How to Read Your FAA Written Test Report
You just took your FAA knowledge test and the report hands you a list of cryptic codes with no explanation. Here is exactly what those codes mean, how to decode them, and what you are supposed to do with them before your checkride.
What is the Airman Knowledge Test Report (AKTR)?
The Airman Knowledge Test Report is the printout you get after taking an FAA written (knowledge) test. It shows your score, whether you passed, and a list of codes for the questions you answered incorrectly. It has your name and FAA Tracking Number (FTN) on it, and you will need to bring it to your checkride.
Why your report only shows codes, not the questions
The FAA does not tell you which specific questions you missed. Instead, each missed question is shown as a code that points to a knowledge area — the topic that question was testing. A single code can even stand for more than one missed question. So the report tells you what to study, not the exact questions.
PLT codes vs. ACS codes
There are two systems, and which one you see depends on the test:
- ACS codes (newer) look like
PA.I.B.K1. They come from the FAA Airman Certification Standards. - PLT codes (older) look like
PLT123. These are Learning Statement Codes from the FAA Learning Statement Reference Guide.
How to read an ACS code
An ACS code has four parts separated by periods. Take PA.I.B.K1:
PA— the certificate or rating (PA = Private Pilot Airplane, IR = Instrument, CA = Commercial, AA = ATP, AI = Flight Instructor, UA = Remote Pilot / Part 107, and so on)I— the Area of Operation (a Roman numeral)B— the Task within that area (a letter)K1— the element: K = Knowledge, R = Risk Management, S = Skill, plus its number
So PA.I.B.K1 is Private Pilot Airplane, Area of Operation I, Task B, Knowledge item 1.
To see what it actually says, look it up in the ACS — or use the decoder to do it
instantly.
How to read a PLT code
PLT codes are simpler — each PLT### maps to one learning statement (a topic). For
example, PLT078 means "Interpret information in a Chart Supplements U.S." You can browse the
full list on the Learning Statement Codes page.
What you are supposed to do with the codes
This part trips up a lot of applicants. Before your practical test, your instructor must review each area of deficiency on your report and give you an endorsement stating they have done so, and the examiner will cover those areas during the oral. So the codes are not just informational — they define what you and your CFI go over before the checkride. Bring the report and do not lose it.
The fast way: decode your whole report at once
FAA Test Code Lookup does all of this for you. Upload your report (PDF or a photo) and it lists every missed code with its official FAA description, then gives you a clean PDF or image to study from and hand to your instructor. It is free and runs entirely in your browser, so your report — name, FTN and all — is never uploaded anywhere.
Look up codes by certificate
Prefer to browse? Every code and its meaning is listed by certificate: