FAA BGI study materials
FAA BGI study resources

FAA BGI study guide

FAA BGI · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.

The FAA BGI is a Federal Aviation Administration airman knowledge test delivered through the FAA's knowledge testing program, which the agency administers with its testing contractor, PSI Services, at PSI knowledge testing centers. The FAA publishes the supporting material candidates need: Airman Certification Standards and Practical Test Standards, reference handbooks, computer testing supplements, sample knowledge tests, and a learning statements reference guide. Candidates register for an airman knowledge test, sit the computer-based exam at a testing center, and receive a knowledge test report; the FAA also publishes a frequently asked questions document covering registration, who may administer a practical test, and what a knowledge test report is. This independent study page organizes preparation around four equally weighted domains: regulations and legal requirements; flight operations and procedures; aircraft performance and planning; and safety and aeronautical knowledge. The FAA BGI study guide has 4 sections and about 1,768 words.

01

Regulations and Legal Requirements

This domain asks you to apply 14 CFR Parts 61 and 91 to instructor authority, pilot privileges, and required documents. The BGI knowledge test is not a memorization test of rule numbers; it presents a scenario and asks whether the action is authorized.

445 words, about 2 min
02

Flight Operations and Procedures

Flight Operations and Procedures tests the rules that govern how a flight is conducted: preflight action, fuel reserves, right-of-way, minimum altitudes, traffic patterns, and emergency authority. Questions often present a planned flight and ask for the minimum legal fuel or the correct right-of-way action.

472 words, about 2 min
03

Aircraft Performance and Planning

Aircraft Performance and Planning tests whether you can compute weight and balance, density altitude, and fuel requirements, and then interpret the result. The BGI must teach applicants to use data, not intuition.

430 words, about 2 min
04

Safety and Aeronautical Knowledge

Safety and Aeronautical Knowledge tests judgment and aeromedical knowledge: ADM, risk management, oxygen and alcohol rules, stall and spin awareness, and weather hazards. Questions often ask what a pilot should do when a flight is legal but risky.

421 words, about 2 min