Instrument rating airplane ACS reference

Start with the current FAA document

The Instrument Rating Airplane Airman Certification Standards (ACS) organize knowledge, risk management, and skill standards for the instrument rating practical test. Find the current document and any addenda through the FAA Airman Certification Standards page. Verify the aircraft category and class and the revision shown on the document before using a printed or saved copy.

This page helps organize study. It does not reproduce FAA standards, predict test questions, or establish readiness for a practical test.

Study from the task to its source

Read each applicable ACS task with its knowledge, risk management, and skill elements. Link the task to its cited regulation, current FAA handbook material, chart or navigation reference, and the aircraft procedures that apply. Instrument topics often depend on the exact conditions and equipment described in the source, so avoid studying a short summary without checking the referenced material.

For each task, keep a short record of:

• The ACS edition and task you reviewed.
• The regulation or FAA publication that supports the answer.
• The assumptions or equipment configuration involved.
• Questions that need instructor discussion or practice.

Use the current ACS as the task outline and your instructor's syllabus as the training plan. A written answer by itself does not demonstrate the practical skill standard.

Check recency and eligibility separately

Practical-test eligibility and instrument recent experience are separate questions. Review the current requirements in 14 CFR Part 61 and confirm logbook entries, endorsements, and experience with an authorized instructor. The pilot currency checker can organize selected recency information, but it does not determine legal eligibility or authorize a flight.

Use current charts, publications, and the applicable aircraft POH or AFM when studying procedures. Generic examples on a study page cannot account for equipment, authorization, weather, or aircraft limitations.

Regulations to cross-reference

Use the current ACS for the practical-test standards and the regulations for certification and operating requirements. Common starting points include:

• 14 CFR 61.65, instrument rating requirements.
• 14 CFR 61.57, recent flight experience.
• 14 CFR 91.173, IFR flight plan and ATC clearance.

Read the current paragraphs that apply to the rating and operation being studied. The pilot currency checker is an organizer for selected 61.57 experience only. It does not validate aircraft equipment, logbook entries, training-device approval, or eligibility for a practical test.

Before the practical test

Confirm the applicable ACS revision and addenda, current regulations, required records and endorsements, and aircraft-specific procedures. Ask your instructor to review any ACS elements that remain unclear. The examiner evaluates the applicable published standards; this reference does not promise a particular scenario or test sequence.

For training and reference only. Current FAA material and regulations control.

Related resources

• Airman certification standards overview
• Pilot currency checker
• FAA Airman Certification Standards