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Military Conversion

Are you a military pilot?

With Pass the Written,  you can prepare to convert your military experience into an FAA certificate. We are one of the only knowledge test preparation platforms that has specific courses tailored to the Military Competency Non-Category (MCN) and Military Competency Instructor (MCI) test banks.

That’s the best part about our MCN and MCI-specific curriculum! We’ll show you only the questions likely to show up on your test, rather than having to study the much larger Commercial and Instructor test banks. As of 2024, you will have to study approximately 400 questions to be fully prepared to ace your knowledge test.

After you’ve verified you meet the criteria for an MCN or MCI conversion, and you’ve passed your knowledge test, you must:

  1. Fill out an FAA 8710-1 form in IACRA.
  2. Check the boxes as appropriate for what you are applying for. For most applicants, this will include “Commercial”, “Instrument”, and “Airplane Multiengine” and/or “Airplane Single-engine” if applicable. Ensure Military Competency is selected. If you have other experience such as Helicopter, etc., check the appropriate boxes. If you are unsure, consult your FSDO or the application instructions.
  3. If asked about how many hours you have, please note this is optional for military applicants per the relevant laws. You can leave this section blank unless otherwise directed by your local FSDO. You will have to list the date you became a military pilot as well as aircraft you were trained in.
  4. Sign and submit the application.

The above process is obviously a very general outline of the full IACRA process. For additional guidance contact your local FAA FSDO.

No, you do not need one to simply take the knowledge test and apply and apply for your certificate. You will need an appropriate medical certificate to begin flying, however.

Most applicants will spend the following amount of time from start to finish:

  • 4-6 hours using Pass the Written to study all the available questions.
  • 1-2 hours taking the actual exam at a testing center.
  • 1 hour preparing and submitting information in IACRA
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