For agents who already work in a GDS and want to prove it. This exam tests fare rules, refunds, manual TST construction, closed PNR retrieval, and queue operations — the workflows you handle after your first year on the job.
Before You Take This Exam
The Advanced Exam is not a harder version of the Basics exam — it is a different exam aimed at a different skill level. It assumes you can already build, price, and ticket a simple PNR without help. If any of the following is not yet second nature, take the Basics Exam first.
- Command fluency: you know the difference between
ANandSN, and you can read an availability display without notes. - PNR workflow: you can build a complete PNR — name, segment, contact, ticketing arrangement — and end the transaction correctly on the first try.
- Basic pricing: you understand what a TST is, how
FXPcreates one, and how to read a fare breakdown. - An active GDS Hub account: the practical questions use our live simulator, and you will need to log in to complete them.
What You’ll Actually Do
Advanced questions are built around real situations agents face in a working office — not abstract command recalls. Below are the kinds of tasks the exam asks you to complete inside the simulator.
Process a refund on a partially-used ticket
The outbound flight has already been flown and the passenger wants to cancel the return. You must decide which portion is refundable, find the fare rules, and calculate the correct refund amount.
Retrieve a closed PNR by ticket number
The booking was purged from the active database months ago. You must pull it back using the ticket number, display its TST, and read the historical record.
Build a manual TST when the system won’t auto-price
Some fares — especially negotiated or net-remit — cannot be priced automatically. You must construct the TST by hand, insert the fare calculation, and mark it correctly.
Revalidate an e-ticket with new travel dates
The passenger is flying a day later than booked and no change fee applies. You must update the NVB and NVA dates on the e-ticket without issuing a new document.
Apply the correct penalty for a no-show
The fare rules distinguish between a change made before departure and a no-show. You must read the rules, check the timing, and apply the right penalty.
Convert a fare to a historical exchange rate
The ticket was issued months ago at a different rate. You must perform a historical currency conversion to determine the correct refund value in today’s currency.
Advanced Skills Tested
Every question draws on one of the following eight areas. You do not need to be an expert in all of them — but you should be comfortable with at least six.
Fare Display & Historical Fares
Reading a fare display with qualifiers, and searching historical fares using FQD with the issue date qualifier /R,.
Manual TST Construction
Creating TST shells with TTC, inserting fare calculations with TTI, and updating fares and taxes with TTK.
TST Management
Adding passengers with TTA, splitting them with TTS, marking confidential with TTD, and displaying history with TTH.
Refunds & Reissues
Processing full and partial refunds, understanding when YQ surcharges are non-refundable, and revalidating e-tickets with TTP/ETRV.
Closed PNR Retrieval
Pulling purged records back with RPP, working the Office Request List via RLD and PLD, and reading TST history.
Queue Operations
Moving PNRs into queues with QE, exiting with QN, and the critical difference between ignoring a PNR (IG) and removing it (QI).
Currency & Rate Conversion
Converting fares between currencies with FQC, using country codes when the currency is ambiguous, and applying historical exchange rates.
Itinerary Distribution
Sending itineraries by email with IEP and IEPJ, sending priced versions with ITR, and distributing EMDs.
How Advanced Differs From Basics
If you have already taken the Basics Exam, this table shows what changes. If you have not, it will help you decide whether you are ready.
| Aspect | Basics Exam | Advanced Exam |
|---|---|---|
| Focus | Building a booking from scratch | Fixing, refunding, and auditing bookings |
| Typical question | “What command encodes a city name?” | “Which penalty applies when the passenger no-shows 4 hours before departure?” |
| Pricing | Automatic pricing with FXP |
Manual TST construction and fare calculation inserts |
| Ticket handling | Issuing a new ticket | Refunding, revalidating, and reissuing existing tickets |
| Queues | Not tested | Full queue workflow: placement, processing, ignore vs. remove |
| Pass standard | Achievable with solid fundamentals | Requires confident, working-level fluency |
Common Mistakes at This Level
These are the four errors that most often cost candidates the Advanced Exam. They are all avoidable with a bit of practice.
-
Treating a no-show the same as a pre-departure change
Many fares have separate penalties for each. If the passenger has already no-showed, the higher penalty applies — reading the fare rule carefully before answering makes the difference.
-
Forgetting that YQ is often non-refundable
Fuel surcharges (YQ) usually stay with the airline even when the base fare is refunded. A correct refund calculation subtracts them.
-
Confusing
IGwithQIin queuesIGskips a PNR but leaves it in the queue for later.QIremoves it from the queue entirely. Using the wrong one silently breaks your office’s queue workflow. -
Building a manual TST without the pricing indicator
A manually built TST must be flagged as such so the airline and auditor know the agent took responsibility for the pricing. Missing this flag causes problems at settlement.
How You’ll Be Graded
The Advanced Exam is marked to a higher standard than Basics. You will receive your score immediately after submission, along with a question-by-question review showing where you went wrong.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to pass the Basics Exam first?
No — there is no hard requirement. But the Advanced Exam assumes you already have the skills the Basics Exam tests. Candidates who skip Basics typically score poorly on the practical questions and end up retaking it. We recommend taking them in order.
How many questions, and how long do I have?
The exam draws a random set from a large question bank each time you take it. There is no time limit — most candidates take between 45 and 90 minutes, with the practical questions taking the majority of that time.
What if I fail?
You can retake the exam immediately. Each attempt draws a new random set of questions, so you cannot memorise a specific set and pass on the second try — you need to actually understand the material. There is no waiting period or penalty.
Does the certificate replace the Basics certificate?
No. Both certificates are stored on your account separately. You can print, download, or verify either one at any time. Employers who check your record will see both exams.
Which commands do I need to know before starting?
You should be fluent with FQD, TTC, TQT, RPP, QE, and IG before attempting the exam. If any of those are unfamiliar, work through the command reference first.
Is there a practice mode?
The GDS simulator is always available for free practice — nothing you do there affects your exam record. We recommend running through the six scenarios listed above until you can complete them without referring to notes.
Start the Advanced Exam
Log in or create a free account below to begin. The practical questions require the GDS simulator, so make sure you can open it in another tab before you start. Your progress is saved as you go, and your certificate is issued the moment you submit.
🔐 Login Required
Please log in or create a new account to access the Advanced Amadeus exam.
You will be redirected back automatically after login.