The Part 107 test covers five areas: regulations, airspace and charts, weather, loading and performance, and operations (including decision-making and the IMSAFE checklist). The FAA publishes everything you need for free: the Remote Pilot study guide, the Airman Certification Standards (ACS) that list every testable topic, and the testing supplement with the charts used on the exam. Most people need two to four weeks.
The free FAA materials
- Remote Pilot – Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems Study Guide (FAA-G-8082-22). The FAA's own study book for this test.
- Remote Pilot ACS. The official list of knowledge areas. Use it as a checklist; if a topic is in the ACS, it can be on the test.
- Airman Knowledge Testing Supplement. The booklet of sectional chart excerpts and figures you'll get at the test center. Practice with the same figures.
- 14 CFR Part 107. The regulation itself. It's short. Read it twice.
- Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge. For deeper reading on weather, performance and decision-making.
- FAA Safety Team online course. The free Part 107 online training course is a good structured review, even if you aren't a manned-aircraft pilot.
All are on faa.gov and FAASafety.gov.
What's on the test
1. Regulations. Registration, the remote pilot certificate, operating limits (400 ft, 87 knots, 3 miles visibility, cloud clearance), visual line of sight and visual observers, flying over people, night operations, accident reporting, waivers, alcohol and drug rules, and Remote ID.
2. Airspace and charts. Class B, C, D, E and G; when you need authorization; special use airspace like restricted areas and MOAs; TFRs; reading sectional charts, including airspace floors and ceilings, obstacles and airport data.
3. Weather. Sources like METARs and TAFs, density altitude, fronts, thunderstorms, wind shear, fog and how weather affects a small drone.
4. Loading and performance. Weight and balance, load factor in turns, and how heat, altitude and humidity reduce performance.
5. Operations. Radio communication procedures at non-towered airports, airport traffic patterns, emergency procedures, crew resource management, aeronautical decision-making, hazardous attitudes, physiology, and maintenance and preflight inspections.
IMSAFE
A personal checklist before every flight. The test expects you to know it:
- Illness: are you sick?
- Medication: anything that impairs you?
- Stress: anything distracting you?
- Alcohol: 8 hours since your last drink and under 0.04%?
- Fatigue: rested?
- Emotion (or eating): upset, or hungry and dehydrated?
A simple study plan
- Week 1: Part 107 rules and the first half of the study guide.
- Week 2: airspace and sectional charts with the testing supplement.
- Week 3: weather, performance and decision-making.
- Week 4: timed practice tests. Book the exam when you score 85% or more consistently.
Videos and flashcards (including Quizlet decks) help some people, but check them against the FAA material; user-made decks can be out of date. Try our Part 107 practice test.
Before test day
- Get an FAA Tracking Number by creating an IACRA profile.
- Book at an approved testing center. See Part 107 testing centers.
- Know the cost: see Part 107 cost.
- Read how hard is the Part 107 test for the topics that trip people up.
Rules current as of October 2026. This is general information, not legal advice.
New to commercial flying? Start with our Part 107 guide.
Related guides
- Free Part 107 practice test: questions like the real exam
- How hard is the Part 107 test (and how to pass the first time)?
- Part 107 test: how many questions and what's the passing score?
- Do you need a medical certificate for Part 107?
- Flying for money: the Part 107 guide
- How long does it take to get your Part 107?
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