Part 107 Knowledge Test Prep That Actually Sticks

Most Part 107 test prep fails for one reason: it teaches the test as trivia instead of teaching the rules the test is built on. Memorize a question bank and you may pass, but you won't remember much a month later. Study the regulation itself and the questions start to make sense. This post covers Part 107 knowledge test prep from the legal side: what the rules require you to know, who must test, how long a pass stays good, and how to study so it sticks. Regulatory text was pulled from the eCFR on 9 Oct 2026. This is a rule explainer, not legal advice.

Who has to pass the test

Under 14 CFR § 107.61, to be eligible for a remote pilot certificate with a small UAS rating, a person must be at least 16 years old; be able to read, speak, write, and understand English (with a medical-reason exception that may add limitations); not know of a physical or mental condition that would interfere with safe operation; and demonstrate aeronautical knowledge.

That last requirement is met in one of two ways under § 107.61(d):

• Pass an initial aeronautical knowledge test covering the areas in § 107.73, or
• If you already hold a Part 61 pilot certificate (other than student pilot) and meet the flight review requirements of § 61.56, complete training covering the areas in § 107.74.

So for most new commercial drone pilots, the knowledge test is the path. Under § 107.63, the certificate application must include evidence that you passed that initial test.

What the test covers, straight from the rule

You don't need to guess the syllabus. § 107.73 lists the areas of knowledge for the initial test and for recurrent training:

1. Applicable regulations on small UAS rating privileges, limitations, and flight operation
2. Airspace classification, operating requirements, and flight restrictions
3. Aviation weather sources and effects of weather on small UAS performance
4. Small unmanned aircraft loading
5. Emergency procedures
6. Crew resource management
7. Radio communication procedures
8. Determining small unmanned aircraft performance
9. Physiological effects of drugs and alcohol
10. Aeronautical decision-making and judgment
11. Airport operations
12. Maintenance and preflight inspection procedures
13. Operation at night

Thirteen areas. That list is your study plan.

How long a pass is good for

§ 107.65 says you may not exercise the privileges of a remote pilot in command unless, within the previous 24 calendar months, you passed the initial knowledge test, completed recurrent training covering the § 107.73 areas, or (for eligible Part 61 pilots) completed the § 107.74 training. Passing once does not make you current forever. See our post on Part 107 recurrent training for how staying current works.

Study the rule, not the question bank

Here's the approach that actually sticks:

Read Part 107 Subpart B first

Subpart B holds the operating rules most questions lean on: visual line of sight, operating limitations, operations over people, night, and airspace. If you read § 107.51 and can explain why 3 statute miles and 500 feet below clouds exist, you won't need to memorize the numbers as trivia.

Map each § 107.73 area to a source

For every item on the list, note where the answer actually lives: the regulation, the FAA's study materials, a sectional chart legend, or a weather product. When you study an area, go to that source.

Practice reading charts and weather

Airspace and weather questions are where people lose points. Practice on real sectional charts and real weather reports until the abbreviations feel normal. This is a skill, not a fact list.

Explain it out loud

If you can explain a rule to someone else in one sentence, including why it exists, you know it. If you can only pick it out of four choices, you don't yet.

Use practice tests to find gaps, not to learn

Take a practice test after studying an area. Every wrong answer points to a section to reread. Don't just memorize the right letter.

The test is the floor

Passing the knowledge test proves you met the minimum in § 107.61. The rules still apply on every flight afterward, and the FAA expects you to follow them whether or not they were on your exam. Learn them well enough to use them in the field, and the test takes care of itself.

When you start flying commercially, keeping certificate dates, recurrent deadlines, and flight records in one place helps. Tools like Pilot Ledger are built for that.