- Why There Are No Fixed IGI Exam Dates
- What You Are Actually Scheduling: The IGI Knowledge Test
- Prerequisites to Settle Before You Book
- How to Schedule the IGI Test With PSI
- What Test Day Looks Like: Timing, Format and Aids
- Scheduling a Retest After a Failed Attempt
- Working Backward From Your Test Date
- After You Pass: Certificate Timing and Currency
- IGI Scheduling Compared With Related FAA Tests
- Frequently Asked Questions
- The IGI is an FAA knowledge test taken by appointment at PSI centers, so there are no fixed national exam dates.
- PSI lists the FAA knowledge test voucher at US$175 plus applicable tax; confirm current pricing when you book.
- The test has 50 questions, a 150-minute limit, and a 70% passing score; the minimum testing age is 16.
- First-time IGI testing needs no instructor endorsement, but a retest after failure requires your failed report and an endorsement.
Why There Are No Fixed IGI Exam Dates
Search results for "IGI exam dates 2026" often imply a calendar of national sittings, application deadlines and results-release days. That model fits some credentials, but not the Instrument Ground Instructor (IGI) knowledge test. The FAA does not publish a 2026 calendar of testing windows for it. Instead, the Ground Instructor Instrument test (test code IGI) is a computer-delivered exam that you schedule on a date and at a time of your choosing at an authorized PSI knowledge-testing center.
That has practical consequences. Your "exam date" is whatever appointment slot you reserve, and the real constraints are your own readiness, the availability of seats at a nearby center, and a few administrative prerequisites you must complete before you can be seated. This guide focuses on those variables rather than on a calendar that does not exist.
What You Are Actually Scheduling: The IGI Knowledge Test
Before choosing a date, it helps to know precisely what you are booking. According to the FAA Airman Knowledge Testing Matrix, the IGI test has these characteristics:
- Questions: 50, excluding any unscored validation items the FAA may include.
- Time allowed: 150 minutes. Some third-party pages cite a two-hour limit; the FAA matrix says 150 minutes, so plan around that figure.
- Passing score: 70%.
- Minimum testing age: 16.
- Format: computer-delivered, multiple choice.
- Testing supplement: FAA-CT-8080-3F, which supplies the figures, charts and legends referenced by questions.
One detail trips up many candidates. The 50 questions are the scored set, and the FAA's table does not establish exactly how many additional unscored validation items might appear. You will not be told which items are unscored, so treat every question as if it counts. For a deeper look at the numbers, see IGI Passing Score 2026: Exactly What You Need to Pass.
Prerequisites to Settle Before You Book
Because the test is available by appointment rather than by registration window, the "deadlines" that matter are the ones you set for yourself around a short list of requirements. Settle these before you reserve a seat.
FAA Tracking Number (FTN)
You need an FAA Tracking Number, which you obtain by creating a profile in the FAA's IACRA system. Do this early. Candidates who delay it sometimes discover the problem only when they try to complete the PSI booking.
Acceptable identification
You must present acceptable identification at the testing center, and the name on it should match the name in your FAA records. Confirm the current identification requirements with PSI and the FAA before test day rather than relying on memory or a forum post.
No endorsement for an initial attempt
For a first-time IGI test, no instructor endorsement or other written authorization is required. That is a meaningful difference from several other FAA knowledge tests, and it means you can schedule as soon as you feel ready. Retests are different, as covered below.
Eligibility for the certificate itself
Passing the test is one piece of certificate eligibility under 14 CFR 61.213. That section calls for being at least 18 years old, meeting the specified English proficiency, passing the applicable aeronautical-knowledge examination, and demonstrating Fundamentals of Instructing knowledge unless you are exempt. FOI exemptions include holders of a ground or flight instructor certificate, qualifying teaching certificates that permit teaching at grade 7 or higher, and teachers employed at accredited colleges or universities. Section 61.213 does not require a pilot certificate, a flight-time minimum, or a practical flight test for this rating. A fuller walk-through is in IGI Requirements 2026: Eligibility, Prerequisites & How to Qualify.
How to Schedule the IGI Test With PSI
PSI administers FAA knowledge tests at authorized testing centers. The general sequence looks like this:
- Create your IACRA profile and record your FAA Tracking Number.
- Open PSI's FAA testing page and select the Ground Instructor Instrument test (code IGI). Be careful not to select IRA, FII, AGI or FOI by mistake; the names are similar and the codes differ.
- Choose a testing center and a date. Seat availability varies by location and by how far ahead you look, so check more than one center if your preferred slot is full.
- Pay the fee. PSI publishes an FAA Airman Knowledge Test price of US$175 plus applicable tax. That figure is the test price only. It is not the cost of a prep course, and it does not include any separately required FOI test. The broader financial picture is in IGI Certification Cost 2026: Complete Pricing Breakdown.
- Save your confirmation and note PSI's current rescheduling and cancellation policy, since fees and deadlines can change.
Pricing, policies and center lists are set by PSI and can change, so verify details on PSI's site rather than treating any third-party summary, including this one, as final.
What Test Day Looks Like: Timing, Format and Aids
Knowing the rules in advance lets you pick a date and time that suits you. FAA Order 8080.6H, Conduct of Airman Knowledge Tests, governs test administration; it replaced the canceled AC 60-11C, so be wary of any article that still cites the older document.
Allowed and prohibited materials
- Approved calculators and navigation aids are permitted, subject to memory clearing and proctor approval.
- The FAA testing supplement is provided to you for use during the test.
- Outside study materials are prohibited.
Pacing within 150 minutes
Fifty questions in 150 minutes is a generous allowance on paper, but the time pressure comes from supplement-based questions that require you to find and interpret chart data. A sensible approach is to answer straightforward regulatory and weather questions quickly, then spend your reserved time on approach-chart and en route-chart items. If you are weighing how demanding the sitting will feel, How Hard Is the IGI Exam? Complete Difficulty Guide 2026 covers difficulty in more detail.
Choosing a time slot
Because this is an appointment-based test, you can choose a time of day when you are sharp. Candidates preparing chart-heavy material often do better in a morning slot, but the right answer depends on your own rhythm. Avoid scheduling the test right after a long shift or a flight lesson.
Scheduling a Retest After a Failed Attempt
The difference between an initial attempt and a retest is the most important scheduling rule for this exam.
| Situation | What you need to schedule |
|---|---|
| Initial IGI attempt | FAA Tracking Number and acceptable identification. No instructor endorsement or written authorization required. |
| Retest after a failure | The failed Airman Knowledge Test Report plus the required instructor training or proficiency endorsement, in addition to the items above. |
In practice, a failed attempt means you cannot simply rebook the same afternoon. You must first obtain the required endorsement from an authorized instructor, who will want to see evidence that you have addressed the weak areas shown on your report. Your test report lists Learning Statement Codes for the areas you missed, which is a direct guide for remediation. Build a few days to a couple of weeks into your plan for this step, depending on instructor availability.
Key Takeaway
Keep your failed Airman Knowledge Test Report safe. Without it, you cannot complete the retest process, and the Learning Statement Codes on it show exactly which topics to revisit before you rebook.
The good news is that failure is uncommon. The FAA's calendar year 2025 Airman Knowledge Test Volume Report records 2,751 IGI test administrations with a 99.71% passing rate and a 93.11% average score. These are administration-level results for 2025, not a 2026 figure and not a first-attempt-only pass rate, so interpret them with care. For context on what the series does and does not show, read IGI Pass Rate 2026: What the Data Shows.
Working Backward From Your Test Date
Since there is no official window to aim for, the useful discipline is to pick a target appointment and plan backward from it. The sequence below ties each phase to specific IGI domains rather than to generic study habits. The domains are the ten aeronautical-knowledge areas in 14 CFR 61.65(b); they are statutory headings, not a weighted exam blueprint, so allocate time by your own weaknesses rather than by assumed percentages.
Regulations and the AIM
- Domain 1: Federal Aviation Regulations that apply to flight operations under IFR.
- Domain 2: IFR-relevant information in the Aeronautical Information Manual.
- Start here because the regulations and AIM supply the vocabulary used by every later domain.
ATC, navigation and charts
- Domain 3: Air traffic control system and procedures for instrument flight.
- Domain 4: IFR navigation and approaches using navigation systems.
- Domain 5: Use of IFR en route and instrument approach procedure charts, practiced with the FAA-CT-8080-3F supplement.
Weather
- Domain 6: Procurement and use of weather reports and forecasts, and forecasting weather trends.
- Domain 8: Recognition of critical weather situations and windshear avoidance.
Operations and judgment
- Domain 7: Safe and efficient operation of aircraft under instrument flight rules and conditions.
- Domain 9: Aeronautical decision making and judgment.
- Domain 10: Crew resource management, including crew communication and coordination.
- Finish with full-length timed practice sets, then book or confirm your appointment.
A four-week arc suits a candidate who already holds an instrument rating and is refreshing. Someone newer to instrument concepts should extend the chart and weather weeks, since those are the areas where supplement-based questions concentrate. The domain-by-domain detail is in IGI Exam Domains 2026: Complete Guide to All 10 Content Areas, and the full preparation approach is in the IGI Study Guide 2026: How to Pass on Your First Attempt. When you want realistic timed repetition, the IGI practice test on the main site mirrors the multiple-choice format.
Where chart questions earn or lose points
Domain 5 questions often depend on reading approach plates and en route charts from the supplement.
- Practice locating minimums, fixes and altitude restrictions quickly.
- Rehearse interpreting symbols and legends without outside references.
- Time yourself so chart-heavy items do not consume the 150-minute allowance.
After You Pass: Certificate Timing and Currency
Passing the knowledge test is not the same as holding the rating. You still need to complete the certificate application, including FOI knowledge unless you qualify for an exemption, and meet the age and English-proficiency requirements in 14 CFR 61.213. Plan the certificate paperwork as its own step, and allow time for it after your test date.
No expiration, but a currency rule
Under 14 CFR 61.19(e), ground instructor certificates are issued without an expiration date. That permanence is easy to confuse with instructional currency, which is a separate matter. To exercise your privileges, 14 CFR 61.217 requires recent experience within the preceding 12 calendar months through one of several alternatives:
- Qualifying ground-instructor activity.
- Qualifying flight-instructor activity.
- An approved flight instructor refresher course.
- An authorized-instructor proficiency endorsement.
There is no fixed continuing-education-credit requirement, so do not import one from another credential. Also remember the scope of the rating: IGI privileges concern instrument ground instruction and applicable endorsements, not flight instruction. If you are considering whether the credential fits your goals, see Is the IGI Certification Worth It? Complete ROI Analysis 2026, IGI Salary Guide 2026: Complete Earnings Analysis and IGI Jobs.
IGI Scheduling Compared With Related FAA Tests
Candidates frequently confuse the IGI with neighboring FAA tests, and booking the wrong one costs time and money. The table below contrasts how they fit into your scheduling, without implying the exams are interchangeable.
| Test | What it is | Scheduling consideration |
|---|---|---|
| IGI (Ground Instructor Instrument) | Knowledge test for the instrument ground instructor rating | Book through PSI; no endorsement needed for the first attempt |
| IRA (Instrument Rating Airplane) | Knowledge test for the pilot instrument rating | Different test, different outline; not a substitute for the IGI |
| FII (Flight Instructor Instrument Airplane) | Knowledge test for flight instruction in instrument airplane training | Relates to flight instruction, which IGI privileges do not cover |
| AGI (Advanced Ground Instructor) | Separate ground instructor knowledge test | A different rating with its own test code |
| FOI (Fundamentals of Instructing) | Teaching-knowledge requirement | Separate test unless exempt; its cost is not included in the IGI price |
For a side-by-side discussion of how these credentials differ in purpose, the IGI Certification overview and IGI Training pages are good next stops. A quick-reference summary of facts worth memorizing is in the IGI Cheat Sheet 2026. If you are still sorting out terminology, What Does IGI Stand For? clears up the acronym.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. The FAA does not set national sittings for the IGI. It is a computer-delivered knowledge test that you schedule by appointment at an authorized PSI testing center, so your date is simply the slot you reserve.
PSI publishes an FAA Airman Knowledge Test price of US$175 plus applicable tax. That is the test voucher only, not a prep course, and it does not include any separately required FOI test. Always confirm current pricing with PSI at booking.
Not for your first attempt. Initial IGI testing requires an FAA Tracking Number from IACRA and acceptable identification, but no instructor endorsement. A retest after failure requires your failed Airman Knowledge Test Report and the required instructor endorsement.
The FAA testing matrix allows 150 minutes for 50 questions, with a 70% passing score. Some competing pages cite two hours, but the FAA figure is 150 minutes. Unscored validation items may also appear, though their exact number is not specified.
The certificate has no expiration date under 14 CFR 61.19(e), so you do not retake the knowledge test to keep it. To exercise privileges, though, you need recent experience within the preceding 12 calendar months under 14 CFR 61.217, such as qualifying instruction, a refresher course, or an endorsement.