Part 107 test resources fall into three useful categories: the FAA’s own free materials, PSI testing center logistics, and recurrent training tools like ALC-677 for pilots who already hold a certificate. This guide pulls together what we have actually used at MTS UAV to pass the initial exam and stay current, with no filler and no affiliate test-prep courses padding the list. The Unmanned Aircraft General – Small (UAG) exam is 60 questions, runs 120 minutes, and is administered at PSI testing centers for a $175 fee. Passing requires 70%, or 42 of 60 questions correct. Everything below is built around that structure.

Part 107 Test Structure and Performance Expectations

Part 107 test performance depends less on raw study hours and more on whether a candidate has drilled the specific weighted subject areas the FAA publishes in the Airman Certification Standards. The exam covers regulations, airspace classification, weather, loading and performance, operations, and radio communications, with airspace and weather questions historically making up the largest share of missed items.

For related procedures, see the Drone Safety Procedures Preflight Postflight Checklist guide.

For related procedures, see the Part 107 Emergency Procedures Lost Link Flyaway Gps Loss guide.

The FAA does not release a public breakdown of question weighting by percentage, but the Airman Certification Standards (FAA-S-ACS-10) list the tested areas in order, and sectional chart reading combined with airspace authorization scenarios consistently trips up first-time test takers who studied regulations heavily but skipped chart practice.

What “Part 107 Performance” Actually Means for Test Takers

Part 107 performance, in the FAA’s terminology, refers to aircraft loading and performance calculations, not a pilot’s exam score. Candidates should not confuse the two when searching for study material; questions on this topic ask about weight and balance, density altitude effects on small UAS, and how loading affects control and stability, not test-taking strategy.

This distinction matters because search results and forum threads sometimes conflate “performance” with overall exam scoring. If a study guide section is labeled “Loading and Performance,” expect questions about center of gravity shifts, payload limits stated in the aircraft flight manual, and how altitude and temperature reduce lift and battery efficiency. There is no FAA-published national pass rate for this specific topic area, so treat any site claiming a specific percentage here with skepticism unless it cites a named FAA data release.

Scoring, Retake Rules, and the 70% Threshold

A passing score is 70%, meaning 42 of 60 questions answered correctly, with no partial credit for reasoning shown on paper since the test is entirely computer-based at PSI centers. Candidates who fail can retake the exam after 14 calendar days, per FAA policy, and must pay the $175 fee again since there is no discounted retake rate.

PSI does not release a missed-question breakdown after a failed attempt beyond the pass/fail result and overall score percentage. This means candidates cannot see which specific questions they got wrong, only their aggregate score, which is another reason to over-prepare on weak subject areas rather than assume a narrow retake-and-fix approach will work.

Free FAA Part 107 Study Guide Resources

The FAA publishes every core study resource needed to pass Part 107 at no cost, and pilots do not need to purchase a commercial prep course to succeed. The three foundational free documents are the Airman Certification Standards, the Remote Pilot – Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems Study Guide (FAA-G-8082-22), and the Part 107 regulatory text itself in 14 CFR Part 107.

Beyond the FAA’s own PDFs, the agency also hosts the free FAA Aviation Weather webpages, sectional chart legends through aeronav.faa.gov, and sample test questions embedded directly in the study guide’s appendix, which mirror the format and difficulty of actual PSI exam items closely enough to serve as a legitimate practice test substitute.

FAA-G-8082-22 Study Guide Breakdown

FAA-G-8082-22 is the primary free study guide, organized into chapters covering regulations, airspace, weather, loading, emergency procedures, and radio communication, with each chapter ending in review questions that resemble actual exam phrasing. Pilots who read this document cover to cover and can answer its embedded review questions without looking back typically report passing on the first attempt.

The guide runs roughly 87 pages and includes an appendix of sample questions with answer keys. It does not include a full 60-question mock exam, so pilots relying solely on this document should supplement with third-party practice test question banks that explicitly cite the ACS as their source, since some free “practice tests” online recycle outdated 2016-era question pools that no longer match current FAA phrasing.

Sectional Chart and Airspace Practice

Sectional chart reading is tested directly through excerpted chart images embedded in exam questions, and the only way to build competency is repeated practice reading real sectionals, not memorizing symbol lists. The FAA’s free Aeronautical Chart User’s Guide explains every symbol, but recognition speed under exam time pressure only comes from working through actual charts.

Pilots should pull a current sectional for their home region from the FAA’s digital chart portal and practice identifying airspace class boundaries, tower frequencies, and obstacle heights without a legend open in a second tab. Airspace authorization questions on the exam commonly ask what class of airspace a specific location falls under and what authorization, if any, is required before flying there under Part 107.

PSI Testing Center Logistics

PSI Services administers the Part 107 knowledge test at approved testing centers nationwide, and candidates schedule appointments directly through PSI’s online portal after creating an FAA Tracking Number (FTN) in IACRA. The exam fee is $175, paid at the time of scheduling, and candidates must bring two forms of unexpired government-issued identification.

Testing centers typically require arrival 30 minutes before the scheduled appointment, and no personal items, phones, or notes are permitted in the testing room. The 120-minute time limit is generous relative to 60 questions, averaging out to two minutes per question, which means most candidates finish with substantial time remaining to review flagged answers.

Scheduling and Rescheduling an Exam

Exams can be scheduled online through PSI’s testing portal with most metro-area centers offering appointments within one to two weeks. Rescheduling within 24 hours of an appointment typically forfeits the fee, so candidates should confirm their study readiness before locking in a date rather than booking speculatively.

After passing, results are transmitted electronically to the FAA, and candidates can typically complete the IACRA application for their temporary remote pilot certificate within a few business days once the record populates in the FAA’s system.

What to Expect on Test Day

Test day at a PSI center involves a check-in process with ID verification, a palm vein or fingerprint scan at many locations, and a supervised walk to an assigned computer terminal in a monitored room. The test itself presents multiple-choice questions one at a time, with a flag-for-review feature allowing candidates to mark uncertain answers and return to them before final submission.

Scratch paper or a provided whiteboard is typically issued for calculations, particularly useful for density altitude and weight-and-balance problems that require arithmetic rather than pure recall. Results are displayed on screen immediately after submission, showing pass or fail and the numeric score.

Practice Test Strategy: Building a Study Schedule

A practice test should be used diagnostically, not as a memorization shortcut, meaning pilots should take a full 60-question mock exam early in their prep to identify weak subject areas before spending study hours on material they already know. Retaking the same practice test repeatedly without varying the question pool creates false confidence since candidates start recognizing answer patterns rather than understanding the underlying concept.

A reasonable study timeline for a candidate with no aviation background runs two to four weeks of consistent study, roughly 10-15 hours total, broken into focused sessions per subject area rather than one long cram session before the PSI appointment.

Weighting Study Time by Subject Area

Airspace classification and weather should receive the largest share of study time since these areas require chart-reading skill and METAR/TAF interpretation that cannot be crammed the night before, unlike regulatory recall questions that are more straightforward memorization. Pilots coming from a non-aviation background often underestimate how much practice reading a METAR takes to do quickly and accurately under test conditions.

Regulations covering remote pilot certificate privileges, waiver processes, and operating limitations in 14 CFR Part 107 Subpart B are more straightforward to memorize and typically require less total study time relative to their question count on the exam.

Avoiding Outdated or Inaccurate Question Banks

Some free online practice test sites still circulate question pools written before the 2021 Remote ID rule and 2023 operations-over-people rule changes took effect, which can teach outdated regulatory limits that no longer apply. Pilots should cross-check any third-party practice question against the current 14 CFR Part 107 text or the FAA’s own study guide before trusting it as accurate.

A simple verification method is checking whether a practice test references Remote ID compliance, the current operations-over-people categories (1 through 4), and night operations under Part 107.29, since all three became current law after earlier editions of Part 107 study material were written and republished without updates.

Recurrent Training and ALC-677

Part 107 certificate holders no longer take a recurrent knowledge test; instead, the FAA requires completion of free online recurrent training every 24 calendar months to keep the certificate current for commercial operations. ALC-677, “Part 107 Small UAS Recurrent Training,” is the FAA Safety Team (FAASTeam) course that satisfies this requirement and is completed through the FAASafety.gov portal at no cost.

ALC-677 replaced the older recurrent test model and covers updated regulatory changes, airspace rule updates, and refreshers on operational limitations since the pilot’s last training cycle. Completion generates a certificate that pilots should retain as proof of currency, since the FAA does not always separately notify a pilot that their recurrent training has lapsed.

Completing ALC-677 Through FAASafety.gov

Completing ALC-677 requires a free FAASafety.gov account linked to the pilot’s FAA Tracking Number, after which the course is self-paced and typically takes 30 to 60 minutes to finish depending on how much review the pilot needs on updated material. There is no exam fee and no PSI testing center involvement for recurrent training, unlike the initial Part 107 exam.

The course format is read-through instructional content followed by knowledge checks rather than a scored exam with a pass/fail threshold. Pilots complete it at their own pace and can exit and resume later without losing progress, since FAASafety.gov saves course state to the account.

Tracking Currency and Avoiding Lapses

Part 107 currency lapses silently if a pilot does not proactively complete ALC-677 before their 24-month window closes, since the FAA does not suspend the certificate automatically but operating commercially without current recurrent training is a regulatory violation. Public-safety UAS programs and commercial operators should build recurrent training dates into their internal compliance calendars rather than relying on memory.

A practical method is setting a calendar reminder 60 days before the recurrent training anniversary date, calculated from either the original certificate issuance date or the date of the pilot’s most recent ALC-677 completion,whichever is later. Chief pilots managing multi-pilot Part 107 programs should keep a spreadsheet or roster tool logging each pilot’s certificate date, most recent recurrent training completion, and next due date, since a lapsed pilot who operates commercially is flying without a valid certificate under 14 CFR 107.65.

Part 107 Performance: What Score Data Actually Shows

Part 107 performance data from the FAA Airmen Knowledge Testing Supplement and PSI reporting shows most first-time applicants pass, but a meaningful share fail on airspace classification and weather-related questions specifically, not on drone mechanics or flight rules. Pilots preparing for the test should weight study time toward sectional chart reading and METAR/TAF interpretation rather than assuming the exam is evenly distributed across the ACS.

Where Applicants Lose Points

The FAA’s Unmanned Aircraft General – Small (UAG) Airman Certification Standards lists airspace, weather, loading and performance, and operations as the tested areas, and instructor feedback consistently points to airspace classification and weather products as the two categories where applicants miss the most questions. Sectional chart symbology, specifically identifying Class B, C, D, and E surface area boundaries and their associated ceiling and floor altitudes, is a recurring weak spot because civilian pilots without a manned-aircraft background have not previously had to read charts.

Weather questions test the ability to interpret METAR and TAF text strings and to reason about density altitude effects on aircraft performance, both of which require memorizing decoding conventions rather than applying intuition. Loading and performance questions, including weight and balance calculations and crosswind component charts, are less frequently missed but still trip up applicants who skip the performance chart practice problems in their study materials.

Study Time Allocation Based on Score Patterns

Given the pattern of missed questions, a reasonable split for a pilot with 10 to 15 hours of total study time is roughly 40 percent on airspace and chart reading, 30 percent on weather, 20 percent on regulations, and 10 percent on loading, performance, and operations. This is not an official FAA breakdown, it is a practical allocation based on where applicants and instructors report the most missed questions and repeated confusion.

Free Part 107 Test Resources Worth Using

The most reliable free Part 107 test resources are the FAA’s own publications: the Airman Certification Standards, the Remote Pilot Study Guide (FAA-G-8082-22), sectional chart legends, and the free sample questions released with the ACS document. These cost nothing, are updated directly by the FAA, and match the actual test bank more closely than most third-party paraphrased content.

FAA-Published Materials

• Remote Pilot – Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems Study Guide (FAA-G-8082-22)
• Unmanned Aircraft General – Small (UAG) Airman Certification Standards
• FAA Chart Supplements and free sectional chart legend references
• Advisory Circular 107-2A, the primary guidance document underlying the Part 107 rule
• FAASafety.gov course library, including ALC-677 for recurrent training

These documents are free PDF downloads from faa.gov and do not require an account or purchase. Pilots should treat the ACS as the master document since it defines exactly what can be tested, then use the study guide as the explanatory text that walks through each ACS area in plain language.

Free Practice Test Options and Their Limits

Several third-party sites offer free Part 107 practice test question banks, but these are reconstructed from memory by past test-takers rather than licensed from the FAA, so question wording and answer choices will not exactly match what appears on exam day. Free practice tests are useful for identifying weak knowledge areas and building familiarity with question format, but pilots who score well on a free practice test should not assume that score translates directly to their actual PSI exam result.

A reasonable use of free practice tests is diagnostic: take one early in the study process to identify weak ACS areas, then return to FAA source material to actually learn those areas rather than memorizing practice answers. Paid practice test platforms with larger question banks and detailed explanations can be worth the cost for pilots who want more repetition, but they are not required to pass and should not replace study of the FAA’s own materials.

Test Day Logistics at PSI Testing Centers

The Part 107 knowledge test is administered exclusively at PSI-approved testing centers, requires scheduling in advance through PSI’s exam registration system, and costs $175 payable directly to PSI at the time of scheduling. Applicants should arrive early with two forms of identification, one of which must be government-issued photo ID, since PSI centers will turn away test-takers who cannot verify identity to their standard.

What to Bring and What Is Provided

Applicants need a government-issued photo ID plus a second form of identification, and PSI centers provide scratch paper, a basic calculator, and access to the testing computer, so nothing else needs to be brought into the testing room. Personal calculators, phones, smartwatches, study notes, and bags are not allowed at the workstation and are typically stored in a locker or designated area during the test.

The 60 questions must be completed within 120 minutes, and the computer-based format allows applicants to flag questions and return to them before final submission, so a reasonable pacing target is roughly one to two minutes per question with time remaining for review. A passing score of 70 percent, meaning 42 of the 60 questions correct, is required, and PSI provides a pass/fail result immediately after submission along with an unofficial score printout.

After the Test: IACRA and Certificate Issuance

After passing, applicants must complete FAA Form 8710-13 through the IACRA system, which generates a temporary airman certificate that can typically be printed immediately once the application is submitted and validated. The permanent plastic certificate arrives by mail from the FAA Airmen Certification Branch, usually within 4 to 6 weeks, and the temporary certificate is valid to exercise Part 107 privileges in the meantime.

Applicants must also complete a TSA security background check as part of the IACRA process, which runs automatically once the application is submitted and does not typically require additional applicant action unless a name or background flag requires manual review. If IACRA rejects an application due to a data mismatch, such as a name discrepancy between the PSI test record and IACRA account, the applicant should contact the FAA Airmen Certification Branch directly rather than resubmitting repeatedly.

Building a Study Plan Around These Resources

An effective Part 107 study plan sequences FAA source material first, practice questions second, and weak-area review last, spread across 2 to 3 weeks of study rather than crammed into a single weekend. Pilots with aviation background, such as private pilots transitioning to Part 107, typically need less time on airspace and weather but should not skip regulation-specific sections unique to unmanned operations.

A 2-Week Study Schedule

1. Days 1-3: Read the FAA Remote Pilot Study Guide cover to cover, taking notes on regulations and operating rules.
2. Days 4-7: Focus on airspace classification and sectional chart reading, using real sectional excerpts for practice.
3. Days 8-10: Study weather products, including METAR/TAF decoding and density altitude effects on performance.
4. Days 11-12: Take a full-length free or paid practice test and log every missed question by ACS area.
5. Days 13-14: Review only the missed-question categories, then take a second practice test to confirm improvement before scheduling the PSI exam.

Adjusting for Manned-Aircraft Background

Pilots holding a manned aircraft certificate can compress this schedule to roughly one week since they already understand airspace and weather, but should still dedicate specific time to Part 107 operating rules, since these differ meaningfully from Part 61 and Part 91 rules for manned flight. Waivers, operations over people, night operations lighting requirements, and the specific altitude and airspace authorization process through LAANC are areas where manned-aircraft experience does not transfer directly and deserve full attention regardless of background.

Conclusion

Reliable part 107 test resources start with FAA-published material, the Airman Certification Standards, the Remote Pilot Study Guide, and free sectional chart references, supplemented with practice tests used diagnostically rather than as a primary study method. The exam itself is fixed and well documented: 60 questions, 120 minutes, administered at PSI testing centers for $175, with a 70 percent passing score of 42 correct answers required. Score data consistently points to airspace classification and weather interpretation as the categories where applicants lose the most points, so a study plan that weights time toward those areas, followed by regulation review and a final practice test pass, gives new applicants the most realistic preparation. Certificate holders should treat ALC-677 recurrent training as a scheduled compliance task every 24 months rather than an afterthought, since a lapsed certificate used for commercial operations is a regulatory violation regardless of how strong the pilot’s original knowledge test score was.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many questions are on the Part 107 test?

The Part 107 knowledge test contains 60 multiple-choice questions covering regulations, airspace, weather, loading, and operations. You have 120 minutes to complete it. Using a solid part 107 study guide and practice test beforehand helps you manage pacing and reduce exam-day surprises.

What score do you need to pass the Part 107 exam?

You need a minimum score of 70%, meaning at least 42 of 60 questions answered correctly. The FAA does not curve results, so consistent practice testing across all knowledge areas is the best way to ensure you clear the threshold comfortably.

How much does the Part 107 test cost?

The initial knowledge test costs $175, paid directly to the PSI testing center when you schedule your appointment. Many free part 107 test resources online can help you prepare without added cost, though the exam fee itself is fixed by the FAA’s testing vendor.

Where do you take the Part 107 knowledge test?

You must take the exam in person at an FAA-approved PSI testing center. Locations exist nationwide, and you’ll book your slot through the PSI website, bringing valid government-issued photo ID on test day.

What is ALC-677 and do I need it?

ALC-677 is the FAA’s free online recurrent training course for certificated Part 107 pilots. Instead of retaking the full knowledge test every 24 months, certificate holders complete ALC-677 to keep their remote pilot certificate current at no cost.

Are free practice tests enough to pass Part 107?

Free practice tests are a great supplement but shouldn’t be your only resource. Pair them with FAA handbooks, sectional chart practice, and a structured part 107 study guide to cover weather, airspace, and regulations thoroughly before test day.

How long should I study before taking the Part 107 test?

Most applicants study for two to four weeks, dedicating several hours weekly to reading materials and practice tests. Your timeline depends on prior aviation knowledge, but consistent review of weak areas typically yields the fastest path to passing.