.
• Exploring prototype expansion in 2015, with a view to “real”
implementation of at least one ACS (likely PVT) in late 2015 /
early 2016
FAQs
What’s wrong with the PTS?
• The PTS provides metrics to define acceptable performance of the “flight
proficiency” skills listed in 14 CFR part 61 for a given certificate or rating.
• Most people believe that the PTS generally serves its intended purpose
but:
• It has become bloated over the years with an ever-expanding list of
“special emphasis” items
• Repetitive or overlapping Areas of Operation/tasks, and
• Poorly-defined additional requirements (e.g., evaluation of the
applicant’s risk management and aeronautical decision-making
skills).
FAQs
How does the ACS improve the PTS?
The ACS approach does not increase or expand any of the skill evaluation requirements in
the existing PTS, but it significantly improves the PTS. The ACS:
• Provides integrated guidance that defines performance metrics for aeronautical
knowledge as well as flight proficiency (skill).
• Strengthens the PTS by explicitly defining the aeronautical knowledge needed to
support each Area of Operation/task. This linkage enhances the relevance of the
testing/training process for adult learners by clearly answering the “why do I need to
know that?!” question.
• Enhances safety by using the risk management section in each ACS Area of Operation
to translate abstract terms like “aeronautical decision-making” into specific safety
behaviors relevant to each task.
• Eliminates “bloat” by consolidating duplicative or overlapping PTS tasks.
FAQs
Why does the ACS have a separate section for risk management?
Isn’t that just the latest buzz word?
The PTS already requires evaluation of the applicant’s risk management
abilities, but the existing document does not offer the kind of concrete “what
do I have to do?” guidance that users need and deserve.
• The rationale for including a risk management section in the ACS is to
enhance safety by translating abstract terms into specific safety behaviors
relevant to each task.
The ACS is also intended to communicate and demonstrate that risk
management is a continuous process that includes identification, assessment,
and mitigation of task-specific hazards that create risk.
• The risk management element identifies the circumstantial issues that
aviators must consider in association with a particular task.
FAQs
How does the ACS approach improve the knowledge test?
Accepted best practices for any certification process stipulate that training and
testing be based on a job/task analysis.
• The ACS documents function as the required job/task analysis, because they
define the knowledge and skills needed to perform at the level of the target
certificate or rating.
• In this way, the ACS approach better serves the applicant, the instructor, and
the evaluator.
Because the process of developing the ACS requires a thorough review and
update of knowledge and skills for airman certification, it aligns with
certification industry standards for periodic review and revision of the job/task
analysis.
• In addition, the ACS approach will enable the FAA to create and maintain a
clear link between the regulations, knowledge/skill performance standards,
guidance, and test materials.
FAQs
How will you provide the “clear link” connecting knowledge/skill
performance standards, guidance, and test materials?
The ACS coding system provides the mechanism for establishing and maintain alignment
of standards with guidance and test questions. ACS-based codes:
•Clearly align guidance and test questions to the ACS;
•Make the airman test report meaningful to stakeholders (applicant, instructor,
evaluator);
•Provide a means for automated generation of tests, whether using the existing test
forms or future randomized selections; and
•Eliminate subjectivity and vastly simplify system management requirements for the
FAA.
FAQs
How will the use of the ACS approach change airman training?
With clearly defined standards for knowledge, skill and risk management,
airman training can be conducted more effectively to ensure that applicants
who complete flight and ground training are safe, competent aviators as well as
successful in passing the FAA knowledge test.
Training and testing will be aligned, which means that “test prep” will be a
review of the ground school curriculum rather than a separate, unrelated step
to learn questions for the sole purpose of passing a test.
FAQs
Won’t the ACS make the knowledge test a lot harder?
No. In fact, applicants who have been training properly all along are likely to find the FAA
knowledge test a lot easier, for several reasons.
•First, the knowledge test will be a reflection of the training applicants receive in ground
school. Instead of having to “learn” or memorize information that isn’t relevant to
knowledge and skills actually needed for operation in today’s National Airspace System, the
test will consist of questions coded (via that ACS) to specific Areas of Operation/Tasks.
•Second, ACS-coded questions will make it much easier for applicants, instructors, and
evaluators to specifically identify and retrain on weak areas.
•Overall, the ACS-enabled correlation of training and testing will make the process easier
because knowledge testing will be meaningful and relevant – not an exercise in memorizing
information you will never need in real-world operations.
FAQs
Won’t the ACS approach dramatically increase the length (and
expense) of the practical test?
No.
• In fact, a more integrated and efficient presentation of the material to be
tested could even shorten the test, especially if the evaluator has more
confidence in the quality and meaning of the applicant’s knowledge test
score.
• Evaluators will be able to effectively and efficiently re-test any deficient
knowledge identified on the airman knowledge test report to ensure the
applicant has trained to proficiency in all areas.
FAQs
How will the ACS change the way I teach ground and flight training?
The ACS should help you teach more effectively, and more efficiently, in both activities:
•The integrated ACS approach clearly shows how knowledge, skills, and risk management are
connected for any given Area of Operation/Task. With clearly defined standards, training can
be conducted more effectively to ensure that applicants are safe, competent aviators as well
as successful in passing the FAA knowledge test.
•Training and testing will be aligned, which means that “test prep” will be a review of the
ground school curriculum rather than a separate, unrelated step to learn questions for the
sole purpose of passing a test.
•Defining the terms and concepts now presented in a list of “special emphasis” items in the
PTS introduction, and placing them in the right context, will simplify teaching these topics.
The presentation of risk management enhances safety, and it can also contribute to much
greater standardization in teaching and testing these concepts.
FAQs
How often will the ACS be updated?
The FAA intends to establish a regular, predictable schedule for updates to the ACS and all
other components of the airman certification system.
• These include the ACS itself, the H-series handbooks, and knowledge test materials.
• The agency will establish this update schedule in consultation with industry members
of the ARAC Airman Certification System Working Group.
Industry members of the ACS WG will play an active role in the writing and review of
knowledge test questions as well as the H-series handbooks.
FAQs
How will the ACS affect the way I conduct a practical test?
The ACS does not change the practical test, and it does not make the practical
any longer than it takes to conduct a PTS checkride today.
• In fact, the ACS could expedite the practical test because it streamlines and
combines overlapping and redundant tasks in today’s PTS, and because it
gives the evaluator more focused information on knowledge and risk
management elements associated with each skill task.
In addition, the ACS codes (which will appear on the Airman Knowledge Test
Report in place of today’s LSC codes) give the evaluator much more specific
information on items the applicant missed on the knowledge test.
FAQs
How will the ACS affect the way I conduct a practical test?
The FAA does NOT expect the evaluator to cover every single knowledge and risk
management element for each task.
• Rather, the expectation is for the evaluator to address ONE knowledge
element and ONE risk management element in each Task.
As is the case today, however, the evaluator has discretion to test additional
knowledge and risk management elements if the Airman Knowledge Test Report
and/or the applicant’s response to questions suggests the need for more
thorough coverage.
FAQs
What document should we use to retrain and evaluate an
applicant’s areas of deficient or weak knowledge?
One of the strongest tools that the industry team developed for the ACS
framework is a new coding system.
• When the ACS approach is implemented, ACS codes will replace the Learning
Statement Codes (LSCs) that are used right now.
The ACS codes have several very strong advantages over the Learning Statement
Codes.
• The ACS codes are anchored in the standard – not in handbooks and other
reference documents, like today’s Learning Statement Codes. ACS codes
provide sharper, more focused feedback to applicants, instructors, and
evaluators.
FAQs
Will the ACS codes point me to the exact text in the handbooks and
other references?
No, because the ACS codes will point you to the specific area of missed knowledge
in the standard, rather than to a handbook chapter or section.
• Because they are anchored in the standard – not in handbooks and other
reference documents, like today’s Learning Statement Codes – ACS codes
provide sharper, more focused feedback to applicants, instructors, and
evaluators.
In Summary
The ACS does not change the check ride, but it gives the evaluator more focused
information on:
• Knowledge and risk management and special emphasis elements
associated with each skill task.
• Specific information (via ACS codes) on items the applicant missed on the
knowledge test.
Except to streamline and combine overlapping and duplicative tasks (e.g.,
runway safety), the ACS does not change PTS elements or performance metrics.
The FAA reviews each industry-developed ACS to validate its content and ensure
that all PTS elements are included.
In Summary
By offering an integrated, holistic, and systematic approach to standards,
guidance, and testing, the ACS:
•Provides better guidance to applicants, instructors, evaluators, and inspectors.
•Allows the FAA to develop better test questions that are clearly tied to
standards (“need to know”) and supported by guidance (handbooks).
•Reduces subjectivity and increases system-wide standardization.
•Enhances safety by ensuring that standards, guidance and testing for airman
certification all work together effectively.
In Summary
In this presentation we discussed:
•
•
•
•
Rationale for change to the ACS
The differences between PTS and ACS
A history of the process
Frequently asked questions
For More Information
For more information:
https://www.faa.gov/training_testing/testing/
FAASafety Team
www.FAASafety.gov
SAFE
www.SafePilots.org
This presentation would not have been
possible without the generous help and
support of the following:
Bob Newell, Manager, Airman Testing
Standards Branch (AFS-630)
Robert.L.Newell@faa.gov
405-954-0473
www.faa.gov/training_testing/testing/
Susan Parson, Special Technical Assistant,
Flight Standards Service (AFS-3A)
Susan.Parson@faa.gov
202-267-9064