How hard is the Part 107 test? Pass rates and what trips people up

Most Part 107 tests are passed, but the test isn't a formality. In 2025, 82.96% of Part 107 knowledge tests were passed (FAA CY2025 knowledge test report), down from 93.36% in 2020 (FAA 2020 knowledge test statistics). Those are the FAA's national figures across all Part 107 tests taken, not figures for any study site. It's a knowledge test, not a flying test, but it does expect you to know aviation rules, read aeronautical charts and decode weather reports. For many drone flyers, those are new.

What the FAA's numbers say

In 2025 the FAA's count of Part 107 knowledge tests was 73,914 (FAA CY2025 knowledge test report). That's the Unmanned Aircraft General - Small test, or UAG, which first-time remote pilots take (FAA: Become a Drone Pilot). The share of tests passed was 82.96% in 2025 and 93.36% in 2020. The FAA's tables give the numbers, not the reasons, so be careful with anyone who claims to know exactly why the rate dropped.

What the numbers do tell you is simple: most tests are passed, and a real share are not. Preparation is the part you control.

What the test looks like

• 60 scored questions, up to 2 hours, 70% to pass (FAA Airman Knowledge Testing Matrix, p. 15). 70% of 60 is 42, so as a rough guide you need 42 correct answers.
• Maybe a few extra questions that don't count. Any FAA knowledge test may include validation questions. They aren't scored and aren't part of the 60, but the 2 hours include the time to answer them (FAA Airman Knowledge Testing Matrix, p. 2).
• Multiple choice, one right answer. The FAA describes objective, multiple-choice questions with a single correct response, each independent of the others (Remote Pilot ACS, p. A-1).
• Everyone gets a different test. The FAA says the sequence and wording of the questions vary with each test, and that it keeps adding, reviewing and revising questions (FAA Airman Testing FAQ, p. 2). It doesn't release live test questions to the public (FAA Airman Testing FAQ, p. 1). Memorizing a list of answers won't carry you; understanding the rules will.

The testing provider's published topic shares are Regulations 48%, Operations 25%, Airspace 20%, Weather 5% and Loading and performance 2%. So about half the test is rules.

Five things that make it hard

1. It tests aviation knowledge, not flying skill

Being a smooth drone pilot helps less than you might expect. The list of knowledge areas in Part 107 reads like a pilot's syllabus. Alongside the rules, airspace and weather, it includes radio communication, airport operations, crew resource management, emergency procedures, loading and performance, decision-making, the effects of drugs and alcohol, maintenance and preflight inspection, and operating at night (14 CFR 107.73). Radio calls and airport traffic patterns may be new if you've only flown for fun. Our Operations topic page covers them.

2. Reading aeronautical charts

The FAA says the figures, charts and diagrams that may appear on your test are in the testing supplement (FAA Airman Testing FAQ, p. 1). Starting October 26, 2026, the test adds new image-based questions built from current FAA charts, and those images are not in the supplement (FAA testing advisory, August 2026, p. 6). There is no way to preview the images in live questions (FAA testing advisory, August 2026, p. 5), which means reading an unfamiliar chart is a skill you have to build, not a set of pictures to memorize.

Charts matter because airspace rules depend on them. Class B, C and D airspace, and an airport's designated Class E surface area, all need ATC authorization before you fly there (14 CFR 107.41). The FAA's Chart Users' Guide explains the symbols on a sectional (FAA Chart Users' Guide). Practice on our chart questions and the Airspace topic page, and read what changes on October 26, 2026.

3. Weather reports written in code

A METAR is an observation of current surface weather in a standard international format (FAA Remote Pilot Study Guide, p. 15). A TAF is a forecast for the five statute mile radius around an airport, and it uses the same abbreviations as a METAR (FAA Remote Pilot Study Guide, p. 18). Weather is only about 5% of the test by the testing provider's shares, but you can't guess what a coded report says. Our Weather topic page explains both.

4. Exact numbers

Rules with numbers in them are easy to mix up. The operating limits alone give you a 400-foot ceiling above ground level (with an exception near structures), an 87-knot top speed, a 3-statute-mile visibility minimum, and cloud clearances of 500 feet below and 2,000 feet sideways (14 CFR 107.51). Then there is the 10-calendar-day deadline for telling the FAA about an operation that caused serious injury, any loss of consciousness, or more than $500 of damage to property other than the drone (14 CFR 107.9). Our key numbers cheat sheet lists them all with their sources.

5. Answers that are nearly right

The FAA's own test tips say to read each question carefully before looking at the choices, and that only one answer is complete and correct; the others are incomplete or wrong (Remote Pilot ACS, p. A-4). A choice that is partly true is still wrong. The same tips say to answer according to the latest regulations and guidance (Remote Pilot ACS, p. A-4), so study from current sources.

Who finds it easier

Pilots who hold a Part 61 certificate and have a flight review completed within the previous 24 months can skip the test and take the FAA's online Part 107 Small UAS Initial course (ALC-451) in its place (FAA: Become a Drone Pilot). Everyone else takes the UAG.

If you have some aviation background, charts and weather will feel familiar. If you're starting from zero, plan extra time for airspace, chart reading and weather codes. They take practice more than memory.

How to make it easier

1. Take our free 20-question Part 107 practice test first. It shows which topics you're weakest in before you spend hours on the wrong ones.
2. Study regulations first, since they're the biggest share, and keep the glossary open for unfamiliar terms.
3. Practice reading charts every few days rather than cramming them at the end.
4. Finish with full-length, timed practice. Part 107 Complete ($39 one-time) has 29 lessons and 15 timed mock exams in the official format of 60 questions in 2 hours, plus a chart trainer and a METAR and TAF trainer.

For a week-by-week plan, see how to study for the Part 107 test.

If you don't pass

It isn't the end of the road. You may retest after 14 calendar days (14 CFR 107.71). Bring the failed test report; no instructor endorsement is needed (FAA Airman Knowledge Testing Matrix, p. 15). Your report lists the codes for the knowledge areas of the questions you missed (Remote Pilot ACS, p. 1), which tells you what to review. Our guide on what to do after failing the Part 107 test covers the steps.

Questions people ask

What is the Part 107 pass rate?

The FAA's figure for 2025 is 82.96% of Part 107 knowledge tests passed, down from 93.36% in 2020. It is a national figure across all Part 107 tests taken, not a figure for any study site.

How many questions can I get wrong on the Part 107 test?

The test has 60 scored questions and the passing score is 70%. 70% of 60 is 42, so as a rough guide you need 42 correct answers. Any extra unscored validation questions don't count either way.

Is the Part 107 test multiple choice?

Yes. The FAA's Remote Pilot ACS describes objective, multiple-choice questions with a single correct response for each question.

Which part of the Part 107 test is hardest?

It depends on your background, but chart reading and coded weather reports can be new if you have only flown drones. Regulations matter most by volume: the testing provider's published topic shares put them at 48% of the test.