Is the Part 107 test hard?
Short answer: not if you prepare properly. It's a 60-question multiple-choice test with a 70% pass mark, and most of it is learnable facts. But a few topics catch out people who only study the rules.
What makes it tricky
Sectional charts
Reading airspace boundaries, floors and ceilings, and chart symbols from the FAA testing supplement.
Airspace
Knowing when you need ATC authorisation, and how Class B, C, D and E differ.
Weather reports
Decoding METARs and TAFs quickly, and knowing how weather affects drone performance.
Loading & performance
Load factor in turns, centre of gravity, and density altitude.
What's easier than people expect
The operating rules themselves: altitude, speed, visibility, cloud clearance, right of way, and reporting. They're a short list of numbers you can learn in an evening. Our Part 107 cheat sheet puts them all on one page.
A simple plan to pass first time
- Take a free diagnostic test to see where you stand.
- Learn the key numbers and rules first. They're quick wins.
- Spend most of your time on charts, airspace and weather reports.
- Read the free official FAA material: the Remote Pilot study guide and the Airman Certification Standards.
- Sit full 60-question mock exams until you pass comfortably every time.
- Book your test at an FAA-approved testing centre, and bring government-issued photo ID.
If you do fail
It isn't the end. You wait 14 calendar days, then you can retest (paying the fee again). Your test report lists the knowledge areas you missed, which tells you exactly what to revise.
