Buyer's Guide · Updated July 2026
Best FAA A&P Mechanic Test Prep
Three products dominate A&P written-test prep, with three different models: a modern native app, a books-plus-software ecosystem, and a lifetime-purchase question bank. All three cover General, Airframe, and Powerplant, the differences are platforms, freshness, and price structure.
#1 · Best mobile-first prep
C3RT A&P Cert Prep
All three FAA written tests in one native app, 3,438 published questions across 27 subjects with handbook-based rationales, adaptive per-subject AI, PSI-condition mock exams, and a spaced-repetition Mistake Bank, fully offline on iPhone, iPad, and Mac.
Strengths
- +The only prep designed as a primary tool for phones and Macs
- +Published question counts and per-subject mastery tracking
- +Mock exams under real PSI timing; offline with iCloud sync
Trade-offs
- −No printed books or FAA testing-supplement figures package
- −Apple devices only
Pricing: $9.99/month, $29.99/year, or $59 one-time lifetime (no subscription needed), free to download and evaluate.
#2 · Best ecosystem (books + desktop)
ASA Prepware
The decades-old standard: printed Test Guides, Mac/PC desktop software with the actual FAA testing-supplement figures, browser access, and a $9.99 supplementary mobile app.
Strengths
- +FAA legends, figures, and charts included
- +Books, desktop, web, and mobile in one ecosystem
- +Cheap entry points ($19.95 books, $9.99 app)
Trade-offs
- −ASA itself says the mobile apps are not primary preparation
- −Bundled online access expires after 24 months
Pricing: Desktop bundle $149.95; per-test $49.95; iOS app $9.99, as of July 2026.
#3 · Best lifetime purchase
Dauntless GroundSchool
One-time purchases with lifetime content updates and question banks drawn from actual FAA material, strongest on Windows and Android; fragmented and dated on Apple platforms.
Strengths
- +Lifetime free content updates, no subscription
- +Actual/realistic FAA question pedigree
- +True native Mac App Store apps
Trade-offs
- −No iPhone app for the General test; iOS apps last updated 2018
- −Covering all three tests on Apple devices costs $250+ across per-platform licenses
Pricing: PC all-three bundle $159.99; iOS/Mac apps $69.99–$99.99 each, as of July 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best A&P test prep app?
On iPhone, iPad, or Mac: C3RT, it is the only product built as a complete primary prep for those devices, with all three tests, published question counts, and PSI-style mocks in one subscription. ASA is the right pick if you want books and the FAA figures on a desktop; Dauntless if you are on Windows/Android and want a lifetime buy.
How many questions are on A&P prep platforms?
C3RT publishes 3,438 (1,018 General, 1,210 Airframe, 1,210 Powerplant). Neither ASA nor Dauntless publishes counts; Dauntless claims banks 2–4× the FAA’s public sets.
Do these cover all three FAA mechanic tests?
C3RT and ASA cover General, Airframe, and Powerplant in one product/bundle. Dauntless sells per test per platform, and has no General app for iPhone at all as of July 2026.
C3RT publishes this guide and makes the C3RT apps, we rank ourselves where our published numbers earn it, and we link full side-by-side comparisons so you can check the work. Competitor details are from publicly available information as of July 2026 and may change; verify with each provider. All product names and trademarks belong to their respective owners; certification bodies do not endorse any product listed. Read how we compare →