I am engineer and FAA A and P and IA holder , need to know how I can seat straight to B! ,B2 ,B3 , B2L exam.

Hello Mec,

The first thing to know is that EASA itself does not issue Part-66 licences or hold the exams. The licence comes from a national authority, and in Switzerland that is FOCA (BAZL). Their Part-66 page says: "The FOCA can only issue or transfer a licence to a person with Swiss citizenship or who is employed in a maintenance organisation approved by the FOCA." So unless you are Swiss, the order is a job at a FOCA-approved maintenance organisation first, then the licence. A licence from another EASA country's authority is also valid in Switzerland, so that is a possible route too, but check that authority's own conditions first. I would email FOCA now at aml@bazl.admin.ch and get their answer in writing before you spend money on exams.

That is probably also why the repair stations go quiet. A Part-145 station cannot issue a licence or hold the module exams; it matters to you as the employer that makes you eligible.

Your A&P and IA do not convert into a Part-66 licence. There is no recognition between the two systems for individual mechanics, so plan on passing the modules for each category. Your degree may earn credit for some modules, but that is FOCA's decision, so ask them in the same email how they would assess it, and how much of your FAA experience they would accept. Fifteen years is a strong start, but part of the experience has to be recent and on the category you apply for.

On sitting the exams from the US: module exams are run by approved Part-147 training organisations or by an authority. EASA approves some Part-147 organisations outside Europe and publishes them with their scope of approval (search "Foreign Part-147 Organisations" on easa.europa.eu). You need one with basic training for your category in its scope, not type training only, that accepts exam-only candidates, and FOCA should confirm before you pay that it accepts that organisation's exam certificates. If nothing in the US fits, plan one longer trip to a European Part-147 school and sit as many modules as you can in one block, rather than flying over for each one.

I would also narrow the categories. B3 and B2L are for smaller, non-complex aircraft; if you will work on airliners or business jets, B1 and B2 are the ones that count. They share several modules, but some papers are longer for one category than the other. Our examination page lists the questions and time for every module by category: part66online.com/examination

Category C does not come straight after. EASA requires time exercising B1 or B2 privileges as support staff in a maintenance organisation first. With your engineering degree, also ask FOCA whether they offer the academic route to C: the regulation has one, each authority decides which degrees it recognises, and you would still need the B1 or B2 module knowledge.

There is a side-by-side of the FAA and EASA systems here if it helps: part66online.com/faa-a-and-p