Part 107 frequently asked questions
Part 107 frequently asked questions
Do I need Part 107 to fly a drone?
Only if you fly for business, compensation, or any non-recreational purpose, including a side hustle. Pure hobby flying instead requires passing TRUST (The Recreational UAS Safety Test), a free FAA test with no knowledge-test fee. Getting paid, even informally, or flying as part of a job puts you under Part 107.
How many questions are on the Part 107 test, and what's the passing score?
The Part 107 initial knowledge test has 60 multiple-choice questions and a 2-hour time limit. You need 70 percent correct to pass, meaning 42 of 60 questions right. Results are usually available immediately at the test center, and the score report shows which knowledge areas you missed.
What's the hardest part of the Part 107 test?
Sectional-chart reading and airspace classification are the most consistently cited hard section, since they require interpreting visual chart symbols rather than recalling a rule. Aviation weather, reading METAR (Meteorological Aerodrome Report) and TAF (Terminal Aerodrome Forecast) reports, is the frequent second-hardest area for most candidates.
What's the difference between Part 107 and TRUST?
TRUST (The Recreational UAS Safety Test) is a free, ungraded awareness test for hobby-only drone flying, with no minimum age and no knowledge test fee. Part 107 is a graded, 175 USD, 60-question knowledge test for anyone flying commercially or for any compensated purpose, producing an actual FAA-issued Remote Pilot Certificate.
What is Part 107?
Part 107 is the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) rule and knowledge test that lets you fly an unmanned aircraft system (UAS), a drone, for business, non-hobby, or any compensated purpose in the United States. Passing the Unmanned Aircraft General, Small (UAG) test earns you a Remote Pilot Certificate, the credential the rule requires.
How much does the Part 107 test cost?
The FAA's initial Part 107 knowledge test costs 175 USD, paid directly to PSI, the FAA's test administration vendor, when you schedule your exam. That fee covers one sitting. A retake after a fail requires paying the 175 USD fee again; there is no separate FAA application fee for the certificate itself.
Do I have to retake the Part 107 test every 2 years?
No. Since the FAA's 2021 rule update, keeping a Part 107 certificate current requires a free online recurrent training course every 24 calendar months, not a retest. The course, ALC-677 at FAASafety.gov, replaces the old retest requirement entirely and costs nothing.