How to Schedule an FAA Medical Exam: MedXPress to AME

You schedule an FAA medical exam in two steps, and the order matters. First you complete and submit your application in the FAA’s MedXPress system and save the confirmation number. Then you book an appointment with an FAA-designated Aviation Medical Examiner (AME) and take the exam within 60 days of submitting. Everything below explains how to do each step cleanly, which certificate class to request, what the exam costs and what to bring, so the appointment goes the way it should.

TL;DR

• Submit your application in MedXPress first, then save or print the confirmation number. The AME cannot open your application without it.
• Find an AME through the FAA Designee Locator, then call to book. Your exam must happen within 60 days of submitting the application.
• Match the class to your goal: third class for private flying, second class for commercial privileges, first class for airline transport pilot (ATP) privileges.
• The FAA does not set exam fees. Each examiner sets the price, and published fees commonly fall between about $150 and $250.
• Bring government-issued photo identification, your confirmation number and records for any condition or medication you list.

Table of Contents

• The sequence at a glance
• Step 1: Decide which medical class you need
• Step 2: Find an Aviation Medical Examiner
• Step 3: Complete MedXPress
• Step 4: Book the appointment inside the 60-day window
• What to bring to the exam
• What happens at the appointment
• What the exam costs
• Common scheduling mistakes
• Perspective
• Where the medical fits in your training plan
• FAQ
• Sources

The sequence at a glance

The FAA describes the process as a short chain: you create a MedXPress account, answer the medical questions, submit, and keep the confirmation number. You then locate an examiner and ask for an appointment. The FAA’s medical certification page advises contacting an AME as soon as possible after you submit, and completing the exam within 60 days.

Here is the sequence in the order we recommend you handle it:

1. Decide which class of medical certificate you need.
2. Choose an AME and confirm availability, fees and what the office includes.
3. Complete the MedXPress application (FAA Form 8500-8) shortly before your appointment window.
4. Book, or confirm, the appointment and give the office your confirmation number if they ask for it.
5. Gather identification and records, then attend the exam.

Note that the FAA’s own wording lets you submit first and book afterward. In practice, we suggest lining up a likely appointment slot before you submit, because the 60-day clock starts the moment you do. If your local examiners are booked weeks out, you do not want to burn half that window waiting.

Step 1: Decide which medical class you need

The class depends on the flying you intend to do. According to the FAA Guide for Aviation Medical Examiners, a first-class certificate is required for ATP privileges, a second-class for commercial pilot privileges and a third-class for private or recreational pilot privileges. An applicant may apply for and be granted any class as long as the medical standards for that class are met.

The standards become more rigorous as the class rises, as the FAA’s Pilot’s Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge, Chapter 17 explains. The same chapter notes that a higher-class certificate also satisfies the lower classes, so a first-class holder exercising private privileges is covered too.

These durations come from 14 CFR 61.23. Because a first-class certificate steps down in validity, the same first-class exam keeps you legal for commercial privileges for 12 months and for private privileges for 24 or 60 months, depending on your age.

Which class makes sense for a career pilot

If your goal is the airlines, we recommend taking the first-class medical early rather than starting with a third. It tells you at the outset whether anything in your medical history needs additional FAA review, before you have invested in tuition and flight hours. The FAA lets you request any class you qualify for, so there is no procedural barrier to going straight to first class. For more on how the classes fit a professional pathway, see our FAA medical certificate guide for career pilots.

Step 2: Find an Aviation Medical Examiner

Only an FAA-designated AME can issue a medical certificate. The FAA points applicants to the Designee Locator and suggests asking pilot advocacy groups or local flight schools for recommendations. A flight school’s recommendation is often the most useful of the three, because instructors know which offices are efficient with students, which ones handle first-class exams and which ones can see you on short notice.

When you call, ask these questions before you book:

• Which classes do you issue? Some AMEs handle third-class only, so confirm first-class and second-class if you need them.
• What is the fee for my class, and is the EKG included if one is required?
• Is there an extra charge for color vision testing?
• How soon is your next appointment, and how long does the visit take?
• Do you want my MedXPress confirmation number when I book, or on the day?

Our guide to preparing for an FAA medical exam and finding an AME goes further into choosing an examiner.

Step 3: Complete MedXPress

MedXPress is the FAA’s online application system. The FAA’s MedXPress brochure says you connect, create an account or log in, then complete and submit Form 8500-8. On successful submission, the system assigns a confirmation number and emails it to you.

Two rules from the same brochure are worth repeating. Each applicant must create his or her own account, and only one applicant per email address is allowed. Never use someone else’s account, including a parent’s or an instructor’s.

What the form asks

The MedXPress User Guide, Version 5.3 lists the sections of the form: General (Items 1 and 2), Demographics (Items 3 to 9), Prior Certification (Items 10 to 16), Medication (Items 17a and 17b), Medical History (Item 18), Medical Visits (Item 19) and Declarations (Item 20). Gather your medication list, the names and dates of any health professionals you have visited and any prior FAA certification details before you sit down.

The same guide explains that the session times out after 20 minutes of inactivity. On the 8500-8 screen, a warning appears after 15 minutes, and if you do not click Continue within five more minutes, the session ends. Block out an uninterrupted half hour and have your records beside you.

Do not rush the answers

Be thorough and accurate. Once you submit, you cannot change the application, per the user guide. If you are partway through and want to start over before submitting, the “Cancel My Application” button deletes everything entered. Our walkthrough, FAA MedXPress for student pilots, covers the screens in the order you will see them.

Keep the confirmation number safe

The FAA states in its MedXPress FAQ that the AME will not be able to access your application without the confirmation number. Print the confirmation page or save a screenshot, and keep the email.

If you lose it, log back into MedXPress and click the Form 8500-8 link, or contact the FAA MyIT Service Center at [email protected] or 1-844-FAA-MyIT (1-844-322-6948), according to the user guide.

Step 4: Book the appointment inside the 60-day window

Your application stays active for 60 days after submission. The FAA states that if the AME does not upload it within that period, it disappears from the system. You would then have to submit a new one.

A practical approach:

• Call two or three AMEs and compare the earliest available dates before you submit.
• Submit MedXPress about a week or two before the appointment you intend to take, so a missed slot does not eat your window.
• If you must move the appointment, call the AME’s office directly. MedXPress does not handle AME scheduling.
• If rescheduling would push you past 60 days, plan on resubmitting a fresh application and getting a new confirmation number.

What to bring to the exam

According to the FAA, bring:

• Your MedXPress confirmation number.
• A government-issued identification card to verify identity.
• Copies of any medical records relevant to your history.
• If you have a condition requiring one, a current, detailed Clinical Progress Note generated no more than 90 days before the exam.

The FAA’s Know Before You Go! guide says a detailed clinical progress note commonly includes a summary of the condition’s history, current medications with dosages and side effects, clinical exam findings, test results, diagnosis, assessment and plan, and prognosis. If you list a condition or a medication on your application, check the FAA’s requirements for it in the Guide for Aviation Medical Examiners before the visit. For some conditions, the AME may be able to issue the certificate on the spot when the correct documentation is in hand.

That same FAA guide explains that when an AME defers an examination, it generally means the FAA needs more information before a certificate can be issued. If you have a known condition, bring copies of all relevant records and tests so the deferral, if it comes, is as short as possible. If you are unsure whether your history needs special documentation, ask the AME’s office before the visit. An AME is the right professional to tell you what the FAA will want to see for your particular situation.

What happens at the appointment

Per the FAA’s description, the AME or office staff will ask for your confirmation number to import your application and check your ID. They then:

• Collect your vitals.
• Test your eyes: visual acuity, depth perception and color vision.
• Perform an audiogram (hearing test).
• Perform an EKG if required.
• Collect and test a urine sample.

The AME must personally review your medical history and perform the physical examination. On the EKG question, the Guide for Aviation Medical Examiners states that a first-class certificate requires an EKG at age 35 and annually after age 40, while second and third class do not routinely require one.

Simple preparation that helps

One widely shared preparation guide advises getting plenty of sleep and avoiding high-sugar meals before the exam because they can affect urinalysis results. That is sensible and costs nothing. Eat normally, drink water, bring your glasses or contacts if you use them, and arrive a few minutes early so the office can import your application without rushing. Our FAA pilot medical exam guide covers the visit in more detail.

What the exam costs

The FAA does not set fees for the medical exam or certificate. AMEs may charge an appropriate fee, no higher than their usual fee for similar examinations for other purposes, and the FAA adds nothing beyond the physician’s charge. The Guide for Aviation Medical Examiners recommends the usual and customary fee for similar services in the same locality.

In practice, that means prices vary by office. A survey of seven US examiners’ published fees, read on November 2, 2026, found:

The same source found that five of the seven examiners list the EKG as an extra charge, from $50 to $100, while two include it in the first-class fee. Two individual clinic schedules show how this looks on paper. One occupational health provider lists first and second class at $200 each, third class at $175 and an EKG at $50 when required. Another medical practice lists Class 1 at $250 with the EKG included, Class 2 and 3 at $200, and an extra $50 for color vision testing if required.

Because these are single-office schedules, treat them as examples of structure, not as a price you will pay. Ask your chosen AME for the all-in number, including the EKG and any color vision testing, when you call.

Common scheduling mistakes

• Submitting MedXPress too early. If your appointment is more than 60 days out, the application lapses.
• Forgetting the confirmation number. The AME cannot retrieve your application without it.
• Booking the wrong class. Confirm the AME issues the class you need before you reserve the slot.
• Arriving without records. A listed condition or medication without documentation can turn a same-day certificate into a deferral.
• Sharing an account. One applicant, one email address, one account.

Perspective

We see the medical exam as the first real checkpoint of a pilot career, and we think it belongs at the very start of your plan, before tuition is committed. Many students book the exam almost as an afterthought, then discover during the application that something in their history needs extra FAA documentation. That delay costs more in lost momentum than it ever does in dollars.

Our advice is to treat scheduling as a small project: pick the class that matches your destination, line up an AME who can see you inside your window, and submit MedXPress only when the date is realistic. For career-minded students, that discipline carries over into training. A structured program with in-house FAA checkrides and a fixed-price model is designed to remove the same kind of avoidable waiting and uncertainty from the rest of the journey.

The students who move fastest are rarely the ones who skip steps. They are the ones who sequence them well.

Rainer

Where the medical fits in your training plan

For a student heading toward an airline career, the medical is one of the first gates, and training is built around it. At Florida Flyers Flight Academy, we run structured programs for U.S. and international students, from Private Pilot through Instrument, Multi Engine, CFI and ATP, with in-house FAA checkrides through our Self Examining Authority. Once your certificate is in hand, the path forward is a matter of sequencing training efficiently.

If you are comparing routes, our Fixed-Price Airline Flight School Program is published at $85,900, and the U.S. Airline Pilot Career Program at $49,950. You can also browse our pilot training courses for individual ratings.

If you want to understand how medical classes map to each certificate, our FAA medical certificate requirements guide is the next page to read.

FAQ

How far in advance should I schedule my FAA medical exam?

Book as soon as you know your timeline, and submit MedXPress only once you have a realistic date. The application stays active for 60 days, so a slot more than two months away means starting over. If local examiners are busy, call several offices before you submit.

Can I schedule the exam before I complete MedXPress?

Yes. Many offices will book you first and ask for the confirmation number later. The AME needs that number to open your application, so complete MedXPress before the visit and bring the number with you.

What if I lose my MedXPress confirmation number?

Log back into MedXPress and click the Form 8500-8 link to retrieve it. If that does not work, the FAA MyIT Service Center can help at [email protected] or 1-844-FAA-MyIT (1-844-322-6948).

Which medical class should I schedule if I want to be an airline pilot?

ATP privileges require a first-class certificate, and commercial privileges require a second-class. Because a higher class also covers lower-class privileges, many career-focused students take first class from the start. Confirm that your AME issues it when you book.

How do I reschedule my AME appointment?

Call the AME’s office directly, since MedXPress does not manage appointments. Keep the 60-day window in mind: if the new date falls outside it, you will need to submit a new application and use the new confirmation number.

Sources

• FAA: How do I get a Medical Certificate and what to expect
• FAA Designee Locator
• FAA Guide for AMEs: classes of medical certificates
• 14 CFR 61.23, eCFR
• FAA PHAK Chapter 17
• FAA MedXPress brochure
• FAA MedXPress User Guide, Version 5.3
• FAA FAQ: How will an AME access my MedXPress application
• FAA: Know Before You Go! AME guide
• FAA Guide for AMEs: standards
• FAA FAQ: What does it cost to get a medical certificate
• FAA Guide for Aviation Medical Examiners
• Pilot-Next: How much does an aviation medical cost
• Challiance Occupational Health: FAA pilot exams
• Goshen Medical: FAA exam fees

Recommended

• How to Prepare for an FAA Medical Exam and Find an AME
• FAA MedXPress for Student Pilots – What It Is and How to Use It
• FAA Medical Exam – The Ultimate Guide to Requirements and Classes
• FAA Pilot Medical Exam: The Ultimate 2025 Guide for Student Pilots