How to study for the Part 107 test: a simple three-week plan

A sound way to study for the Part 107 test is to work from the FAA's own materials, spend your time in proportion to what the test asks, practice chart reading and weather codes little and often, and finish with full-length timed practice. Expect 60 scored questions, a 2-hour limit and a 70% pass mark (FAA Airman Knowledge Testing Matrix, p. 15). Below is a three-week plan built around that, with short daily sessions. Stretch it if aviation terms are new to you.

Step 1: Know what the test covers

The syllabus is written into the regulation. Section 107.73 names thirteen knowledge areas, from the rules themselves, airspace and weather to loading and performance, radio communication, airport operations, emergency procedures, crew resource management, decision-making, drugs and alcohol, maintenance and preflight inspection, and night operations (14 CFR 107.73).

Not every area counts the same. The testing provider's published topic shares are Regulations 48%, Operations 25%, Airspace 20%, Weather 5% and Loading and performance 2%. Spend your time roughly in that order, but don't skip the small ones: a few easy points from weather and loading can decide a close result.

Study to understand, not to memorize. The FAA says the sequence and wording of questions vary with each test, and it keeps adding and revising questions (FAA Airman Testing FAQ, p. 2).

Step 2: Gather the free FAA sources

• The Remote Pilot Study Guide. The FAA published it to set out the knowledge areas you need to study for the test (FAA Remote Pilot Study Guide, p. i). It's dated August 2016, so check any rule in it against the current regulations (14 CFR Part 107 on eCFR). The night rule, for example, was amended in 2021 (14 CFR 107.29).
• The Remote Pilot ACS. The FAA encourages applicants to use it as a reference while preparing for the test (Remote Pilot ACS, p. 1), and its reference list shows which regulations and FAA documents the standards are built on (Remote Pilot ACS, p. A-7).
• The testing supplement. 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). For the UAG that's FAA-CT-8080-2H (FAA Airman Knowledge Testing Matrix, p. 15), and the FAA posts it online (FAA: Computer Testing Supplements).
• The Chart Users' Guide. It explains the symbols on a sectional chart (FAA Chart Users' Guide).

Step 3: Follow a three-week plan

Week 1: Regulations

Start with the biggest share, and with the handful of limits that turn up everywhere: a 400-foot ceiling above ground level (with a narrow exception near structures), an 87-knot speed cap, a 3-statute-mile visibility minimum and set clearances from clouds (14 CFR 107.51). Write them on a card and say them out loud each day.

Then move on to the rules with deadlines and thresholds, such as the 10-calendar-day deadline for reporting 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); night and twilight flying, where the anti-collision light must be visible from 3 statute miles (14 CFR 107.29); and your certificate and recurrent training. Our Part 107 regulations page and the key numbers cheat sheet make good daily review.

Week 2: Airspace, charts and weather

Class B, C and D airspace, and an airport's designated Class E surface area, all need ATC authorization before you fly in them (14 CFR 107.41), so practice picking those out on a chart. Charts matter even more from October 26, 2026, when the test starts using new image-based questions taken from current FAA charts; those images won't be in the testing supplement (FAA testing advisory, August 2026, p. 6). The images in live questions can't be previewed (FAA testing advisory, August 2026, p. 5), so practice on many different charts rather than learning a few by heart. Use our airspace page, the chart questions and the October 2026 test changes guide.

For weather, learn to read a METAR, an observation of current surface weather (FAA Remote Pilot Study Guide, p. 15), and a TAF, which covers the five statute mile radius around an airport and uses the same abbreviations (FAA Remote Pilot Study Guide, p. 18). Decode one of each every day. The weather topic page explains both.

Week 3: Operations, loading and performance, then practice

Most of what is left on the 107.73 list is about running a flight well: talking on the radio, airport operations, emergencies, working as a crew, decision-making, the effects of drugs and alcohol, and preflight checks and maintenance (14 CFR 107.73). Loading and performance is small but concrete: read the study guide's loading chapter, which starts on page 29 and covers load factors from page 30 (FAA Remote Pilot Study Guide, pp. 29-30). See our operations page and loading and performance page.

Spend the last few days on full-length practice: 60 questions in 2 hours, the official format (FAA Airman Knowledge Testing Matrix, p. 15). Review every question you miss and go back to the rule behind it.

Step 4: Study actively

• Test yourself early. Take the free 20-question Part 107 practice test on day one. It shows your weak topics before you start.
• Learn from every miss. Read the explanation, then the source rule. Ask why each wrong answer is wrong.
• Repeat the numbers. A few minutes of flashcards a day beats an hour once a week.
• Look up words. Keep the Part 107 glossary open.

Step 5: Know when you're ready

The passing score is 70% (FAA Airman Knowledge Testing Matrix, p. 15), but aim for a margin so one hard topic doesn't sink you. Our own rule of thumb, not an FAA figure, is to book once you're scoring around 80% on full, timed practice tests. Practice scores never predict your FAA result; a steady margin only suggests you've covered the ground.

When you're ready, get an FAA Tracking Number by creating an IACRA profile, then book a knowledge testing center approved by the FAA (FAA: Become a Drone Pilot). Read what to expect on Part 107 test day and how hard the Part 107 test is before you go.

Want the plan done for you?

Part 107 Complete takes the same approach: 29 lessons across the five test topics plus test day, each with a short quiz, then drills, flashcards, a chart trainer on crops of current FAA sectional charts, a METAR and TAF trainer, and 15 timed mock exams in the official 60-question, 2-hour format. It's $39, paid once. The first lesson of each module is free, so you can try it first.

Mistakes to avoid

• Memorizing answer lists. The questions and their wording vary from test to test (FAA Airman Testing FAQ, p. 2).
• Studying from old notes without checking the current rules on eCFR.
• Skipping weather and loading because they're small. Easy points still count.
• Practicing only on the supplement's figures, now that the test adds images from current charts.
• Cramming the night before instead of a light review of the key numbers.

Questions people ask

How long does it take to study for the Part 107 test?

The FAA doesn't set a study time. The plan on this page uses three weeks of short daily sessions. Stretch it if aviation terms are new to you, or shorten it if you already know charts and weather.

What should I study first for Part 107?

Regulations. The testing provider's published topic shares put them at 48% of the test, followed by Operations at 25% and Airspace at 20%.

Is the FAA Remote Pilot Study Guide enough?

It sets out the knowledge areas for the test and is free, but it is dated August 2016, so check every rule against the current 14 CFR Part 107 on eCFR. Pair it with practice questions and chart practice.

What practice score should I aim for before booking?

The passing score is 70%, but aim for a margin. Our own rule of thumb (not an FAA figure) is around 80% on full, timed practice tests. Practice scores never predict the FAA result.