FAA · FOI
Fundamentals of Instructing (FOI) Knowledge Test practice exams
The FAA's Fundamentals of Instructing knowledge test for flight and ground instructors — practice against the Flight Instructor ACS, with every answer explained.
Or read 15 sample questions with answers.
About the FOI exam
The Fundamentals of Instructing (FOI) test covers how people learn and how to teach them: human behavior and communication, the learning process, lesson planning and teaching methods, assessment and critique, instructor professionalism, and teaching risk management.
It follows Area of Operation I of the Flight Instructor ACS (FAA-S-ACS-25) and draws on the Aviation Instructor's Handbook. These practice exams cover all six tasks; the FAA does not publish per-task percentages, so our weights are an estimate.
The real exam
Public information published by FAA. A ExamWize practice exam matches this format — it is not a copy of the exam's contents.
- Format
- 50 multiple-choice questions in 1.5 hours, at an FAA airman knowledge testing center. Minimum age 16.
- Cost
- Testing fees are set by the testing center — check current pricing when you schedule.
- Scoring
- The passing score is 70 percent. Practice scores here use the same 70% pass line.
- Validity
- Some applicants are exempt under 14 CFR 61.183(e), such as certain teachers and existing instructors.
Practice by exam topic
ExamWize practice exams draw questions in these same proportions, from a bank of 596 FOI questions. Open a topic for what it covers and free questions with answers.
- Human Behavior and Communication· 93 questions17%
- Learning Process· 162 questions27%
- Course Development, Lesson Plans and Teaching Methods· 118 questions20%
- Student Evaluation, Assessment and Testing· 101 questions16%
- Effective Teaching in a Professional Environment· 60 questions10%
- Risk Management and Accident Prevention· 62 questions10%
Who it's for
- Commercial pilots preparing for the flight instructor certificate
- Ground instructor applicants
- Instructors refreshing teaching theory
How to prepare
- Memorize the laws of learning, the levels of learning and the domains of learning.
- Know Maslow's hierarchy and the common defense mechanisms with an example of each.
- Learn the teaching process, lesson parts and the demonstration-performance steps.
- Know test characteristics (validity, reliability, usability) and critique qualities.
See the free FOI cheat sheet for a one-page domain summary, and the content policy for how these questions are written.
Free FOI practice resources
- 15 free FOI practice questionsSpread across the exam's topics, each with the answer and an explanation for every option.
- Free 10-question diagnosticA quick, scored check of where you stand, with no account needed.
- FOI cheat sheetThe topics and the facts that come up most, on one page.
- FOI study guideHow to plan your preparation.
FOI exam FAQ
- What is the format of the FOI exam?
- 50 multiple-choice questions in 1.5 hours, at an FAA airman knowledge testing center. Minimum age 16.
- How much does the FOI exam cost?
- Testing fees are set by the testing center — check current pricing when you schedule.
- How is the FOI exam scored?
- The passing score is 70 percent. Practice scores here use the same 70% pass line.
- How long is the credential valid?
- Some applicants are exempt under 14 CFR 61.183(e), such as certain teachers and existing instructors.
- How many FOI practice questions does ExamWize have?
- 596 original practice questions, drawn into full practice exams in the same format and domain proportions as the real FOI. Every option has its own explanation.
- Are these real FOI exam questions?
- No. Every question is original, written from FAA's public content outline — never copied from the real exam or from exam dumps. They match the real exam's format, not its contents.
- Can I try ExamWize for free?
- Yes. The free diagnostic has 10 FOI practice questions with a full explanation for every answer, and no account is needed.