How to Pass the FAA Part 107 Exam in 2026 (Step-by-Step)

The FAA Part 107 exam has a reputation for being harder than people expect. In 2025, about 12,595 of the 73,914 people who took it failed, roughly 1 in 6, the FAA's own number. It's very beatable if you study the right way. Here's the whole path, start to finish: who can take it, what's on it, the three areas that trip people up, and the study method that gets you consistently over 85%.

Prefer video? Watch the companion video, How to Pass the Part 107 in 2026 (link goes live at launch).

Step 1: Make sure you're eligible

To get a Remote Pilot Certificate you must be at least 16 years old, able to read, speak, write, and understand English, and in a physical and mental condition to fly safely. There's no flight test. Part 107 is a knowledge exam only. You'll also pass a TSA security background check as part of the certificate application.

Step 2: Know exactly what's on the test

The exam is 60 multiple-choice questions, three answer choices each, 120 minutes, and 70% to pass. That's 42 of 60 correct. You take it in person at an FAA-approved PSI testing center. It's closed-book except for the official FAA figure supplement, the sectional-chart excerpts you'll need.

Questions come from five content areas. The FAA no longer publishes a percentage weight for each one, so treat all five as fair game and let your own practice scores tell you where the time should go:

Step 3: Master the three areas that trip people up

Airspace (the sectional chart). This is the #1 fail area. The shortcut is learning the line colors: dashed magenta = Class E to the surface, dashed blue = Class D, faded magenta = Class E starting at 700 ft AGL, faded blue = 1,200 ft AGL. Learn the colors and half the airspace questions answer themselves.

Weather (the METAR). A METAR is just a weather text in a fixed order: wind, visibility, weather, clouds, temp/dewpoint, altimeter. Two things the exam loves: winds are always in knots, so an answer in "mph" is a trap. And temperature and dewpoint close together means fog.

The "which rule applies" traps. The classic: under Part 107, every drone must be registered, even a sub-250-gram one. That 250 g exception is for recreational flyers only. The exam is full of these right-threshold-wrong-category traps.

Step 4: Use a study method that actually works

It is tempting to take one practice test, see 78%, feel okay, and book. That is where the surprise comes from. Here's the fix:

1. Read the explanation on every question, even the ones you got right. A lucky guess and a real answer look identical on your score.
2. Study by weak topic, not by volume. Drilling 500 random questions lets you coast on what you already know. Target what you actually miss.
3. Don't book until you're consistently at 85%+ on two full 60-question exams. The 70% pass line is a floor, not a target. You want a buffer for nerves and a couple of unfamiliar figures.

This is exactly what DroneWorthy does: it scores you by topic, drills your weak areas, and has a real Exam Day simulator so test day feels familiar. Try the free practice test to see where you stand.

Step 5: Register, schedule, and take it

1. Create an IACRA account at iacra.faa.gov and get your FTN (FAA Tracking Number).
2. Schedule at a PSI center (faa.psiexams.com). Search "Unmanned Aircraft General – Small (UAG)."
3. Pay the $175 fee to the testing center (this is separate from any prep and never refundable).
4. Bring a government photo ID. After you pass, complete the certificate application in IACRA.

Step 6: Test-day game plan

Do a light review of your weakest area the night before, and don't cram new material. Sleep. At the center, use the figure supplement for chart questions, flag anything you're unsure of and come back to it, and watch the classic units traps (statute vs nautical miles, MSL vs AGL). You have two full hours, which is more time than 60 questions need.

That's the whole path. Study your weak areas, prove you're ready with two 85%+ exams, and walk in confident.

Keep going: try 3 sample questions · is the test hard? · free study guide

General information only. Always verify current requirements, fees, and exam details at faa.gov before your test.