FAA Certification
Students who satisfactorily complete the required sections of the aviation curriculum are qualified to apply for FAA certification and associated ratings. In order to secure this FAA certification, applicants must pass written, oral, and practical examinations. These examinations are administered by an FAA designated third party. A fee is charged at the time of the examination. Note: even if exams are passed, certain offenses such as criminal charges, drug and alcohol incidents, or security violations, may result in the withholding of a certificate by the FAA.
The school's Certificate of Completion certifies the student has successfully met the educational objectives in accordance with required standards under 14 CFR Part 147. Students in the Airframe and Powerplant Technician program are eligible to receive three (3) Certificates of Completion ‑ General, Airframe, and Powerplant ‑ provided all required courses within each section are completed with a passing grade (1.7 grade point average or above for the Canton campus; 2.0 grade point average or above for all other campuses).
Note: A student presenting the FAA Certificate of Completion for General, Airframe, or Powerplant may take the written examination for each section upon completion of the corresponding curriculum. FAA Written Airman Knowledge Testing Procedures are described in the following section.
FAA Written Airman Knowledge Testing (AKT) Procedure for General, Airframe, and Powerplant
1. Contact Student Services to obtain a Certificate of Completion for General, Airframe, or Powerplant once the section is completed.
2. Follow the directions in the Certificate of Completion packet provided by Student Services. To register for an FAA tracking number, go to: http://iacra.faa.gov/IACRA.
3. Use your FAA tracking number to register for an account on https://faa.psiexams.com/faa/login.
4. See Third Party Exam Fees section below for information about costs.
Students choosing to test for the General certification prior to completion of the Airframe or Powerplant section should be aware:
1. To qualify to take the AMG written test, a student must have passed all components of the curriculum in the General (Air Science) curriculum.
2. If applicable, before retesting after a failed AMG written test, the student must either:
a. Undergo additional instruction by an airman (such as a faculty or staff member at the school) holding an FAA mechanic certificate on code specific instructional items associated with the previous test, or
b. Wait thirty (30) days to retest. If additional instruction is successfully completed with a school instructor, the student will receive an approval form certifying that the student has been provided with additional instruction for each subject failed on the AMG written test and that the instructor considers the student ready for retesting.
FAA Oral and Practical Airman Knowledge Testing (AKT) Procedure for Airframe and Powerplant
1. Complete two (2) 8610‑2 Airman Certificate and/or Rating applications at www.faa.gov. These forms must be completed legibly. Take these forms to the Designated Mechanic Examiner (DME) for the oral and practical tests.
2. Schedule a general and airframe or a general and powerplant oral and practical test with a Designated Mechanic Examiner (DME). DME contact information may be obtained from Student Services, Education, or on the FAA Designee Management System.
3. Present the UTI Certificate of Completion and the written Airman Knowledge Test Reports (AKTR) for general and airframe or general and powerplant to a Designated Mechanic Examiner (DME) for the oral and practical test.
4. The Designated Mechanic Examiner (DME) will administer the oral and practical test and issue a temporary certificate upon successful completion.
5. Student should provide a copy of all testing results to UTI.
DME Oral and Practical Testing Students may choose any DME to conduct their oral and practical test(s). UTI maintains a list of DMEs in the area, including those who participate in UTI's voucher payment process. However, students are not obligated to select a DME from this list and may choose any authorized DME for their testing needs. Refer to Third Party Exam Fees section below for more information.
Early FAA Oral and Practical Exams
In accordance with 14 CFR 65.80, whenever UTI demonstrates to an FAA inspector that a student has made satisfactory progress at the school and is prepared to take the oral and practical tests prescribed by 14 CFR 65.79, that student may take those tests during the final subjects of training in the approved curriculum, before meeting the applicable experience requirements for 14 CFR 65.77 and before passing each section of the written tests prescribed by 14 CFR 65.75.
A student may request to take their final oral and practical (O&P) exams before completion of the last written exams. To qualify for early oral and practical testing, a student must have a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 and be approved by the Education Director. Students wishing to take an early oral and practical exam must submit UTI's Request for Early Testing. Early oral and practical exams can be taken 45 days prior to the last day of scheduled training and must be completed prior to the last day of scheduled training.
Third Party Exam Fees
UTI will fund the cost of third‑party professional licensing exam fees (up to the specified maximum amount outlined in the Tuition Chart) provided the exam is completed within 120 calendar days from the student's graduation and the student satisfies at least one of the following:
1. Achieves a GPA of 3.0 or higher in the completed section(s) for which the student wishes to take the third‑party licensing exam;
2. Passes all embedded practice tests within the curriculum (with an 85% or better score) for the applicable section(s);
3. Takes a “full question study" in the school's test prep software and passes with a minimum of 85% in the area(s) for which the student wishes to take the third‑party licensing exam: General, Airframe, and/or Powerplant; or
4. Participate in a total of 16 hours of one‑on‑one tutoring with an Aviation instructor or qualified LRC staff in the specific section being tested.
Students are responsible for fees and costs associated with third-party exams if the above criteria is not met, if exams are taken beyond 120 calendar days from their graduation date, or after a student's voluntary or involuntary withdrawal from UTI.
Students can visit with the Student Services Department to discuss testing options. Depending on location, DMEs who participate in the UTI's voucher process may be available to conduct oral and practical testing. If not available, or if a student wishes to test with a non-participating DME, UTI will reimburse the student up to the cumulative maximum amount as outlined on the Tuition Chart.
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)
The following campus locations are Part 147 certified by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA): Avondale, Canton, Houston, Long Beach, and Miramar.