Regulations, Maintenance Forms, Records, and Publications — FAA A&P Test Questions (ACS AM.I.I)

Regulations, Maintenance Forms, Records, and Publications (AM.I.I) is the General-bank subject area that asks what you have to write down, who is responsible for what, and which document answers a given question. It covers maintenance record entries, Airworthiness Directives, advisory circulars, manufacturer data, and the record-keeping that follows an aircraft through its life. Every AMTprep question published on this code carries a rationale and a reference, so you can practice the exact wording the FAA uses instead of paraphrasing the rules from memory.

What ACS AM.I.I covers

The recordkeeping and publications material in FAA-H-8083-30 sets the scope, and the rules underneath it are 14 CFR Part 43 for how maintenance is performed and recorded and 14 CFR Part 65 for what a certificated mechanic may do. Record entries are the core of the area. An entry for completed work has to describe the work performed or refer to data acceptable to the Administrator, give the date the work was completed, and carry the signature, certificate number, and kind of certificate held by the person approving the aircraft for return to service. Expect questions that separate performing the work from approving the return to service, because those are not always the same person. Airworthiness Directives are the next cluster. The FAA issues an AD to correct an unsafe condition in an aircraft, engine, propeller, or appliance; compliance is mandatory, the owner or operator is responsible for it, and current AD status stays with the aircraft records. Publications questions ask you to match a document to its authority. Regulations are binding. Advisory circulars are guidance and describe one acceptable means of compliance rather than the only one. Manufacturer instructions and service information take on force through the applicable maintenance program or operating rule. The FAA's advisory circular on acceptable methods, techniques, and practices is the fallback source for inspection and repair of nonpressurized civil aircraft when no manufacturer data covers the job. Retention rounds the area out: routine maintenance records versus the permanent set that transfers with the aircraft when it is sold.

Where this sits on the test

ACS AM.I.I is tested on the FAA General written test, one of 1,558 ACS-tagged questions in the General bank. Every question tagged to this area carries a worked rationale and its FAA handbook reference, so you can drill the code itself rather than the whole test.

FAA handbook references

  • FAA-H-8083-30

Three traps candidates fall into

  1. Advisory circulars get treated as rules. An AC is guidance that describes one acceptable means of compliance, not the only one, and it becomes binding only when a regulation, an Airworthiness Directive, or a set of approved data specifically calls for it. The test rewards knowing that distinction rather than memorizing circular numbers.
  2. Candidates put AD compliance on the mechanic. The mechanic performs the work and records it correctly, but responsibility for keeping the aircraft in compliance with applicable Airworthiness Directives belongs to the owner or operator. Read carefully which party the question is actually asking about before you pick an answer.
  3. The one-year retention figure gets applied to everything. Records of routine maintenance are kept until that work is repeated or superseded, or for one year. A second, permanent set - total time in service, life-limited part status, inspection status, AD compliance status, and major alteration records - is transferred with the aircraft at sale.

7 free sample questions from ACS AM.I.I

  1. AM.I.ITap an answer

    An aircraft maintenance record entry for a completed repair must include which of the following?

  2. AM.I.ITap an answer

    How long must a record of maintenance performed on an aircraft be retained under 14 CFR Part 91?

  3. AM.I.ITap an answer

    Compliance with an Airworthiness Directive (AD) is the responsibility of the

  4. AM.I.ITap an answer

    Airworthiness Directives are issued by the FAA primarily to

  5. AM.I.ITap an answer

    The primary purpose of an FAA Advisory Circular (AC) is to

  6. AM.I.ITap an answer

    Which publication contains methods, techniques, and practices acceptable to the Administrator for the inspection and repair of nonpressurized civil aircraft?

  7. AM.I.ITap an answer

    When making a maintenance record entry, an error in the entry should be corrected by

An aircraft maintenance record entry for a completed repair must include which of the following?

ACS code: AM.I.I

Correct answer: A description of the work, the date, and the signature and certificate number of the person approving return to service

Rationale: Under 14 CFR 43.9, a maintenance record entry for maintenance, preventive maintenance, or alteration must contain a description of the work performed, the date of completion, and the name plus signature and certificate number of the person approving the aircraft for return to service. The owner does not sign off the work, and removed-part serial numbers are not a required element of the basic record entry.

How long must a record of maintenance performed on an aircraft be retained under 14 CFR Part 91?

ACS code: AM.I.I

Correct answer: Until the work is repeated, superseded, or for one year after the work is performed

Rationale: Per 14 CFR 91.417, records of maintenance, preventive maintenance, and alterations must be retained until the work is repeated, superseded by other work, or for one year after the work is performed. The total-time and inspection-status records are kept permanently and transferred with the aircraft, but the individual maintenance record itself follows the one-year rule.

Compliance with an Airworthiness Directive (AD) is the responsibility of the

ACS code: AM.I.I

Correct answer: aircraft owner or operator

Rationale: Under 14 CFR 39 and 91.403, the owner or operator is primarily responsible for maintaining the aircraft in an airworthy condition, which includes ensuring compliance with all applicable Airworthiness Directives. The manufacturer issues service information and the FSDO provides oversight, but neither is responsible for AD compliance on a specific aircraft.

Airworthiness Directives are issued by the FAA primarily to

ACS code: AM.I.I

Correct answer: correct an unsafe condition existing in a product

Rationale: Airworthiness Directives are issued under 14 CFR 39 when an unsafe condition is found to exist in a product and that condition is likely to exist in other products of the same type design. ADs are mandatory and regulatory, unlike manufacturer service bulletins, which are typically recommendations.

The primary purpose of an FAA Advisory Circular (AC) is to

ACS code: AM.I.I

Correct answer: provide guidance and acceptable means of compliance with the regulations

Rationale: Advisory Circulars provide non-regulatory guidance and describe acceptable methods, techniques, and practices for complying with the regulations. They are not themselves binding rules and do not supersede the CFR; an AC presents one acceptable means of compliance rather than a mandatory requirement.

Which publication contains methods, techniques, and practices acceptable to the Administrator for the inspection and repair of nonpressurized civil aircraft?

ACS code: AM.I.I

Correct answer: AC 43.13-1

Rationale: AC 43.13-1 (Acceptable Methods, Techniques, and Practices—Aircraft Inspection and Repair) provides acceptable methods for repairs when no manufacturer data is available, applicable to nonpressurized areas of civil aircraft. AC 65-9 is the general airframe and powerplant handbook reference and AC 20-62 addresses parts eligibility, so neither serves the repair-methods role of AC 43.13-1.

When making a maintenance record entry, an error in the entry should be corrected by

ACS code: AM.I.I

Correct answer: drawing a single line through the error and initialing the change

Rationale: Maintenance records are legal documents, so an error is corrected by drawing a single line through it and initialing, leaving the original entry legible. Erasing or covering an entry with correction fluid destroys the original information and is not acceptable practice for permanent records.

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Frequently asked questions

What has to be in a maintenance record entry?
A description of the work performed, or a reference to data acceptable to the Administrator that describes it; the date the work was completed; and the signature, certificate number, and kind of certificate held by the person approving the aircraft for return to service. When the person who performed the work is not the person approving the return to service, the record identifies both.
Who is responsible for complying with an Airworthiness Directive?
The owner or operator of the aircraft. They are responsible for keeping it in an airworthy condition, and that includes complying with every applicable AD and having the compliance properly recorded. A mechanic who performs and signs for AD work is responsible for that work, but the continuing obligation to track and comply stays with the owner or operator.
Are FAA advisory circulars mandatory?
No. An advisory circular is nonregulatory guidance that shows one acceptable way of meeting a rule, and a different method may be used if it satisfies the regulation. An AC becomes binding in practice only when a regulation, an Airworthiness Directive, or a set of approved data specifically requires that method be used for the job at hand.
How do I correct a mistake in a maintenance record entry?
Do not erase, black out, or tear out the entry. Standard practice is to draw a single line through the incorrect information so it stays legible, initial and date the correction, and then make a complete and correct entry. The record is supposed to show the full history of the aircraft, including the fact that something was corrected.
How long do aircraft maintenance records have to be kept?
Records of maintenance, preventive maintenance, and alterations are kept until that work is repeated, superseded by other work, or for one year after completion. A separate permanent set - total time in service, life-limited part status, time since overhaul, current inspection status, AD compliance status, and major alteration records - is kept under the Part 91 rules and transferred to the buyer at sale.

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