FAA Inspection Authorization (IA)

The A&P lets you perform and approve maintenance; the IA adds inspection and approval authority on top of it. Only an IA can sign off an annual inspection, approve a progressive inspection program and its performance, or approve major repairs and major alterations for return to service. It is an added rating on the same mechanic certificate, not a separate license.

It is a computer-based, multiple-choice knowledge test taken at an FAA-approved testing center. The FAA publishes the current administration details, including what reference material, if any, you may bring into the test room, so confirm that policy with the testing provider before you schedule rather than assuming the rules match your A&P experience.

Most people find it harder, not because the facts are obscure but because the questions ask you to apply them. A typical item hands you a situation and asks what you may approve, what record entry is required, or whether an AD applies. Memorizing isolated numbers helps less than being able to reason from the regulation under time pressure.

Plan on a dedicated block of weeks rather than a few evenings, and start with the regulations rather than a question bank. Reading rule text cold is slow at first but pays off, because almost every scenario item resolves back to a specific section. Studying while actively doing inspections, even unpaid under supervision, accelerates retention considerably.

Start with Part 43 and Part 65, since they define what you may do and how it gets recorded. Then Part 39 and AD research, then Part 21 and major repair or alteration approval paths. Layer in the inspection checklist and type certificate data sheets once the regulatory frame is solid, and leave weight and balance and equipment lists for last.

Three areas recur: deciding whether an airworthiness directive actually applies to a specific aircraft or appliance, choosing the correct approval path for a major alteration, and writing record entries that are complete enough to stand up. Weight and balance item corrections and the difference between preventive maintenance and minor repair also trip people who rushed the regulations.

Yes. Retakes are permitted, but a waiting period applies before you may test again, and the FAA sets the current rule. Check the FAA website or ask the testing provider for the exact interval so you can plan your schedule and your study time around it instead of being surprised at the counter.

No. Many IAs work independently, traveling to aircraft owners or operating out of a small shop, and the rating does not require employment by a certificated repair station. What it does require is that you work within the privileges granted, keep your inspection references current, and maintain the activity or training the FAA expects at renewal.

No. IA privileges run on a fixed two-year renewal cycle rather than lasting indefinitely, and renewal depends on meeting activity or training criteria the FAA spells out in its guidance. Read the renewal requirements early so the work you do during the cycle counts toward them rather than being reconstructed at the last minute.