Study guide

2.4 Testing Supplement and Embedded Images

FAA A&P Study Guide Exam

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1 Orientation: Eligibility, FTN, Authorization, Three-Test Path, and Retakes

1.1 Certificate Ratings and the Three-Test Roadmap 1.2 Baseline Eligibility and the Experience Path 1.3 AMTS and Military Eligibility Pathways 1.4 FTN, IACRA, and the Authorization File 1.5 Knowledge-Test Logistics and Scoring 1.6 AKTRs, Retakes, and the DME Transition

2 ACS Map, Testing Matrix, Embedded Images, Supplements, and Study Workflow

2.1 Testing Matrix Facts for AMG, AMA, and AMP 2.2 ACS Map and Subject-Area Boundaries 2.3 AKTR ACS-Code Diagnostics 2.4 Testing Supplement and Embedded Images 2.5 Three-Test Study Workflow 2.6 Final Review and Test-Day Source Control

3 General I: Electricity, Drawings, Weight and Balance, Math, and Physics

3.1 Electricity and Electronics Foundations 3.2 AC/DC Measurement and Schematic Troubleshooting 3.3 Aircraft Drawings, Blueprints, and Schematics 3.4 Weight and Balance Equations and Records 3.5 Maintenance Math and Unit Discipline 3.6 Physics for Aviation: Forces, Fluids, and Flight

4 General II: Lines, Materials, Servicing, Corrosion, Records, Inspection, and Human Factors

4.1 Fluid Lines, Fittings, and Installation Risk 4.2 Materials, Hardware, and Process Control 4.3 Ground Operations, Servicing, and Ramp Safety 4.4 Cleaning, Corrosion Control, and Finishing 4.5 Regulations, Forms, Records, and Publications 4.6 Inspection Concepts, Human Factors, and Maintenance Judgment

5 Airframe I: Structures, Flight Controls, and Airframe Inspection

5.1 Metallic Structure Inspection and Damage Patterns 5.2 Sheet-Metal Repairs, Fasteners, and Riveting Judgment 5.3 Non-Metallic Structures: Composites, Wood, Fabric, and Plastics 5.4 Flight Control Systems, Rigging, and Travel 5.5 Control Surface Balance, Flutter, and Freeplay 5.6 Airframe Inspection, Records, ADs, and Corrosion Decisions

6 Airframe II: Landing Gear, Hydraulics, Pneumatics, Environmental, Instruments, and Comms

6.1 Landing Gear, Wheels, Tires, and Brakes 6.2 Retraction, Steering, Anti-Skid, and Warning Systems 6.3 Hydraulic Systems: Components, Fluids, and Troubleshooting 6.4 Pneumatic, Vacuum, and Bleed-Air Systems 6.5 Environmental Systems: Pressurization, Heating, Cooling, and Oxygen 6.6 Instrument Systems: Pitot-Static, Gyros, and Displays 6.7 Communication, Navigation, Antennas, and Avionics Inspection

7 Airframe III: Fuel, Electrical, Ice/Rain, Fire, Rotorcraft, and Water/Waste Systems

7.1 Airframe Fuel System Boundaries and Safe Servicing 7.2 Airframe Electrical Power, Wiring, and Protection 7.3 Ice and Rain Control System Inspection and Limits 7.4 Airframe Fire Protection Detection, Extinguishing, and Squib Safety 7.5 Rotorcraft Fundamentals, Controls, Drives, and Vibration 7.6 Water and Waste Systems Service Boundaries and Contamination Control

8 Powerplant I: Reciprocating, Turbine Engine Theory, and Engine Inspection

8.1 Reciprocating Engine Cycles, Components, and Operating Boundaries 8.2 Horizontally Opposed and Radial Engine Components 8.3 Reciprocating Engine Performance, Ground Operation, and Preservation 8.4 Turbine Engine Airflow, Sections, and Performance 8.5 Turbine Engine Maintenance, FOD, Bleed Air, and Post-Installation Checks 8.6 Engine Inspection, Records, Compression, Borescope, and Airworthiness

9 Powerplant II: Instruments, Fire, Electrical, Lubrication, Ignition, and Starting

9.1 Engine Instrument Scan and Trend Logic 9.2 Pressure, Temperature, and Flow Indications 9.3 Engine Fire Protection, Detection, and Extinguishing 9.4 Engine Electrical Generation and Protection 9.5 Lubrication System Flow, Pressure, and Contamination 9.6 Ignition and Starting Troubleshooting

10 Powerplant III: Fuel Metering, Induction, Cooling, Turbine Air, Exhaust, Reversers, and Propellers

10.1 Engine Fuel System Flow, Contamination, and Vapor 10.2 Carburetors, Fuel Injection, and Metering Logic 10.3 Reciprocating Induction, Turbocharging, and Cooling 10.4 Turbine Air Systems, Bleed Air, and Anti-Ice 10.5 Exhaust Systems, Thrust Reversers, and Temperature Patterns 10.6 Propeller Systems, Governors, and Inspection

11 Oral/Practical Bridge: AKTR ACS Codes, DME Expectations, and Maintenance Judgment

11.1 Turn AKTR ACS Codes Into an Oral and Practical Remediation Plan 11.2 What the DME Oral Exam Is Really Testing 11.3 Practical Projects, Tools, Equipment, and Safety Discipline 11.4 Risk Management and Human Factors in the DME Environment 11.5 Documentation, Maintenance Records, and Data Discipline 11.6 Return-to-Service Judgment and Final DME Readiness

12 Final Review: Test Day Strategy, Three-Test Schedule, and Next Steps

12.1 Build the Final Study Calendar Around AMG, AMA, and AMP 12.2 PSI Test-Day Checklist Without Guesswork 12.3 Pacing for the 60-Question and 100-Question Knowledge Tests 12.4 Formula, Supplement, and Embedded-Image Final Review 12.5 Retake Decision Tree After a Failed or Weak Knowledge Test 12.6 DME Scheduling and Post-Pass Next Steps

2.4 Testing Supplement and Embedded Images

Key Takeaways Explain This Topic AI

FAA-CT-8080-4G is the Airman Knowledge Testing Supplement for AMT General, Airframe, and Powerplant (and Parachute Rigger).

The supplement holds the figures, charts, tables, and legends that figure-based questions reference.

Effective April 2026, AMT General, Airframe, and Powerplant exams feature questions with images embedded directly in the question screen.

The embedded-image change moves figures into the question screen; FAA-S-ACS-1 is unchanged, and the FAA expects modifications from PSI's assessment of the AMT tests in 2027.

Practice reading figures on-screen and connecting each figure to the ACS concept being tested.

Last updated: October 2026

Separate reference material from delivery format

The FAA testing matrix names FAA-CT-8080-4G , the Airman Knowledge Testing Supplement for Aviation Maintenance Technician — General, Airframe, and Powerplant; and Parachute Rigger , as the official supplement for the AMT knowledge-test group. Historically this supplement was a separate printed (or on-screen) booklet of figures, charts, tables, legends, and legend keys that figure-based questions referenced — for example, a wiring schematic, a weight-and-balance loading graph, a sheet-metal rivet-layout drawing, or an engine cross-section. A question stem would say "refer to Figure 12" and the candidate would consult the supplement.

Knowing the supplement title and its role matters because a large share of AMT questions are figure-based : you cannot answer them from text alone. The skills the supplement demands — reading a schematic symbol, interpolating a graph, extracting a value from a table — are themselves tested competencies, not incidental navigation.

The April 2026 embedded-image update

Per FAA Airman Testing Community Advisories, effective April 2026 the AMT General, Airframe, and Powerplant exams feature questions with embedded images . Under this graphics-conversion project, the relevant figure is placed directly in the question screen rather than requiring the candidate to flip to a separate supplement reference. This is a delivery-format modernization , and FAA-S-ACS-1 is still the mechanic ACS. Separately, PSI is assessing the AMT knowledge tests, and the FAA's September 2026 advisory expects modifications from that assessment in 2027.

  • Item Official role What NOT to infer
  • FAA-CT-8080-4G Named AMT/Parachute-Rigger testing supplement That the FAA publishes active questions

Embedded images (Apr 2026) Figures shown in the question screen for AMG/AMA/AMP That the subject mix or blueprint changed

  • ACS codes & references Continued alignment basis That images replace ACS alignment
  • Passing score 70, 2.0 hrs Unchanged That image delivery alters time or score
  • How to prepare for embedded figures

Treat the change as a navigation and attention habit, not a new content domain:

Read the stem first , then inspect the embedded figure , then connect both to the ACS concept being tested.

Practice extracting one value from a table or graph quickly, since the AMA/AMP clock is only ~1.2 minutes per question.

Add a visual-reading drill to each test area: in General, schematics, W&B loading graphs, drawing symbols, and math charts; in Airframe, structural/rivet drawings and system diagrams; in Powerplant, engine cross-sections, ignition timing diagrams, and propeller blade-angle figures.

Do not assume an image-heavy question is a validation item or that figures signal a changed subject mix.

The supplement and the embedded-image update also reinforce a source-control rule: the FAA does not release its live item bank, so "question dumps" claiming to be current FAA items are unreliable and a poor study basis. The legitimate path is to learn the ACS standards and FAA handbook content, practice with released sample figures and the FAA-CT-8080-4G reference material, and become comfortable reading figures on-screen. That is fundamentally different from trying to memorize active items, and it is the only approach the FAA boundary supports.

What the supplement actually contains

FAA-CT-8080-4G is not a tutorial; it is a figure bank .

Typical contents an AMT candidate must be able to interpret include: aircraft electrical schematics with standardized symbols (grounds, shields, resistors, capacitors, diodes, transistors); weight-and-balance loading graphs and tables for sample aircraft; sheet-metal and rivet-layout drawings showing edge distance, pitch, and rivet codes; engine cross-sections and timing diagrams; propeller blade-angle illustrations; and inspection/measurement figures such as micrometer and dial-indicator readings.

The competency being tested is not memorizing these specific figures but being fluent in the type — reading any schematic symbol, interpolating any loading graph, extracting a value from any table. Build that fluency from the handbooks and the supplement together.

The FAA-CT-8080 series is published free by the FAA and is downloadable from faa.gov; the AMT version ( -4G ) is the only supplement authorized for the AMG/AMA/AMP knowledge tests, so candidates can study from the exact figure set the test draws on. The booklet's figures are numbered and unchanged between the practice copy and the test screen , which is precisely why the April 2026 embedded-image project is a delivery change and not a content change — the same numbered figure simply appears in-screen instead of in a separate booklet handed to you at the testing center.

A worked figure-reading habit

Consider a weight-and-balance figure-based item. The screen shows a loading graph (embedded, under the April 2026 format) and asks for the center of gravity (CG) . The efficient routine is: read the stem to learn what is given (weights and arms, or moments), inspect the figure to extract the missing values, then compute CG = total moment ÷ total weight — for example, a total moment of 91,000 in-lb divided by a total weight of 2,350 lb gives a CG of about 38.7 in aft of datum. The embedded format changes where you read the graph (in-screen, not a separate booklet), not the math or the ACS element behind it.

Format change, not blueprint change — keep it in proportion

The single most important takeaway about FAA-CT-8080-4G and the April 2026 embedded images is proportion: it is a delivery evolution. The subject mix, the 60/100/100 counts, the 2.0-hour clock, the 70 passing score, and the ACS-code alignment are all unchanged. Do not let the cosmetic change tempt you to alter your content plan or chase rumors of a "new exam." Keep studying the ACS K-elements from the FAA handbooks, drill figure reading so on-screen graphics feel routine, and you will be prepared for the format exactly as it is delivered after April 2026.