This Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Private Pilot - Airplane Airman Certification Standards (ACS) document provides the aeronautical knowledge, risk management, and flight proficiency standards for private pilot certification in the airplane category, single-engine land and sea, and multi-engine land and sea classes (ASEL, ASES, AMEL, AMES). This ACS incorporates and supersedes the Practical Test Standards (PTS) FAA-S-8081-14 as well as the previous Airman Certification Standards FAA-S-ACS-6A.
The Airman Certification Standard is the guide for students, instructors, and evaluators to understand what applicants must know, do, and consider to pass their FAA Knowledge Exam and practical (checkride) and earn their pilot certificate or rating. The ACS adds task-specific knowledge and risk management elements to each subject area; the result is a comprehensive presentation that integrates the requirements for knowledge and skill in both the FAA knowledge and practical tests, into one overall FAA standard.