- ACE-ALM review coverage spans 13 named content areas, from electrical fundamentals to standby power.
- The exam is 100 multiple-choice questions in 120 minutes, closed-book, at 70% to pass.
- AAAE runs the exam remotely through TopClass with recorded proctoring - no test center required.
- Enrollment ($555 standard, $395 student rate) includes electronic modules and one exam attempt.
What ACE-ALM Actually Certifies
Airport Certified Employee - Airfield Lighting Maintenance (ACE-ALM) is a designation awarded through the American Association of Airport Executives (AAAE). The "ACE" credential family covers several airport operational specialties, and the ALM track is specifically built around the maintenance of airfield lighting systems - the constant-current regulators, series circuits, fixtures, and visual aids that keep runways and taxiways safe for night and low-visibility operations. If you're arriving at this page unsure of the basics, it's worth first reviewing What Is ACE-ALM? and ACE-ALM Meaning before diving into the content areas below.
This article breaks down exactly what the exam expects you to know, in the order AAAE's own review-course coverage presents it. It is not a generic "how to pass certification exams" post - every section below ties back to the specific electrical and airfield systems knowledge that ACE-ALM candidates are tested on.
The Content Areas Covered on the Exam
AAAE's official review course for ACE-ALM organizes preparation around a defined set of content areas. These are the topics you should expect questions to be drawn from, and they form the backbone of any serious study plan. For a condensed version of these same topics formatted for last-minute review, see the ACE-ALM Cheat Sheet.
Electrical Fundamentals
Baseline electrical theory that underpins everything else on the exam - voltage, current, resistance, power, and how they interact in airfield lighting circuits.
- Ohm's Law and power calculations applied to lighting loads
Series Circuits
Airfield lighting relies heavily on series circuit design. Candidates must understand how current flows through a series loop and how a fault in one fixture affects the whole circuit.
- Behavior of series loops under fault and load conditions
Constant-Current Regulators
CCRs are central to airfield lighting maintenance work. Expect questions on how regulators maintain steady current across a series circuit despite changing load.
- Regulator function, brightness step settings, and fault response
Transformers and Connectors
Isolation transformers step current down to individual fixtures. Connector integrity and proper transformer sizing are recurring maintenance concerns.
- Isolation transformer purpose and common failure points
Light Sources
Covers the lamp and light-emitting technologies used in airfield fixtures and how their characteristics affect maintenance intervals and performance.
- Comparative characteristics of light source types used airfield-wide
Fixtures and Bolted Joints
Physical installation and hardware matter as much as electrical theory. Bolted joint integrity affects both safety and lighting performance.
- Proper fixture mounting and joint maintenance practices
Signs
Illuminated airfield signage - guidance and mandatory instruction signs - is tested as its own content area distinct from runway/taxiway edge lighting.
- Sign types, placement logic, and maintenance considerations
Visual Aids
Broader category covering the visual guidance systems pilots rely on beyond basic edge lighting.
- Purpose and maintenance of standard visual aid systems
Approach Lighting
Approach lighting systems guide aircraft during the final segment before touchdown. This content area covers system layout and maintenance requirements.
- Layout logic and component maintenance of approach lighting systems
Electrical Safety
Safety procedures for technicians working on live or de-energized airfield lighting circuits, including lockout procedures and PPE considerations.
- Safe work practices around high-voltage series circuits
Test Equipment
Covers the tools used to diagnose and verify airfield lighting circuit performance, from megohmmeters to current testers.
- Correct use and interpretation of standard test equipment readings
Standby Power
Airfield lighting must remain functional during a primary power loss. This area covers backup power systems and transfer procedures.
- Standby/backup power configuration and transfer logic
Maintenance
The umbrella content area tying together inspection schedules, preventive maintenance routines, and troubleshooting logic across all the systems above.
- Preventive maintenance scheduling and troubleshooting workflow
Key Takeaway
Treat "Maintenance" as the integrative content area - questions here often combine concepts from series circuits, CCRs, and test equipment into a single troubleshooting scenario.
How the Exam Is Built, Delivered, and Scored
The ACE-ALM exam consists of 100 multiple-choice questions administered in a 120-minute window. A passing score is 70%, meaning you need 70 correct answers out of 100. The exam is closed-book, so recall and applied understanding of the content areas above matter more than the ability to look things up mid-test.
AAAE administers the exam through TopClass with recorded remote proctoring. That means you don't travel to a physical test center - but you do need a working computer, webcam, microphone, and a government-issued photo ID on hand at the time of the exam. Because it's remote and recorded, the same closed-book rules apply as if you were sitting in a proctored testing room.
For a deeper look at how the 70% threshold plays out question-by-question, read ACE-ALM Passing Score 2026: Exactly What You Need to Pass. If you're weighing how difficult the exam actually feels once you sit down for it, How Hard Is the ACE-ALM Exam? goes into more detail on the experience itself.
Registration, Fees, and Timing Mechanics
Enrollment in the ACE-ALM program runs $555 for both AAAE members and non-members at the standard rate. A $395 student rate is available if you submit a current course schedule at the time of registration. Either way, enrollment includes electronic study modules and one exam attempt - printed materials and formal review courses are separate, optional costs.
Two timing details matter for planning purposes:
- AAAE recommends at least 90 days of preparation before sitting the exam.
- You must take the exam within 26 months of enrolling - this is a hard deadline, not a soft suggestion.
Self-study is explicitly supported as a path, which means you're not required to attend a live course to sit the exam - but you are responsible for covering all 13 content areas on your own if you go that route. For the full fee breakdown including what's and isn't included in the $555/$395 enrollment, see ACE-ALM Certification Cost 2026: Complete Pricing Breakdown. If you're unsure whether you even qualify to enroll, check ACE-ALM Requirements 2026 first.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Standard enrollment fee | $555 (members and non-members) |
| Student rate | $395 (with current schedule submitted) |
| What's included | Electronic study modules + one exam attempt |
| Exam length | 120 minutes, 100 multiple-choice questions |
| Passing score | 70% (70 correct answers) |
| Retake fee | $75 |
| Enrollment validity | 26 months from enrollment to exam |
| Recommended prep time | At least 90 days |
Who Actually Hires ACE-ALM Holders
ACE-ALM sits squarely in the airfield electrical maintenance world. It's built for people who work on, or want to work on, the physical lighting systems that keep runways and taxiways operational - not general airport administration roles. That distinction matters when you're deciding whether the certification fits your career path, and it's covered in more depth in ACE-ALM Jobs and Is the ACE-ALM Certification Worth It?.
The content areas themselves reveal the intended audience: someone who's already handling series circuits, CCRs, and fixture maintenance day-to-day, or someone entering that specialty and wanting a recognized credential to validate their technical knowledge against FAA AC 150/5340-26C, the technical reference named in the program materials.
Mapping Study Time to Each Content Area
With 13 named content areas and roughly 90 recommended days of preparation, it makes sense to sequence your review from foundational electrical theory toward the more integrative topics like maintenance and troubleshooting. Spacing your review sessions and revisiting earlier content areas as you move forward (a form of spaced repetition) helps prevent the electrical fundamentals from going stale by the time you reach the exam.
Electrical Foundations
- Electrical fundamentals, series circuits, and constant-current regulators - these three build on each other directly
Hardware and Components
- Transformers and connectors, light sources, fixtures and bolted joints
Visual Systems
- Signs, visual aids, and approach lighting - group these since they share layout and purpose logic
Operations and Integration
- Electrical safety, test equipment, standby power, and maintenance - the topics that tie earlier weeks together
Full Review
- Timed practice under exam-like conditions, revisiting weak content areas
For a full walkthrough of study strategy beyond this content-area sequencing, see the ACE-ALM Study Guide 2026: How to Pass on Your First Attempt. And once you've reviewed the material, running timed questions on our ACE-ALM practice test platform is the most direct way to find out which content areas still need work before exam day.
Content Areas at a Glance
| Content Area | Core Focus |
|---|---|
| Electrical Fundamentals | Voltage, current, resistance, power basics |
| Series Circuits | Loop behavior, fault response |
| Constant-Current Regulators | Current regulation, brightness steps |
| Transformers and Connectors | Isolation, sizing, connector integrity |
| Light Sources | Lamp/light technology characteristics |
| Fixtures and Bolted Joints | Mounting hardware, joint maintenance |
| Signs | Illuminated airfield signage |
| Visual Aids | Pilot guidance systems |
| Approach Lighting | Final-approach lighting layout |
| Electrical Safety | Safe work practices, PPE |
| Test Equipment | Diagnostic tools and readings |
| Standby Power | Backup power and transfer systems |
| Maintenance | Inspection schedules, troubleshooting |
FAQ
AAAE's official review-course coverage lists 13 named content areas, ranging from electrical fundamentals through maintenance, as outlined earlier in this guide.
No. The exam is closed-book, administered remotely through TopClass with recorded proctoring, and requires a webcam, microphone, and government-issued photo ID.
You must complete the exam within 26 months of enrollment, and AAAE recommends at least 90 days of preparation before sitting for it.
You can retake it for a $75 retake fee. Reviewing the specific content area(s) tied to your missed questions is more effective than a full re-study.
Enrollment includes electronic study modules and one exam attempt; formal review courses and printed materials are optional and cost extra.
Understanding the 13 content areas in detail - and how AAAE structures the exam around them - is the foundation for any effective prep plan. Once you've reviewed the material section by section, the next step is testing your recall under real exam conditions on our practice test platform, and cross-checking your readiness against the ACE-ALM Exam Dates 2026 guide so your 26-month window doesn't sneak up on you.