Total FAA Knowledge Test Volume Up in 2024; ATP Knowledge Tests Decrease Slightly

The FAA has released data on the volume of knowledge test delivery in 2024, including overall volume and for all the specific tests the FAA offers for certificates and ratings. This data set is always a little bit of an indicator on what we might see for last year’s airman certification efforts, and potentially a window into what we might expect to see in the upcoming year also as these tests are precursors to the next steps in certification.

With that intro, let’s look at a couple of highlights I noted quickly.

Overall Test Volume UP

When we look at overall test volume of all tests that the FAA offers, we again see the total volume of tests is up from the previous year. The chart below shows the huge spike that happened around 2019 as the FAA launched tests for unmanned aircraft systems and a new class of pilots was launched, but even after that initial dip the next year we are seeing overall test volume increasing year-to-year. continued strong pilot certification efforts are driving pilots to keep pushing through knowledge testing requirements and that keeps driving the overall number of tests up yearly in the past years.

It is worth noting that when we look at the overall knowledge test volume this includes everything from those ATP Canadian Helicopter Conversion tests (of which there were only 13 test takers) to the Unmanned Aircraft General – Small test (which included a much larger number of test takers, 67,576) and everything in between. Even those 6 Sport Pilot Gyroplane, 20 Recreational Pilot, and the 1,1375 Aircraft Dispatcher test takers to call out only a few of the tests. It also includes the 1,118 mechanics that took the Inspection Authorization test.

Most Primary Testing Knowledge Tests Volume Continue Increase

When we split out some of the specific tests that I track every year, specifically the Private Pilot Airplane, Instrument Rating Airplane, Commercial Pilot Airplane ATP (Single- and Multi-engine) Airplane, Flight Instructor Airplane, and Sport Pilot Airplane, we see that most of these have continued to trend upward.

This next chart shows each of these over the past few years, beginning in 2002 through this past year, 2024.

We do note that private pilot knowledge testing numbers didn’t increase at the same rate as recent years, and this might be an indicator of the system hitting maximum training capacity. It also might be an indicator or stabilizing entrant numbers for private pilot certification. From this particular data, I can’t tell you if it is either or both, but I suspect it has elements of both of those factors. We do see that Commercial Pilot, Instrument Rating, and CFI volumes continued to increase again. Sport pilot knowledge tests remain a very small portion of the test volume, a testament to the fact that this remains to be a small demand sector in aviation training. This may see some change in upcoming years if MOSAIC is finalized and sport pilots are eligible to fly a wider variety of aircraft; something we will watch if that change is finalized.

ATP Knowledge Tests Volume Decreases

A standout in the data points is that ATP knowledge test volume decreased in 2024 from 2023, and even dipped below the 2022 volume. As many airlines paused hiring, are in the process of restructuring routes, awaiting aircraft deliveries, and many other factors, it does seem that the demand for ATP knowledge testing did drop slightly. You can see the volume trend in the next chart.

In another post I made recently, How many ATP certificates in 2024?, I highlighted some of the trends specifically on ATP certificate issuance in 2024. Many of those who completed these certifications may have even completed their knowledge testing requirements back in 2023, so seeing a dip in 2024 ATP knowledge test volume seems to be an indicator we may see a slightly lower volume of final certificate completions in 2025 if that knowledge test volume doesn’t increase again.

All of these data points are just part of our picture of the training flow in our industry and the demands upon it, but they do help us see some trends. In the next few weeks we will see additional information including the airman certification data for 2024, and I will surely share that with you and some insights when it comes out and I have a bit to dig through it.

To see a more tabular representation of all of the data points used in this post, here is where it comes from in the following chart:

CFI Signoff Frequency in 2024

I always find this post fun every year. We get to see how many CFIs signed off applicants for practical tests, and how many CFIs did it at high levels!

When we look at the total number of CFIs who signed off even one applicant for a practical test in 2024, we see that number up a little bit. The chart below shows the trend of this data point since 2017.

When we compare this in the tabular format year to year, we see that the number of CFIs who are signing people off for a practical test has been climbing each of the recent years.

This matches up with the general trend of higher certification levels each year, and while we don’t have the airman certification numbers for 2024 just yet, I think this data point is an early indicator that 2024 will again be a year that saw high numbers of FAA certificates and ratings issued.

It can also be an indicator that CFIs are turning over in their jobs and that more CFIs are signing people off for tests as they work to gain experience and then transition into other professional pilot jobs for which they become qualified based on the hours they gain as a CFI along the way.

Another interesting data point is how many CFIs signed off more than 5 applicants for practical tests in 2024. These are some of the more active CFIs in our system in a given year. We see this number climbing year-to-year also in the chart to the right here.

But like most years, it still represents a small number of the overall holders of CFI certificates (probably over 120,000 at this point) in our aviation system. A smaller number of CFIs are doing the bulk of our training toward issuance of a certificate or rating that is tracked when an applicant is signed off for a practical test.

And for the last fun data point of this post, you can compare how your own signoff efforts relate to other CFIs this year if you are a highly active CFI when it comes to applicants you signed off in 2024. The chart below shows how many CFIs signed off applicants in ranges, quite obviously the higher numbers of signoffs in a given year fall to rare company. Pretty amazing that 7 CFIs were the recommending instructors on over 100 certificate and/or rating applications!

How many ATP certificates in 2024?

Tracking the number of ATP certificates issued every year helps us understand the flow of pilots who might be able to enter into service in airline operations for passengers and cargo in the United States.

While there has been some concern that airline hiring has decreased in 2024, the data we see from the ATP certification numbers indicates that there is still strong ATP certification happening in our pilot career pipeline.

When we look a the monthly rate, we see a slight drop in 2024 in the later months, as we approach the holiday season. This is a very common trend in the monthly certification efforts.

But let’s look a this from a more “yearly” perspective.

When we track the yearly month-by-month to a total at the end of the year, we do see that 2024 was a lower number of ATP certifications than 2023, which was a peak year in the recent past. It was, however, right on track with what was experienced in 2022.

When we look at the overall trend, we still see the dip year in 2020 during the effects of Covid-19, but since then we have been on a continued upward trend of ATP certificates overall even with some drop this past year from the highest point. It does still show that the recent 2024 numbers included robust ATP certification issuance.

Another interesting data point relates to the percentage of ATP certificates that are initially issued as R-ATP (Restricted ATP) certificates.

Since its inception in 2013 the number of these that have been issued increased and has stabilized at roughly 1/3 of the ATP certificates issued each year. This again relates to the fact that many initial ATP certification events are paired with initial airline training events at regional airlines. These pilots then follow that certification with removal of the restriction when they meet additional minimum requirements for full ATP certification. This is most commonly met after some time in service as a First Officer at a regional airline.

This data point is relevant because it is a continued indicator that a large number of pilots might not be able to enter into service as airline pilots without the lower R-ATP minimums in place. It is additionally an indicator that many pilots are entering into airline pilot jobs who met R-ATP minimum eligibility, typically through having trained and gained experience in collegiate aviation programs that qualify a pilot for an R-ATP certificate. This remains a critical part of our pilot training pipeline.

Hopefully, you find this data on ATP certification as interesting as I do!