Frequently Asked Questions
Find answers to your FAA questions.
Yes. Routine 1st class ECGs can be attached to your exam transmission using the Attach ECG tab. All other documentation can be attached with the Upload Document tab. (Each feature is also available in the Actions column of the Pending Exam screen.)
Attach ECG
- AMCS requires an ECG be attached to a 1st class exam when a pilot reaches age 35 and annually beginning at age 40.
- 3 MB
- 1 per exam
Upload Document
- 3 MB per file
- PDF, DOC, DOCX, JPEG, JPG, or XPS
- 25 per exam
Documents will not be visible to the FAA until after you transmit.
If you are the AME of record, you can also attach a repeat ECG or supporting documentation after you transmit. You can do this from the Search Applicants screen. You will find the Attach ECG and Upload Document icons in the Actions column of the Search Applicants screen.
Yes. AMEs can request an account for one or multiple staff member(s). Contact AMCSsupport@faa.gov to request an access form. AMEs are responsible to disable accounts for staff members who no longer require access.
Yes. Go to the AMCS Search Applicants screen and search for the airman. Once you find the airman, look at the Found Exam(s) for Selected Applicant section located at the bottom of the screen. The Class Issued column displays the current medical certification status for that exam. In the example below, the exam was deferred to the FAA. The class issued status will update when a determination is made.
Do not share your account information with anyone, including coworkers.
The AMCS Pre-Exam Report allows AMEs to see an overview of an applicant’s FAA medical exam history. The Pre-Exam Report contains details such as the date of the applicant’s previous exam, the certification status of that exam, a list of any Medical History Items previously marked as “Yes,” any Physical Exam findings marked abnormal on previous exams, and the most recent ECG information.
The Pre-Exam Report is available immediately after importing an application from MedXPress and it remains available until you transmit the exam to the FAA. You can access the Pre-Exam Report by clicking the FAA Examination History button on the import confirmation screen. You can also access it by clicking on the Hx icon in the Actions column of the Pending Exam screen.
If you are scanning the information, typically reducing the resolution to 150-200 dpi should keep the document legible while keeping the file size small.
If the document is already saved as PDF, try reducing the file size of a PDF simply by using the File > Compress a PDF, or File > Save As Other > Reduced Size PDF. (See Adobe's Saving PDFs )
It’s a good idea to check the device (scanner, cell phone, etc.) or application you are using to see if there is a way to establish settings that will make all documents and images smaller.
If you are the AME who performed the exam or a staff member authorized to transmit for the AME who performed the exam, you can upload documents to the most recently transmitted exam. Go to the AMCS Search Applicants screen and search for your airman. Once you find the airman, look at the Found Exam(s) for Selected Applicant section located at the bottom of the screen. You will see an Upload Document icon in the Actions column on the far-right side of the screen. Select this icon to upload documents.
We ask AMEs to transmit as often as possible--transmitting often will help us process the applications in a more timely fashion. We ask that any deferred or denied certificates be transmitted immediately.
Exam information must be transmitted within 14 days of the exam.
Yes. Per 14 CFR § 67.4 applicants must show proof of age and identity by presenting a government-issued photo identification (ID). As you review the application, verify the name matches the government-issued ID. If the name is incorrect, you must make the update in AMCS.
If you have corrected the airman’s name in AMCS, please:
- Instruct the airman to update their name on their MedXPress account at or before their next application.
- As required by 14 CFR § 61.25, if the airman is the holder of an airmen certificate they must appear at an FAA Flight Standards District Office (FSDO) for positive identification if there has been a legal name change. For more information, they can contact the FAA Airmen Certification Branch to ensure it is accurate on their airmen certificate. (See Airmen Certification name change)
If the airman does not complete these steps, the problem is likely to recur.
An AME and any authorized AME staff members are responsible for entering and transmitting all FAA Form 8500-8 application data using AMCS. They also have a responsibility to adhere to Federal Aviation Administration computer use security policies.
AMCS validates the information entered based on exam type, class, and age of the applicant. Data validation ensures that the information submitted conforms to the proper format and also ensures the information is within the acceptable ranges.
AMEs are required to test an applicant's vision. Applicants must meet the vision standards either with or without correction. If an airman has no useful vision in one eye, enter 999 in the related vision fields and enter a comment in Item 60 to explain.
A Certificate Eligibility Warning means you will not be able to print a medical certificate. There are a few reasons this can occur. If you receive a Certificate Eligibility Warning, please contact AMCSsupport@faa.gov for support. If the warning is valid, then you should mark Item 62 as Deferred. This ensures the case will be reviewed by the FAA. We recommend you enter comments in Item 60 to explain if you would have issued the medical certificate if the warning had not prevented certificate printing.
We know you may get disconnected during the time of transmission, so we have designed AMCS to minimize data loss. AMCS will store the information that has been validated. In the event you are disconnected when using AMCS, you will find the exam and the data that had been previously entered when you next sign in to AMCS.
When importing an application from MedXPress to AMCS, your selection determines how that exam enters the FAA’s medical record system. Does the application belong to an existing applicant or is this a first-time applicant? This is usually straightforward; however, because of data entry errors on the application (i.e. transposed names) and/or the use of pseudo Social Security Numbers, it requires a little time for validation.
To help you make an accurate selection, AMCS compares the information from the MedXPress application to records in the FAA medical database (column heading Potential Match). The Import Application screen displays this data in columns. Any mismatches display in red text. You must verify the name and date of birth match. Due to the frequent use of system-generated pseudo SSNs, the SSN will often NOT match. The phone number and address are displayed to provide extra data elements. If you are not sure how to proceed or if you see an error, contact AMCSsupport@faa.gov before you import the application.
If an airman chooses not to use their true Social Security Number (SSN) on an FAA medical application, a pseudo SSN will be assigned. This happens very frequently, so the SSN is not a reliable search method in AMCS.
Should you experience any AMCS issues or have any questions, please contact the AMCS Technical Support team via email or phone:
AMCSsupport@faa.gov
405-954-3238
On each AMCS data entry screen, there is a Navigation bar at the top as well as Next Page and Previous Page buttons at the bottom. Use these buttons to navigate forward and backward while entering data into the application. Using the provided navigation buttons ensures no data is lost.