Definition
The hands-on examinations a pilot, flight instructor, or other airman must pass to earn an FAA certificate or rating. Each test is conducted by an FAA-authorized examiner and consists of an oral portion and a flight portion, evaluated against the standards published in the Airman Certification Standards (ACS) or Practical Test Standards (PTS) for that certificate or rating.
Plain English
The official FAA tests where an examiner checks that you can actually fly the aircraft and answer questions about it well enough to earn a certificate or rating.
Context Anchor
You will see this term in FAA training and testing material, including discussions of when an approved flight simulation training device may be used during testing.
Derivation
Airman' is the FAA's general term for any certificated aviation professional, regardless of gender, including pilots, flight instructors, mechanics, and dispatchers. 'Practical' here means hands-on and applied, as opposed to the written knowledge test. Together the phrase signals a real-world demonstration rather than a paper exam.
Why Pilots Care
These tests are the final gate to certification; results directly affect a pilot's ability to fly solo, carry passengers, or pursue a professional career.
Intuition Check
Do not read “airman” as “male pilot,” and do not read “practical test” as ordinary practice. In FAA use, airman practical tests are official evaluations for earning aviation privileges.
Example Sentence 1
Before signing the student off, the instructor reviewed every maneuver listed in the airman practical test for the private pilot certificate.
Example Sentence 2
Flight simulation training devices are often used to prepare applicants for airman practical tests by practicing emergency procedures.