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Study and Reference Guide

Person Responsible for Maintenance (PRM)

(Aircraft AMO, Air Operator Maintenance or Non-Aircraft AMO)

Introduction:

The purpose of this Study and Reference guide is to identify topics/subjects that may be covered by the Transport Canada (TC) Person Responsible for Maintenance (PRM) examinations, required by the Canadian Aviation Regulations (CARs).

It is the responsibility of the candidate to be knowledgeable in all areas of aircraft maintenance, as required to meet the duties and responsibilities associated with the position of PRM.

General Information

This Guide is a generic reference document and is not to be interpreted as an all-inclusive list of subjects and topics necessary to complete a specific examination. TC reserves the right to add or remove topics from the Study and Reference Guide.
This document contains various “appendix” as follows:

• Appendix A: Area’s of study to assist a candidate for the written examination(s).
• Appendix B: Area’s of study to assist a candidate for the oral interview process(s).
• Appendix C: Upon completion of the written examination(s), the candidate will be provided with a feedback letter which will identify the exam mark received, as well as area’s in which incorrect responses were provided.

General Process:

To be eligible for the TCCA PRM approval process, the candidate for the position of PRM must be formally appointed in writing [CAR 573.03(1), 706.03(1) or 406.19(1)] by the organization of whom he / she is employed.  An alternate PRM candidate may also be eligible as long as they are formally appointed as the alternate.

It is implicit that the candidate has the basis of knowledge for this position.  On that premise, the purpose of the written examination and interview is to establish that the candidate’s knowledge and competence is of an acceptable level to TCCA to perform their duties. The process is not intended to be a memory exercise.  The goal is to test the ability to locate, understand and apply, regulatory requirements (i.e. Canadian Aviation Regulations and the nominating organization’s maintenance policies).

The approval process is comprised of two distinct and separate stages, a written examination, and an oral interview.

Candidates that hold a valid Aircraft Maintenance Engineer’s License (AME) are exempt from the written examination.  Candidates that do not hold an AME licence are required to complete the written examination.  ALL candidates are required to complete the oral interview stage.

Examinations:

Examinations are multiple-choice and questions consist of an introductory statement (the stem) and four optional answers. The options include the correct answer (the key) and three wrong answers (the distracters). The candidate must select the correct answer from the options given. The number of questions indicated for each exam is approximate.

Examinations may be attempted at most TC offices. Candidates are advised to check with the office in question prior to the examination, to ensure that space is available at the desired time and location.

Written Examination stage:

There are two (2) examinations applicable to the position of PRM:

1. Non-Aircraft AMO examination - PRMN: (25 questions)
2. Aircraft AMO or Air Operator Maintenance examination - PRMA: (50 questions)

• Examinations may be written through hard (printed) copy or “on-line” means (to be determined at time of writing).
• Examinations are “open-book”.
• A passing grade of 70% or more is required.
• Maximum time allowed for writing an examination is three (3) hours.
• Examinations are available in either English or French.
• Standard rewrite timeframes apply:  1st failure (30 days); Subsequent failure (6 months)

Upon arriving at the TCC, the candidate must present to the exam invigilator a letter from the TC Principal Maintenance Inspector (PMI) responsible for the nominating organization identifying which exam is to be administered.

The candidate will be allowed to have the full set of Canadian Aviation Regulations (CARs), Act, Standards and Airworthiness Notices available for reference during the written examination. A choice of these publications in paper or electronic format will be supplied upon request (i.e. CD/ROM or paper manuals).  The candidate in not permitted to use their own publications or use their own computers during the exam.  Requests for TCC supplied computers are to be arranged through your Principal Maintenance Inspector a few days before writing the exam.

A typical example of a question would be:

1. A Service Difficulty Report (SDR) shall be submitted to the Minister within
   
   
   1. 48 hours from the time the service difficulty was first discovered.
   2. Three days from the time the service difficulty was first discovered.
   3. 14 days from the time the service difficulty was first discovered.
   4. 30 days from the time the service difficulty was first discovered.

Following an attempt of the examination, the responsible PMI will debrief the candidate and provide a written feedback letter (see Appendix C).

Oral Interview stage:

The interview will be conducted by a minimum of two Civil Aviation Safety Inspectors (when feasible).  The interview will be informal in nature. 

The questions asked during the interview will be directly relevant to the position within the nominating organization, and will be directly based on the MPM / MCM of that organization.  The purpose of this is to confirm knowledge of maintenance control policies and procedures for that particular environment.  Therefore, each interview will vary among candidates due to the differences in each company’s MCM / MPM.

At the end of the approval process, the candidate will be informed if he or she has successfully shown that their knowledge and competence is at an acceptable level to TCCA to perform PRM duties.  The decision will be confirmed by a written notification to the candidate and the nominating organization.

For further information, please contact the applicable regional Transport Office or your PMI:

Pacific Region: 604-666-5590	Prairie and Northern Region: 780-495-5212	Ontario Region: 416-952-0230
Atlantic Region: 506-851-7414		Quebec Region: 514-633-3319

Note: the above noted Regional phone numbers are provided for initial contact purposes only – your call may be redirected to the applicable Transport Canada Center (TCC) for further action

For further information refer to the Maintenance & Manufacturing website at:
http://www.tc.gc.ca/eng/civilaviation/standards/maintenance-menu.htm

Date modified:

2011-03-01

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