I've worked for the last 10 years both flying and maintaining airplanes, from Cubs to DC-6s, (wish I flew the DC-6, no such luck) and I finally decided I'd better come to grips with reality and get my A&P cert. I should have it for all the busted knuckles, grease and oil stains and profanities uttered in the name of fixin' shit.

In looking for written test prep programs online I checked out Dauntless Software's programs available for download (I used their software with great success for my COM and IFR writtens) and noticed there's 3 programs: Mechanic - General, Mechanic - Airframe, and Mechanic - Powerplant.

I assume I should study them all, but I figured I'd better check with anyone who has done it already. I would rather use their "Pick 3" deal and get Airframe, Powerplant, and ATP or CFI. Are there 3 different written tests to pass for an A&P?

Do you have your experience sign offs from the
FAA yet? 3 tests, I was advised to start with General first.
Dave

Ya, get the FAA approval to test before spending any money / studying. Once you have the FAA paperwork, then make your choice. I ordered the A&P set from King Schools. I studied General, then took the written. Then studied Airframe, took the written...then you guessed it, studied Powerplant, took the written. Then, since I'd not been turning wrenches actively for a few years, I went to an Oral & Practical prep course to knock the rust off. Two days prep, one day O&P, and done.

3 written's: Airframe, Powerplant, and General
1 big oral that covers it all,
1 practical that covers it all

Get a letter of experience from an IA that you worked under. Take that to the FSDO and they'll give you two copy's of a Form 8610 that gives you permission to take the written, oral, and practical.

I used a $10 app for the ipad called FAA Test Prep that last for 2 months, and it was much handier than the Gleim/ASA books I had bought several times before.

100 questions on the Airframe
100 questions on the Powerplant
60 for the General

Download the PTS for the O&P and you won't have any surprises.

The Oral and Practical will take a full day; expect questions that where on the three written's. The practical could have numerous little projects (safeties, time a mag, sheet metal repair, etc..) or maybe do a 100hr inspection on an airplane.

nkh

This sounds simplistic, but it works. It is the same technique used by many of the courses that you go and pay money for.
Get the FAA test books either from ASA or some other source.
Take the test in the book mark every question you get wrong with yellow
Take the test again only doing the yellow questions mark the ones you get wrong this round with green
Repeat this study only the questions you get it wrong and retaking them to you get it right, until you have approximately a score of 90-95%.
Pretty cheap way to do it, no electricity required. Personally, when I took the test with this techniqueI I got a 98,92 and 88 And I'm a certified moron.

I used the ASA computer software.

Scored 98,98,98 and each test took lest than 15 minutes.

I got a call from the FAA later asking did I cheat. I said no ( really did not )! He believed me. The FAA inspector said "... rarely do we see that fast of time..". I was thanked for my time and kept working.

Point being made is ... I like the computer practice testing it gives me a feel of the real environment of the test on test day! Mileage may certainly vary!

I don't have a sign off yet, but my boss (A&P, newly minted IA) said he will sign me off, and our PMI is an examiner who also said he'd sign me off. I'm not exactly sure what sort of documentation I need to have signed off? I had been told 3 years experience under an A&P was required for the A&P test when I worked for NAC right out of high school. How is that...logged?