What Is IGI?

What IGI Means Here

The acronym "IGI" is shared by several unrelated credentials, products and organizations. On this site it means exactly one thing: the Instrument Ground Instructor rating issued by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). It is the ground instructor rating that authorizes a person to teach the aeronautical knowledge behind instrument flight, and the FAA's knowledge test for it carries the name "Ground Instructor Instrument" with the test code IGI.

If you have landed here looking for a different credential, the details below will not apply to it. If you want the shorter definitional pages, the site also covers what IGI stands for and the meaning of IGI. This article goes further: it explains the rating, the regulations behind it, the exam, and how it differs from the instrument credentials people most often confuse it with.

Who Issues It and Who Tests It

The FAA issues the rating. The knowledge test itself is delivered by PSI at authorized knowledge-testing centers. Those are two distinct roles: the FAA sets the requirements and issues the certificate, while PSI administers the computer-based test and publishes the voucher price.

Because the test is a standardized FAA knowledge test, candidates may not bring outside study materials into the testing room. The rules for what is allowed come from FAA Order 8080.6H, Conduct of Airman Knowledge Tests (September 22, 2017), chapter 3. That order is the active guidance; the older advisory circular once used for this purpose, AC 60-11C, has been canceled and should not be relied on.

What the Rating Lets You Do

An Instrument Ground Instructor teaches instrument-related aeronautical knowledge on the ground and can handle the endorsements that fall within that rating. The privileges concern ground instruction only. Holding an IGI rating does not authorize you to give flight instruction in an aircraft, and it is not a substitute for a flight instructor certificate with an instrument rating.

Typical uses include teaching instrument ground school, tutoring students who are preparing for the instrument rating knowledge test, and supporting flight schools that want a dedicated classroom instructor. For a deeper look at how the credential translates into work, see our overview of IGI jobs.

Eligibility Under 14 CFR 61.213

Eligibility is set by 14 CFR 61.213. To be issued the rating, an applicant must:

• Be at least 18 years old (the minimum age to take the knowledge test is 16, so you can test before you can be certificated).
• Meet the specified English-language proficiency requirement.
• Pass the applicable aeronautical-knowledge examination, which for this rating is the IGI test.
• Demonstrate Fundamentals of Instructing (FOI) knowledge, unless exempt.

Notably, section 61.213 does not require a pilot certificate, a minimum amount of flight time, or a practical flight test for this ground instructor rating. That surprises many candidates who assume an instrument ground instructor must first hold an instrument rating. The regulation ties the knowledge standard to the aeronautical-knowledge areas in 14 CFR 61.65, not to a flying prerequisite.

FOI Exemptions

The FOI requirement can be waived for certain applicants. Exemptions include people who already hold a ground or flight instructor certificate, people holding a teaching certificate that permits them to teach at grade 7 or higher, and teachers employed at accredited colleges or universities. If none of these describes you, plan on the FOI knowledge requirement as a separate item. It is not part of the IGI test and has its own test, which is why the cost of the IGI voucher should not be mistaken for the total cost of getting certificated. The full breakdown is in our guide to IGI requirements.

The IGI Knowledge Test: Format, Timing and Scoring

The FAA Airman Knowledge Testing Matrix specifies the following for the IGI test:

Two details deserve emphasis because competing pages sometimes get them wrong. First, the time limit is 150 minutes, not two hours. Second, the 50-question figure refers to scored questions. The FAA matrix notes that unscored validation items may appear in addition, but the table does not establish how many, so you should simply expect that the number of items you see could exceed 50 and treat every item as if it counts.

You are permitted approved calculators and navigation aids, subject to memory clearing and proctor approval, along with the supplied testing supplement. Outside study materials are prohibited. For more on the numbers behind the cut score, see IGI passing score.

The Ten Content Areas You Must Know

The IGI test is built on the aeronautical-knowledge areas listed in 14 CFR 61.65(b). The FAA does not publish a weighted domain table for the IGI test, so the ten areas below are statutory headings, not percentage-weighted exam sections. The test table points to the FAA-CT-8080-3F supplement and Learning Statement Codes rather than an independent blueprint, which means you should not trust any source claiming exact percentage weights per area. Our complete guide to all 10 IGI content areas expands on each.

Because the count of ten headings does not tell you which area carries the most questions, resist any advice that says "focus on Domain X because it is worth the most." Study for breadth, and spend extra time where charts, regulations and weather intersect, since those topics generate the most applied, scenario-style questions in most candidates' experience. For a sense of the real challenge, read how hard the IGI exam is.

Registration, Identification and Voucher Price

Before you test, you need two things in place: an FAA Tracking Number (FTN) obtained through the IACRA system, and acceptable identification. For the initial IGI test, no instructor endorsement or other written authorization is required, which makes it one of the more accessible FAA knowledge tests to approach.

PSI publishes an FAA Airman Knowledge Test voucher price of US$175 plus applicable tax. That figure covers the test voucher only. It is not a preparation-course price and it does not include the cost of the separate FOI test if you are required to take it. Keep those pieces separate when budgeting; our IGI certification cost breakdown walks through the line items, and IGI exam dates covers scheduling logistics.

Initial Test vs. Retest Endorsements

This distinction trips up many candidates, so it is worth stating plainly:

• Initial test: no instructor endorsement or written authorization required.
• Retest after failure: you must present the failed Airman Knowledge Test Report along with the required instructor training or proficiency endorsement.

In other words, the barrier to entry is low, but a failed attempt adds an extra step before you can sit again. That alone is a good reason to prepare thoroughly before your first sitting rather than treating it as a cheap trial run.

What the FAA Volume Report 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. Read these numbers carefully. They are calendar-year 2025 administration-level results. They are not a 2026 figure and not a first-attempt-only pass rate, so they should not be quoted as the odds that any individual passes on a first try.

IGI vs. IRA, FII, AGI and FOI

Several FAA test codes sound similar, and they are not interchangeable. The IGI test is its own exam; it is not the Instrument Rating Airplane test, the flight instructor instrument test, or any of the others below.

The practical takeaway: the IGI is the narrowest path to teaching instrument knowledge on the ground. Do not assume that studying for the IRA test prepares you identically for IGI, and do not import any other test's outline or weighting into your plan. A rating that sounds close is still a different exam.

Lifetime Certificate, 12-Month Currency

Ground instructor certificates are issued without an expiration date under 14 CFR 61.19(e). Once you earn the rating, the certificate itself does not lapse. But holding the certificate is different from being current to use it.

Under 14 CFR 61.217, to exercise the privileges you need recent experience within the preceding 12 calendar months through one of these alternatives:

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

Do not confuse this with a continuing-education unit requirement; the regulation does not set a fixed CEU count. If you are weighing whether the credential is worth maintaining, our IGI ROI analysis discusses the tradeoffs.

Sequencing Your Preparation

Because the content areas build on each other, a logical order beats working through them randomly. Chart reading and regulations support almost everything else, so build those first, then layer in weather and judgment. A compact plan might look like this:

For a fuller approach, see our IGI study guide and the condensed IGI cheat sheet. When you are ready to test yourself under realistic conditions, the IGI practice test on the main site lets you drill questions in the same multiple-choice style you will face. Our IGI training overview covers how structured courses compare with self-study.

Where the Rating Fits in Aviation Careers

Ground instructors are typically employed by flight schools, university aviation programs, and training providers that need classroom or one-on-one instrument ground instruction. The credential is most useful as a way to enter instruction without first accumulating flight hours, and as an addition for existing instructors who want to broaden what they teach.

Be careful with pay claims. Compensation for ground-instructor work depends heavily on the employer, location and hours, and the rating by itself is not a verified source of a salary premium. Treat broader ground-instruction pay and the value of this specific credential as separate questions, and see the IGI salary guide for a more careful discussion. If you want a general explainer on the credential itself, what IGI certification is is a good companion read, and our IGI certification page summarizes the essentials.

Frequently Asked Questions