What Does IGI Mean?

The Short Answer: What IGI Means

In aviation, IGI stands for Instrument Ground Instructor. It is the Federal Aviation Administration's ground instructor rating that authorizes a person to teach the aeronautical knowledge behind instrument flight, meaning the regulations, procedures, charts, weather and decision-making that pilots must master before they fly in instrument meteorological conditions. It is a classroom and ground-school credential, not a license to fly or to give flight training.

The same three letters are also the FAA's code for the knowledge test that leads to the rating. The official test name is Ground Instructor Instrument, and its code is IGI. So when someone in a flight school says "I need to take my IGI," they usually mean the written (computer-based) test, and sometimes the resulting rating itself. For a deeper treatment of the phrase, see our related explainers on what IGI stands for and the meaning of IGI.

Why the Acronym Causes Confusion

Three-letter acronyms are cheap, and IGI is used in several unrelated fields. A search for the letters can surface results from industries that have nothing to do with flying. This article, and this entire site, deals only with the FAA's Instrument Ground Instructor credential. If your search brought you here because you work in or study aviation, you are in the right place. Everything below, including the test format, the eligibility rules and the privileges of the rating, comes from FAA regulations and FAA testing documents.

Within aviation itself there is a second layer of confusion: several FAA test codes look similar. The instrument ground instructor test (IGI) is a different animal from the Instrument Rating Airplane test (IRA), the Flight Instructor Instrument Airplane test (FII), the Advanced Ground Instructor test (AGI) and the Fundamentals of Instructing test (FOI). We untangle those in a comparison table below.

What the Instrument Ground Instructor Rating Actually Is

Under 14 CFR Part 61, Subpart I, the FAA issues ground instructor certificates with ratings for specific subject areas. The instrument rating is one of them. The rule that defines the instrument ground instructor rating is 14 CFR 61.213(a)(4)(iii), which ties the knowledge requirement to the aeronautical knowledge areas listed in 14 CFR 61.65, the section that governs the instrument rating for pilots.

In plain terms: to qualify as an instrument ground instructor, you must show that you know the same body of instrument-flight knowledge that an instrument-rated pilot must know, and you must also show that you understand how to teach. That second part is the Fundamentals of Instructing requirement, which has important exemptions covered below.

For a full walk through of eligibility, read our guide to IGI requirements and how to qualify.

IGI as a Knowledge-Test Code

The FAA publishes an Airman Knowledge Testing Matrix that lists every knowledge test, its code, the number of questions, the time allowed, the passing score and the minimum age. For IGI, that matrix specifies:

Two details deserve attention. First, the time limit is 150 minutes, which is two and a half hours, not the two hours that some third-party pages state. Second, the 50-question figure refers to scored questions. The FAA's table does not state how many additional unscored validation items, if any, may appear in your session, so do not assume a particular number. Treat every question as if it counts.

The matrix itself shows two revision markers: the parsed text carries a September 25, 2026 date while the retrieved table image carries an October 22, 2025 footer. Both show identical IGI numbers, so the question count, time limit and passing score are consistent across versions. For a closer look at scoring, see what you need to pass.

What the Rating Allows (and Does Not Allow)

The privileges of the instrument ground instructor rating concern instrument ground instruction and the endorsements that go with it. In practice, a holder can teach instrument ground school courses, deliver the aeronautical knowledge portion of instrument training and, within the regulatory limits, provide applicable endorsements tied to ground training.

What the rating does not do is just as important:

• It does not authorize flight instruction in an aircraft or simulator-based flight training as a flight instructor.
• It does not make you an instrument-rated pilot.
• It does not replace a flight instructor certificate with an instrument rating (the credential commonly abbreviated CFII).

Think of it as the ground-based half of instrument education. Pilots still need a flight instructor to teach and sign off the in-aircraft portions of instrument training.

IGI Compared With AGI, FII, IRA and FOI

These acronyms are the most common source of mix-ups. They are different tests, aimed at different goals, and they do not have identical content.

The practical takeaway: IRA is about you flying on instruments, FII is about teaching instrument flying in the aircraft, and IGI is about teaching instrument knowledge on the ground. A candidate who passes IRA has not automatically satisfied IGI, and the two tests should not be treated as interchangeable study targets. Our difficulty guide discusses how the IGI compares in demand.

What the IGI Test Covers

The IGI test draws from the ten aeronautical-knowledge areas listed in 14 CFR 61.65(b). These are statutory headings, not an FAA-published weighted blueprint, so no domain should be assumed to carry a particular percentage of questions. The FAA identifies the testing supplement (FAA-CT-8080-3F) and Learning Statement Codes for the test, rather than a weighted Airman Certification Standards table for IGI.

For a domain-by-domain breakdown with study angles, see our complete guide to all 10 content areas.

What the Questions Feel Like

Because the test is computer-delivered and multiple choice, each item presents a stem and several answer options. Many questions reference figures in the FAA testing supplement, such as chart excerpts, approach plates and diagrams. Expect to interpret a figure and then select the best answer. Outside study materials are prohibited in the testing room; you work from the supplement provided. Approved calculators and navigation aids are allowed under the FAA's test-aid rules, subject to memory clearing and proctor approval.

Registration, Fees and Test-Day Mechanics

The FAA contracts with PSI to deliver knowledge tests at authorized testing centers. Here is what to have in order before you schedule:

1. An FAA Tracking Number (FTN). You obtain this through the FAA's IACRA system. Your FTN links your test result to your airman record.
2. Acceptable identification. Bring valid ID that meets the testing-center and FAA requirements.
3. The test fee. PSI publishes an FAA Airman Knowledge Test voucher price of US$175 plus applicable tax. That figure is the test-voucher price only. It is not a preparation-course price, and it does not include the cost of a separately required FOI test if you must take one.

For the full cost picture, including prep materials and the FOI component, see our pricing breakdown, and for scheduling logistics see testing windows and deadlines.

Endorsements: Initial Test Versus Retest

This distinction trips up many candidates. For your initial IGI attempt, no instructor endorsement or other written authorization is required. You simply need your FTN and acceptable ID.

If you fail and want to retest, the rules change. You must present the failed Airman Knowledge Test Report along with the required instructor training or proficiency endorsement. In other words, a retest means documented additional instruction first. Plan your first attempt as though it is your only free shot.

FOI and the Exemptions

Under 14 CFR 61.213, certificate eligibility requires age 18, the specified English proficiency, the applicable aeronautical-knowledge examination, and Fundamentals of Instructing knowledge unless you are exempt. The FOI exemptions include:

• Holders of a ground or flight instructor certificate
• Holders of a qualifying teaching certificate that permits teaching at grade 7 or higher
• Teachers employed at accredited colleges or universities

Note the age distinction: you may sit the knowledge test from age 16, but you must be 18 to be issued the certificate.

What the FAA Data Shows

The FAA's CY2025 Airman Knowledge Test Volume Report records 2,751 IGI test administrations, a 99.71% passing rate and a 93.11% average score. Those are real FAA numbers, but read them carefully. They describe 2025 administrations at the test level. They are not a 2026 figure, and they are not a first-attempt-only pass rate.

The high pass rate should be read in context. Many candidates arrive well prepared, often instrument-rated pilots or experienced educators, and the 70% passing threshold is a defined line. It is still a mistake to treat the test as trivial; the average score, while high, shows that careful preparation is the norm among those who sit it. For more analysis, see what the pass-rate data shows.

Lifelong Certificate, 12-Month Currency

Ground instructor certificates are issued without an expiration date under 14 CFR 61.19(e). Once you hold it, the certificate itself does not lapse on a calendar.

But holding a certificate and being current to exercise its privileges are different things. Under 14 CFR 61.217, you must meet a recent-experience requirement within the preceding 12 calendar months. The qualifying alternatives are:

• Qualifying ground-instructor activity
• Qualifying flight-instructor activity
• An approved flight instructor refresher course
• An endorsement of proficiency from an authorized instructor

There is no fixed continuing-education-unit requirement tied to this rating, so do not look for a CEU counter. The currency question is simply whether you satisfied one of the four alternatives in the past 12 calendar months.

Who Pursues This Rating

The instrument ground instructor rating attracts several kinds of people:

• Flight school ground instructors who teach instrument ground school to pilots in training.
• Aspiring flight instructors who want an early, low-barrier credential while they build toward a flight instructor certificate.
• Experienced educators and aviation enthusiasts who hold no pilot certificate but want to teach aviation subjects.
• Pilots seeking to deepen their own knowledge by mastering the material well enough to teach it.

Pay varies widely depending on employer, region and whether the work is part-time ground school or a broader training role, and the rating alone is not a verified salary premium. For a realistic read on earnings and value, see our earnings analysis, our look at IGI jobs and our ROI analysis.

Sequencing Your Preparation

You do not need an elaborate system, but the order in which you tackle the ten domains matters. Foundational regulation and chart skills support everything else, while decision-making and CRM material is easier once the technical vocabulary is familiar. One sensible arrangement:

Because the FAA does not publish domain weights for IGI, spread your effort evenly rather than gambling on a favorite topic. Our study guide expands on this approach, and the one-page review sheet is useful in the final days. When you are ready to test yourself, take a timed run on our IGI practice test and revisit weak domains afterward.

Frequently Asked Questions