Pass the FAA 107 Test on Your First Try
- James Baptiste
- Jul 21
- 14 min read
If you're looking to turn your drone flying hobby into a business, there's one crucial step you can't skip: passing the FAA Part 107 test. This is the official exam that grants you a Remote Pilot Certificate, giving you the legal green light to fly a drone for commercial purposes anywhere in the United States.
Your Gateway to Professional Drone Flight
Think of the FAA 107 test—officially called the "Unmanned Aircraft General – Small (UAG)" knowledge exam—as the driver's test for the sky. Just like a driver's license shows you understand traffic laws and how to operate a car safely, the Remote Pilot Certificate proves you have the aeronautical knowledge to fly a drone professionally and responsibly within the National Airspace System.
This certificate is more than just a piece of paper. It's the credential that draws a clear line between flying for fun and flying for profit. If you're getting paid in any way for your drone work, whether you're selling aerial photos, inspecting a construction site for a client, or even using a drone to promote your own business, you are legally required to be Part 107 certified.
Who Needs to Take the Test?
The rule of thumb is pretty straightforward: if your drone flight is for anything other than pure, personal recreation, you need to pass the Part 107 test. This covers a huge range of activities that the FAA considers commercial use.
Real Estate Photography: Shooting aerial photos and videos of properties for listings.
Construction Monitoring: Using a drone to track progress and inspect a job site.
Agricultural Surveying: Assessing crop health or mapping out farmland from above.
Public Safety: Flying drones for search and rescue operations or accident scene reconstruction.
Content Creation: Selling your drone footage or photos to news outlets or on stock photo websites.
The demand for these services is exploding. By the end of 2023, the FAA had already issued an incredible 368,604 Remote Pilot certificates, proving just how fast this industry is growing. The 60-question, multiple-choice exam is the gatekeeper, ensuring every single one of those pilots understands the fundamental principles of safe flight.
For a quick overview of what to expect from the exam itself, here's a simple breakdown.
FAA Part 107 Test At a Glance
This table covers the essentials, but the real journey is in mastering the material to earn that passing score.
Key Takeaway: The Part 107 certificate is your official stamp of approval from the FAA. It validates your knowledge and gives you the legal authority to fly commercially, unlocking countless professional opportunities.
Getting why this license matters is the first step. If you want to dive deeper into the reasons, you might find our guide on why you need a 107 license to fly a drone commercially helpful. Ultimately, this exam isn't just a regulatory hurdle; it's your ticket to joining a vibrant and growing community of professional drone pilots.
Decoding the Part 107 Exam Topics
Passing the Part 107 exam isn't about just memorizing a jumble of facts. It's really about learning an entirely new language—the language of the sky. Every topic the FAA tests you on is there for a reason: to make you a safe, competent, and responsible remote pilot.
Think of it like getting your driver's license. You don't just learn how to work the gas and brake pedals. You have to learn the rules of the road, how to interpret road signs, and what to do when things go wrong. The Part 107 test is built on that very same foundation.
The exam covers five official knowledge areas, but they all funnel down into three core skills: reading the sky, knowing your machine, and understanding the rules. If you can get a solid grip on these three pillars, you won't just pass the test—you'll become a far more confident and capable pilot when you're out in the real world.
Reading the Sky: Airspace and Charts
One of the biggest chunks of the Part 107 exam deals with airspace and knowing how to read sectional charts. The first time you look at one, it's easy to feel overwhelmed. They look like a chaotic mess of lines, colors, and strange symbols. But all it is, really, is a pilot's roadmap, showing you exactly where you can and can't fly your drone.
Just like a city has different zones—residential, commercial, industrial—the sky is carved up into different classes of airspace. Understanding these classes isn't optional; it's absolutely critical for safety. This diagram gives you a simplified look at the hierarchy of the main airspace classes you'll need to know.
This visual breaks down how airspace is layered, from the tightly controlled Class B airspace around the nation's busiest airports to the uncontrolled Class G airspace where most of us will be flying our drones. Each class has its own set of rules, communication requirements, and conditions for entry that you absolutely must have down cold for the exam.
Key Insight: Don't waste your time trying to memorize an entire sectional chart. Instead, focus on learning how to identify the key symbols—airports, airspace boundaries, obstacles, and restricted areas. Master that skill, and you'll be able to interpret any chart the FAA puts in front of you.
Knowing Your Aircraft: Performance and Procedures
The next major area of focus is your drone itself. This is about more than just knowing which button turns it on. The Part 107 test will dig into your understanding of your aircraft's performance, how to load it properly, and what a thorough pre-flight inspection looks like. It’s the same as a driver needing to know their car's limits, how much weight it can safely carry, and what to check before a long road trip.
You'll need to have a real grasp of concepts like:
Weight and Balance: Understanding how adding a payload (like a new camera or sensor) shifts your drone's center of gravity and changes how it flies.
Aircraft Performance: Knowing how things like hot weather or high altitudes can seriously degrade your drone's performance, affecting everything from battery life to its ability to generate lift.
Preflight Inspections: Being able to run through a systematic checklist to make sure your drone is airworthy before every single flight. This means checking propellers, batteries, software, and your connection to the control station.
This isn't just theory. This knowledge is what prevents accidents. A simple mistake, like flying with a slightly chipped propeller or operating in weather the drone can't handle, can easily lead to a flyaway or a crash.
Mastering the Rules of Flight: Regulations and Emergencies
The final pillar of the Part 107 test is a deep dive into the regulations. This is where you learn the official "rules of the road" for drone pilots. While some of it might feel like reading dry legal text, every single rule is there to keep the National Airspace System safe for everyone—both in the air and on the ground.
Some of the key regulations you'll have to master are:
Operational Limitations: Knowing your limits, like the maximum altitude of 400 feet AGL (Above Ground Level), the top speed of 100 mph, and the specific rules for flying over people or moving vehicles.
Emergency Procedures: What's the plan if you lose connection with your drone? What do you do if you spot a helicopter approaching your position? The test will expect you to know the correct, step-by-step response.
Crew Resource Management: Even when you're flying solo, you are the Pilot-in-Command. This is all about managing your attention, avoiding distractions, and consistently making smart aeronautical decisions.
The detail required here is a big part of what makes the test a challenge. Data from 2024 shows that out of 67,576 tests taken, the average score was 79.95% with an 84.2% pass rate. While most people pass, those numbers show there isn't much wiggle room for mistakes and really drive home the need to prepare seriously. You can find more details in these Part 107 test statistics and see what they mean for new pilots.
Ultimately, studying these three areas—airspace, your aircraft, and the regulations—is what connects the dots between abstract concepts and practical, real-world flying. This approach turns studying from a chore of memorization into the real work of building genuine piloting skill, which will set you up for success on test day and every flight after that.
Registering for Your Exam Step by Step
Navigating the paperwork for the FAA 107 test can feel almost as tricky as deciphering a sectional chart for the very first time. But don't let it intimidate you. The process is actually pretty straightforward once you know the steps.
Let's walk through it, from sign-up to test day, and take the stress out of the equation.
The absolute first thing you need is an FAA Tracking Number (FTN). Think of it as your unique ID number in the FAA's system—it will stick with you for your entire aviation career, from this test to any other ratings you might get down the road.
To get your FTN, you’ll have to create a profile in the FAA’s Integrated Airman Certification and Rating Application (IACRA) system. This is a critical first step and you must do it before you can even think about scheduling your exam. The good news? It’s completely free and all online.
Finding a Testing Center and Scheduling Your Exam
Once you've got your FTN written down somewhere safe, the next mission is to book the actual exam. The Part 107 knowledge test isn't something you can take online; it has to be done in person at an FAA-approved Knowledge Testing Center. These are usually run by private companies, like PSI.
Here’s the game plan:
Locate a Testing Center: Head over to the testing center provider’s website (the FAA points everyone to PSI) and find a location near you. With hundreds of centers across the country, you should be able to find one that’s not too far of a drive.
Schedule Your Appointment: You'll use that FTN you just got to create an account and pick a date and time for your test. It's a good idea to book it at least a few weeks out, as popular spots, especially in big cities, can fill up fast.
Pay the Test Fee: You can expect to pay around $175 for the Part 107 exam. This fee goes directly to the testing center when you book your slot, not to the FAA.
Pro Tip: On test day, you'll need a valid, government-issued photo ID. Double-check that the name on your ID is an exact match for the name you used when you registered in the IACRA system. Any mismatch can cause a major headache at check-in.
Getting Your Paperwork in Order
After you pass the test (and you will!), there’s one last bit of admin work. The testing center will hand you an official test report that includes a unique 17-digit Exam ID. You'll need this number for your final application.
The last step is logging back into your IACRA account to fill out FAA Form 8710-13. This is the official application for your Remote Pilot Certificate. Just enter your Exam ID, sign the form electronically, and hit submit. The FAA will then run a TSA security background check, and once that clears, they'll issue your certificate.
It’s important to remember that this whole process certifies you as the pilot. Your drone itself also has to be registered with the FAA. To get that sorted, check out our guide on how to correctly register your drone. It covers everything you need to know to keep your aircraft compliant and get you in the air legally.
Proven Strategies to Study for and Pass the Test
Let's get one thing straight: passing the FAA Part 107 test isn't about cramming. It’s about genuinely understanding the rules of the sky so you can apply them on a real-world drone mission. Your goal is to build true aeronautical knowledge, not just to memorize answers.
This is where scenario-based learning comes in. Instead of just memorizing the rule that you can't fly over people, put yourself in the pilot's seat. Imagine you’ve been hired to film a marathon. How do you map out a flight path that gets the shots you need without breaking the rules? This approach turns abstract regulations into practical, problem-solving skills you'll actually use.
Thinking like a Remote Pilot in Command (RPIC) is the key. You’ll be making critical decisions that ensure safety and compliance, which is exactly what the exam is designed to test. For a deeper dive, check out these effective learning strategies that can be adapted for your Part 107 prep.
Conquering Sectional Charts
Sectional charts. For many aspiring pilots, this is the most intimidating part of the entire exam. At first glance, they look like a chaotic mess of colors, lines, and symbols. The secret isn't to memorize the whole map at once, but to learn how to read its language.
Break it down. Start by just finding the airports and understanding their data blocks. Once you have that down, move on to tracing the different classes of airspace—B, C, D, and E. Then, learn how to spot obstacles like towers and read the terrain elevation. By tackling it in layers, you turn an overwhelming chart into a manageable puzzle.
Building Your Study Toolkit
Everyone learns differently, so there's no single magic bullet for studying. The best approach is to build a personal toolkit that combines official materials, structured courses, and plenty of practice.
To help you decide what works for you, here’s a quick comparison of the most common study resources out there.
Part 107 Study Resource Comparison
Mixing and matching these resources will give you a well-rounded plan that covers all the bases. For more detailed guidance, our complete [Part 107 Study Guide to Ace Your FAA Drone Exam](https://www.jabdrone.com/post/part-107-study-guide-ace-your-faa-drone-exam) provides a structured path to help you master all the material.
Key Takeaway: The most successful students don't just study—they train. They actively apply what they're learning to hypothetical flight scenarios, which locks in the knowledge far better than simple memorization ever could.
Ultimately, studying for the Part 107 exam is about developing practical wisdom. That certificate is your license to operate in the National Airspace System, and that’s a responsibility that demands more than a passing grade. It requires a genuine understanding of the principles that keep our skies safe for everyone.
You Passed the Test! What Happens Next?
Congratulations! Seeing that "PASS" on your test report is a huge relief and a testament to all your hard work. While the toughest part is definitely behind you, the journey to becoming a fully certified remote pilot isn't quite over. There are a few key administrative steps you need to take before you can legally start flying for business.
First things first, head back to the FAA's Integrated Airman Certification and Rating Application (IACRA) system. This is the same portal you used to get your FAA Tracking Number (FTN) before the exam. Log back in and kick off a new application for your Remote Pilot Certificate.
You'll be asked to enter the 17-digit Exam ID from your test report. Don't panic if it doesn't work immediately—it can sometimes take up to 48 hours for your test results to sync up with the IACRA system. Once it’s validated, you’ll electronically sign and submit the application, which is officially known as FAA Form 8710-13.
The Background Check and Waiting Game
Once your application is submitted, the final waiting period begins. The FAA forwards your information to the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) for a standard security background check. This is a non-negotiable step for all airman certificate applicants, designed to keep the National Airspace System safe for everyone.
After you clear the TSA check, you'll get an email from the FAA with instructions to print a temporary Remote Pilot Certificate right from the IACRA website. This temporary cert is your official green light to start commercial drone flights. You don't have to wait for the plastic card to show up in the mail.
Here's what a typical timeline looks like:
Temporary Certificate: You can usually print this from IACRA within one to two weeks of passing the background check.
Permanent Certificate: The permanent plastic card will be mailed to you, which generally takes about 6 to 10 weeks from when you first submitted your application.
Important Reminder: As the Pilot-in-Command, you are required to have your Remote Pilot Certificate—either the temporary printout or the permanent card—on you anytime you are flying for commercial purposes.
Your Ongoing Responsibilities as a Certified Pilot
Earning your certificate is a major achievement, but it's also the start of your ongoing responsibilities as a professional pilot. The FAA requires all Part 107 pilots to keep their knowledge current to stay legal.
This means completing a free online recurrent training course every 24 calendar months. It’s a straightforward way to make sure you’re up to speed on any new rules and best practices. If you need a refresher on how it all works, our [FAA Part 107 Renewal Guide](https://www.jabdrone.com/post/faa-part-107-renewal-guide-simplify-your-recertification) breaks down the entire recertification process for you.
By becoming certified, you’re joining a rapidly growing field. The FAA projected that the number of Remote Pilot certificates would be pushing 400,000 by the end of 2024, with a ratio of about 2.26 commercial drones for every certified pilot. You can discover more about these FAA projections to see what it means for the future of the industry.
Frequently Asked Questions About the FAA 107 Test
Even after you've gone through all the study material, it’s completely normal for a few lingering questions to pop into your head as you get ready to book your exam. Let's tackle some of the most common ones that come up for aspiring pilots preparing for the FAA 107 test.
These are often the practical, "what if" kinds of questions that aren't always covered in a textbook. Getting them answered now will help you walk into that testing center feeling confident and ready for whatever comes your way.
How Difficult Is the Part 107 Test for a Beginner?
This is probably the number one question on everyone's mind, and the answer is actually pretty encouraging. While the test is definitely challenging, it's absolutely manageable for a complete beginner who prepares the right way. You don’t need any background in aviation to pass.
Think of it this way: you wouldn't try to bake a wedding cake by just guessing the ingredients. You’d follow a detailed recipe, use the right kitchen tools, and understand why you need to sift the flour or cream the butter. The same logic applies here.
Your success hinges on dedicated study, not prior experience. If you follow a solid study plan and focus on truly understanding the concepts—not just memorizing answers—you can absolutely pass on your first attempt, even if you’ve never flown a drone before.
What Are the Hardest Topics on the Exam?
While everyone finds different things tricky, there's a general consensus on a few topics that tend to trip people up. These are the areas that require more than just memorization; they demand real-world application and critical thinking.
The usual suspects for tough topics include:
Reading Sectional Charts: These maps are jam-packed with symbols, colors, and lines. Learning to interpret them correctly to understand airspace and spot hazards takes practice.
Airspace and Weather: You'll need to know the specific rules for each class of airspace and, just as importantly, understand how things like weather and density altitude can impact your drone's performance.
Aeronautical Decision-Making (ADM): This involves applying principles of risk management and crew coordination to hypothetical flight scenarios.
The FAA throws these scenario-based questions in for a reason. They want to test your judgment as a Pilot in Command and see if you can make safe, legal decisions when it counts. This is why practicing with scenarios is one of the best ways to prepare.
Can I Use My Part 107 Certificate for Recreational Flights?
Yes, you can! This is a great perk of getting certified. Once you have your Part 107 certificate, you have the flexibility to fly under either Part 107 rules for commercial work or the recreational flyer rules for fun.
So, if you just want to fly your drone in a local park for enjoyment and your flight fits within the recreational guidelines, you can do that without worrying about the more complex commercial regulations. But your Part 107 certificate is always there, ready for you to use the moment you decide to take on a paid job.
How Do I Renew My Part 107 Certificate?
Your Remote Pilot Certificate is valid for 24 calendar months. The renewal process is actually much simpler than the initial test. To stay current, the FAA just requires you to complete a free online recurrent training course.
You simply log into the FAA Safety Team (FAASTeam) website, go through the online course (currently ALC-677), and pass a short quiz at the end. It's a great way to refresh your knowledge and get up to speed on any new regulations. Once you're done, you'll get a new certificate of completion, and your 24-month renewal clock starts over.
Ready to dive deeper and join the ranks of professional pilots? At JAB Drone, we provide the expert insights, news, and guides you need to master the skies. From in-depth study materials to the latest drone reviews, we’re your go-to resource for all things drone. Explore our content and start your journey at JAB Drone.
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