Tracking Number To Be Required For Airmen Certificate Testing

The FAA will require that all FAA airman certificate applicants obtain an FAA Tracking Number (FTN) before registering for an airman knowledge test, the agency said on Monday. The FTN requirement (PDF) will go into effect on Jan. 13, 2020, and applies to certifications for both manned and unmanned aircraft operators along with mechanic, parachute rigger and dispatcher certifications. According to the FAA, the change stems from the Airman Certificate Testing Service (ACTS) airman knowledge testing contract which was awarded to PSI Services in May 2018.

“The increasing numbers of airmen pursuing FAA certification from all over the world creates a need to make standardization enhancements to the knowledge test portion of the certification process enabling the FAA to better track an airman consistently through their entire certification process and collect better data to support risk-based decision-making,” the agency said. “Currently, when applicants taking a knowledge test provide the knowledge testing center a form of ID that differs from the name they provide on the electronic or paper application, it can lead to returned files and lengthy delays in the certification process.”

Applicants will be able to obtain an FTN by creating an Integrated Airman Certification and Rating Application (IACRA) profile on the FAA’s website, a process which the agency says should take about five minutes. The FAA is hosting four free webinars—two on Thursday, Dec. 19 and two on Wednesday, Jan. 8—to further explain its new testing system.