The current FAA CFII-airplane standard
As verified August 10, 2026, FAA-S-8081-9E requires at least three approach procedures on the airplane CFII practical test: two different nonprecision approaches and one precision approach. That is the minimum procedure count before the evaluator adds the missed-approach, circling, landing, emergency, teaching, and scenario work selected by the PTS.
The governing document is the Flight Instructor Instrument Practical Test Standards for Airplane Rating and Helicopter Rating (FAA-S-8081-9E) — a PTS, not the Flight Instructor for Airplane Category ACS. The FAA's current standards index lists the document as effective May 31, 2024.
Last verified: 2026-08-10 · date_retrieved: 2026-08-10. Primary sources: FAA-S-8081-9E CFII PTS, FAA current PTS index, 14 CFR §61.183, 14 CFR §61.187, and AC 61-65K.
How many approaches are required on the CFII checkride?
The PTS approach recipe is more specific than “one precision and one nonprecision.” Plan for this minimum:
| Required procedure | What the current PTS adds |
|---|---|
| Nonprecision approach 1 | One of the two nonprecision procedures must include a course reversal, such as a procedure turn or hold-in-lieu. |
| Nonprecision approach 2 | At least one must start at an initial approach fix without autopilot and without radar-vector assistance. |
| Backup/partial-panel work | One nonprecision procedure must use backup or partial-panel instrumentation appropriate to the installed avionics. This can overlap one of the two procedures above. |
| Precision approach | One precision approach must be flown to decision altitude using approved centerline and vertical guidance. |
The evaluator may end each approach with a landing or missed approach. The constraints can be combined across the two nonprecision procedures; they are not a promise that every bullet becomes a separate approach.
What can be completed in an FSTD?
At least one instrument approach must be demonstrated in the airplane. The PTS permits one precision and one nonprecision approach not selected for the aircraft demonstration to be completed in an eligible full-flight simulator or flight training device only when used under an approved Part 141 school or Part 142 training-center curriculum. Owning or renting an ATD does not create that practical-test credit by itself.
CFII add-on task map for an airplane CFI
For the common case — adding instrument-airplane privileges to an existing airplane flight-instructor certificate — the PTS provides a selection matrix instead of treating the ride like a second initial CFI test.
| PTS Area of Operation | Airplane-CFI add-on requirement |
|---|---|
| I. Fundamentals of Instructing | Not required |
| II. Technical Subject Areas | Tasks A and C |
| III. Preflight Preparation | Tasks B and C |
| IV. Preflight Lesson on a Maneuver | Not required |
| V. ATC Clearances and Procedures | Required under the area's PTS note |
| VI. Flight by Reference to Instruments | Required under the area's PTS note |
| VII. Navigation Aids | Required under the area's PTS note |
| VIII. Instrument Approach Procedures | Required; includes the approach recipe above |
| IX. Emergency Operations | Required under the area's PTS note |
| X. Postflight Procedures | Required under the area's PTS note |
“Required” means the area must appear in the evaluator's plan of action according to its note; it does not mean every task in every area must be flown. An initial instructor applicant follows a different selection path, including Fundamentals of Instructing.
Eligibility and endorsements: the source-backed checklist
Section 61.183 and AC 61-65K establish the eligibility floor. Before relying on a copied endorsement sheet, verify that your records show the version of these items that applies to your application:
- A commercial pilot or airline transport pilot certificate with the category and class appropriate to the instructor rating sought.
- Instrument privileges appropriate to the flight-instructor instrument rating.
- The applicable flight-instructor knowledge test and training requirements under §§61.183 and 61.185.
- Logged ground and flight training in the §61.187 areas of operation appropriate to the rating.
- An authorized instructor's endorsement that the required training was completed and you are competent for the practical test.
- At least 15 hours PIC in the appropriate category and class under §61.183(j).
For a first flight-instructor certificate, the recommending instructor must also meet the experience requirements in §61.195(h), and the airplane spin-training endorsement rules can apply. An applicant adding CFII to an existing instructor certificate should not blindly copy an initial-CFI endorsement packet; AC 61-65K is the current FAA source for the wording and distinctions.
What the flight portion actually measures
The evaluator is assessing whether you can demonstrate and simultaneously teach the selected procedures. During the ride, make the instructional layer visible:
- brief the objective, setup, tolerances, risks, and completion standard before the maneuver;
- narrate the instrument scan and trend, not just the control input;
- identify the student error before correcting it;
- explain why the correction works and how to keep the error from recurring;
- maintain positive aircraft control while dividing attention between instruction and the procedure;
- use the installed automation deliberately, then show the required no-autopilot and backup-instrument work.
The PTS specifically emphasizes attitude-instrument flying with full and backup/partial-panel references. A polished ILS does not offset an inability to teach scan breakdown, diagnose a developing deviation, or manage the nonprecision procedure without primary instrumentation.
Test-day document and equipment check
The FAA-S-8081-9E applicant checklist calls for more than lesson plans. Reconcile these items before the appointment:
- photo/signature identification, pilot certificate, and current appropriate medical certificate;
- completed FAA Form 8710-1 and the applicable Airman Knowledge Test Report;
- pilot logbook with the current instructor endorsements;
- aircraft registration, airworthiness certificate, operating limitations, maintenance records, and AD compliance;
- current charts, AIM, chart supplements, flight-planning materials, and PTS lesson plans;
- a view-limiting device acceptable for the instrument tasks;
- any notice of disapproval, letter of discontinuance, or approved-school graduation certificate that applies.
Build the plan of action around the current PTS, not an old gouge. The examiner can sequence tasks efficiently inside a scenario, but every selected task is evaluated in its entirety.