Most Part 107 prep content circulating online, including a lot of material still being sold as "updated for 2026," was written against the old blueprint — the one where Operations carried the most weight and Regulations was a comparatively minor slice of the exam. That blueprint is now obsolete. If your study plan still allocates roughly equal time to all five content areas, or leans heavily into Operations because "that's what used to matter most," you're studying against a test that no longer exists in that form.
What This Certification Covers
The FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate (officially the small Unmanned Aircraft General, or UAG, knowledge test) is the credential required to legally operate a drone for commercial purposes in the United States — real estate photography, aerial inspection, mapping, agriculture, and any other for-compensation drone use. It's a knowledge-only certification: there is no practical flight test, only the written exam.
Eligibility Requirements
Part 107 eligibility is more accessible than most professional certifications — there's no degree, license, or prior experience requirement:
- Age: At least 16 years old.
- Language: Able to read, speak, write, and understand English (medical exceptions exist if the FAA can impose safe operating limitations instead).
- Physical/mental condition: No requirement to hold a medical certificate — applicants must simply not know of a physical or mental condition that would interfere with safely operating a small UAS.
- Security vetting: TSA conducts a background security check before the certificate is issued.
- No flight test required: Unlike manned-aircraft pilot certification, there is no practical flying skills demonstration — passing the knowledge test is sufficient.
Candidates can also qualify via an alternate pathway if they already hold a Part 61 pilot certificate with a current flight review, by completing FAA online UAS-specific training instead of the full knowledge test — but the vast majority of Part 107 candidates go through the standard knowledge-test pathway.
Exam Format & Fees
| Detail | Specification |
|---|---|
| Total Questions | 60 multiple-choice |
| Time Limit | 120 minutes (2 hours) |
| Passing Score | 70% (42 of 60 correct) |
| Exam Fee | $175 per attempt |
| Testing Provider | PSI-approved testing centers (proctored, computer-based) |
| Materials Allowed | FAA-provided chart supplement only — no personal notes, materials, or calculators |
| Certificate Validity | Must complete free online recurrent training every 24 calendar months |
The Blueprint Just Changed — Here's What Most 2026 Guides Are Missing
This is the single most important thing to know before you open any Part 107 study material dated before late 2025: the FAA's own testing blueprint changed twice in the last year, and the FAA has explicitly stated the old scoring breakdown is obsolete.
Change 1 — New Content Weighting (Effective September 29, 2025)
| Content Area | Old Weight | New Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Regulations | 15-25% | ~48% |
| Operations | 35-45% | ~25% |
| Airspace Classification | 15-25% | (folded into revised areas) |
| Weather | 11-16% | ~5% |
| Loading & Performance | 7-11% | ~2% |
Regulations went from being a minor content area to accounting for roughly half the entire exam. The FAA's own August 2025 testing community advisory confirms the update, stating plainly that the prior blueprint found in the Remote Pilot-Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems Airman Certification Standards (FAA-S-ACS-10B) "will [be made] obsolete" by the reassessment — while noting the underlying subject matter itself didn't change, only how heavily each area is tested.
Change 2 — Dynamic Chart Images (Effective October 26, 2026)
Rather than testing exclusively against the static figures printed in the FAA's testing supplement booklet, the exam now pulls "dynamic, embedded chart images" directly from current sectional and IFR low-altitude charts — images candidates cannot preview or memorize in advance. This means chart-reading has shifted from a memorization exercise (learn the handful of figures in the supplement) to a genuine skill test (read whatever chart segment the exam presents).
What to Actually Study Now
- Read the regulations text itself, not just a summarized bullet-point version — with Regulations now covering roughly half the exam, surface-level familiarity isn't enough.
- Practice reading unfamiliar sectional and IFR low-altitude charts rather than memorizing the supplement's specific figures — you won't know in advance which chart segment you'll be tested on.
- Study decision frameworks, especially 14 CFR § 107.49 (pre-flight familiarization and inspection requirements), rather than rote fact recall.
- Expand beyond Part 107 itself into the Aeronautical Information Manual (AIM) and related Advisory Circulars — several newer-style questions draw on this broader foundational material rather than the regulation text alone.
- Deprioritize (but don't skip) Weather and Loading & Performance relative to how you may have studied before — they're still tested, just at a much smaller share of the exam than they used to be.
If a practice-question bank or study guide you're using doesn't reflect this weighting — if it's still spending roughly equal time across all five areas, or leaning into Operations as the dominant category — it was very likely built against the pre-September-2025 blueprint.
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Sample FAA Part 107 Exam Questions
Question 1 (Domain: Regulations)
Under 14 CFR § 107.49, what must a remote pilot in command do before beginning a small UAS flight operation?
- A. File a flight plan with the nearest air traffic control tower
- B. Conduct a pre-flight familiarization, inspection, and assessment of the operating environment and the small UAS
- C. Obtain written permission from the FAA for each individual flight
- D. Complete a practical flight test with an FAA examiner
Correct Answer: B. Section 107.49 requires the remote pilot in command to conduct specific pre-flight actions, including assessing the operating environment (airspace, weather, location hazards) and inspecting the small UAS to ensure it's in a safe condition for flight. There is no flight plan filing requirement (A), no per-flight written FAA permission needed under standard Part 107 operations (C), and no practical flight test exists for Part 107 certification (D).
Question 2 (Domain: Airspace/Charts)
A remote pilot is reviewing a sectional chart and observes a magenta dashed line encircling an airport. What does this symbol indicate?
- A. Class B airspace
- B. Class D airspace
- C. Class E airspace beginning at the surface
- D. Restricted airspace
Correct Answer: C. A magenta dashed line on a sectional chart indicates Class E airspace that begins at the surface, typically surrounding non-towered airports with instrument approach procedures. Class B and D airspace are depicted with solid blue and solid magenta lines respectively, and restricted airspace uses a distinct hatched blue border with an "R" designation.
Question 3 (Domain: Regulations)
What is the maximum allowable groundspeed for small UAS operations under Part 107, absent a waiver?
- A. 87 knots (100 mph)
- B. 100 knots (115 mph)
- C. 250 knots (288 mph)
- D. There is no maximum groundspeed under Part 107
Correct Answer: A. Part 107 sets a maximum groundspeed of 87 knots (approximately 100 mph) for standard small UAS operations, unless the operator has obtained a waiver from the FAA permitting a higher speed for a specific operation.
Final Verdict
The FAA Part 107 knowledge test is still fundamentally the same 60-question, 120-minute, 70%-to-pass exam it's been for years — but what's actually tested inside it shifted substantially in the past year. Regulations now dominates the exam at roughly 48%, chart-reading has become a live skill test rather than a memorization exercise, and any study material that hasn't been rebuilt around this weighting is preparing you for a test that no longer matches what you'll sit for. Confirm your prep source reflects the September 2025 blueprint before you commit real study hours to it.
📚 Recommended Study Resources & Video Tutorials
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- FAA Part 107 Exam Prep: Free real-format practice questions with full rationale for the FAA Part 107 exam.