GAO Urges FAA to Broaden Mechanic Exams Access to More High Schools
The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) is urging the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to reduce obstacles for budding aviation mechanics. This can be achieved by widening the accessibility to the agency’s general written knowledge test, a crucial initial step towards obtaining an FAA mechanic certificate.
At present, only students who are enrolled in an FAA-certificated aviation maintenance school are eligible to take the exam. The GAO has identified at least 43 high schools throughout the United States that provide aviation maintenance programs. However, these schools are not FAA-certificated, which means their students are completely barred from taking the test. The agency suggests that the FAA form a working group composed of industry stakeholders and aviation experts. This group would be responsible for formally assessing whether broadening test access could potentially alleviate the escalating mechanic shortage.
The implications are substantial: the Bureau of Labor Statistics anticipates approximately 11,300 aircraft mechanic job openings annually until 2034. The FAA was initially instructed to set up such a working group by May 2025, as per the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024. However, the group was never established following the dismissal of advisory committee members by executive order. The U.S. Department of Transportation agrees with the GAO’s recommendation, labeling early access as a “critical step” in mitigating the projected mechanic workforce deficit.
Source: U.S. GAO Report GAO-26-108303 – High School Aviation Maintenance Programs