Examining Authority

FAR 141.67 Examining Authority

FAR 141.67 explains how Part 141 schools with examining authority recommend certificates without FAA tests, plus transfer credit, test security, and recordkeeping.

In Plain English

FAR 141.67 sets the rules a Part 141 pilot school with examining authority must follow when recommending a certificate or rating to a student who does not take the FAA's knowledge or practical test.

The student must:

  • Graduate from a course for which the school holds examining authority.
  • Complete all curriculum requirements of that approved course.

A student transferring between two Part 141 schools may receive credit for prior training, but:

  • Credit cannot exceed one-half of the receiving school's curriculum.
  • The receiving school must give a knowledge and proficiency test to determine credit.
  • The prior training must come from another Part 141 approved course.
  • The receiving school must keep a copy of the prior training record.

Tests used must be FAA-approved and at least equal in scope, depth, and difficulty to Part 61 tests. A school may not use a test it knows or suspects has been compromised, or after FAA notification of compromise.

The school must keep a chronological record of every temporary airman certificate issued (date, student, course, examiner, certificate type, file submission date) for 1 year, and submit each successful student's application file to the FAA for permanent certificate issuance (unless an airman certification representative handles it). This regulation matters because it preserves the integrity of in-house testing that bypasses the FAA examiner.

Regulation Text
14 CFR § 141.67
§ 141.67 Limitations and reports. A pilot school that holds examining authority may only recommend the issuance of a pilot, flight instructor, or ground instructor certificate and rating to a person who does not take an FAA knowledge test or practical test, if the recommendation for the issuance of that certificate or rating is in accordance with the following requirements: (a) The person graduated from a training course for which the pilot school holds examining authority. (b) Except as provided in this paragraph, the person satisfactorily completed all the curriculum requirements of that pilot school's approved training course. A person who transfers from one part 141 approved pilot school to another part 141 approved pilot school may receive credit for that previous training, provided the following requirements are met: (1) The maximum credited training time does not exceed one-half of the receiving school's curriculum requirements; (2) The person completes a knowledge and proficiency test conducted by the receiving school for the purpose of determining the amount of pilot experience and knowledge to be credited; (3) The receiving school determines (based on the person's performance on the knowledge and proficiency test required by paragraph (b)(2) of this section) the amount of credit to be awarded, and records that credit in the person's training record; (4) The person who requests credit for previous pilot experience and knowledge obtained the experience and knowledge from another part 141 approved pilot school and training course; and (5) The receiving school retains a copy of the person's training record from the previous school. (c) Tests given by a pilot school that holds examining authority must be approved by the Administrator and be at least equal in scope, depth, and difficulty to the comparable knowledge and practical tests prescribed by the Administrator under part 61 of this chapter. (d) A pilot school that holds examining authority may not use its knowledge or practical tests if the school: (1) Knows, or has reason to believe, the test has been compromised; or (2) Is notified by the responsible Flight Standards office that there is reason to believe or it is known that the test has been compromised. (e) A pilot school that holds examining authority must maintain a record of all temporary airman certificates it issues, which consist of the following information: (1) A chronological listing that includes— (i) The date the temporary airman certificate was issued; (ii) The student to whom the temporary airman certificate was issued, and that student's permanent mailing address and telephone number; (iii) The training course from which the student graduated; (iv) The name of person who conducted the knowledge or practical test; (v) The type of temporary airman certificate or rating issued to the student; and (vi) The date the student's airman application file was sent to the FAA for processing for a permanent airman certificate. (2) A copy of the record containing each student's graduation certificate, airman application, temporary airman certificate, superseded airman certificate (if applicable), and knowledge test or practical test results; and (3) The records required by paragraph (e) of this section must be retained for 1 year and made available to the Administrator upon request. These records must be surrendered to the Administrator when the pilot school ceases to have examining authority. (f) Except for pilot schools that have an airman certification representative, when a student passes the knowledge test or practical test, the pilot school that holds examining authority must submit that student's airman application file and training record to the FAA for processing for the issuance of a permanent airman certificate. [Docket 25910, 62 FR 16347, Apr. 4, 1997; Amdt. 141-9, 62 FR 40908, July 30, 1997, as amended by Docket FAA-2018-0119, Amdt. 141-19, 83 FR 9176, Mar. 5, 2018]
Oral Exam Questions a DPE Might Ask
Q1What is the maximum amount of training credit a Part 141 school with examining authority can grant a transfer student from another Part 141 school?
Per FAR 141.67(b)(1), the receiving school may credit no more than one-half of its curriculum requirements, and only after a knowledge and proficiency test determines the appropriate amount of credit.
Q2Under what conditions must a Part 141 school with examining authority stop using its own knowledge or practical test?
FAR 141.67(d) prohibits using the test if the school knows or has reason to believe it has been compromised, or if the responsible Flight Standards office notifies the school that the test is or may be compromised.
Q3What records must a school with examining authority keep on temporary airman certificates, and for how long?
FAR 141.67(e) requires a chronological log (date issued, student info, course, examiner, certificate type, FAA submission date) plus copies of the graduation certificate, airman application, temporary certificate, and test results, retained for 1 year.
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FAR 141.67 — Examining Authority Limits & Reports