1.2 Remote Pilot Certification (Subpart C)

FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate Exam

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1 Introduction to the FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate

FAA Part 107 Exam Overview Study Strategy and Test-Taking Tips

2 1. Regulations (14 CFR Part 107)

1.1 Applicability and Definitions (Subpart A) 1.2 Remote Pilot Certification (Subpart C) 1.3 Operating Rules Overview (Subpart B) 1.4 Registration and Marking Requirements 1.5 Remote Identification (Part 89) 1.6 Operations Over People (Subpart D) 1.7 Night Operations and Civil Twilight 1.8 Waivers and Authorizations (Subpart E) 1.9 Accident Reporting and Recordkeeping 1.10 Preflight Familiarization and Actions

3 2. Airspace Classification & Requirements

2.1 National Airspace System Overview 2.2 Class B Airspace 2.3 Class C and Class D Airspace 2.4 Class E and Class G Airspace 2.5 Reading Sectional Charts 2.6 LAANC and Airspace Authorization 2.7 TFRs and NOTAMs 2.8 Latitude, Longitude, and Navigation

4 3. Weather

3.1 Weather Theory and Atmospheric Basics 3.2 Wind, Turbulence, and Wind Shear 3.3 Clouds, Visibility, and Fog 3.4 Reading METAR Reports 3.5 Reading TAF Reports 3.6 Weather Hazards for Drone Operations 3.7 Weather Information Sources

5 4. Loading and Performance

4.1 Weight, Balance, and Center of Gravity 4.2 Density Altitude and Performance 4.3 Load Factor and Maneuvering 4.4 Battery Performance and Management 4.5 Performance Calculations and Limitations

6 5. Operations

5.1 Crew Resource Management (CRM) 5.2 Aeronautical Decision Making (ADM) 5.3 Emergency Procedures 5.4 Physiological Factors Affecting Pilots 5.5 Radio Communication and Frequencies 5.6 Airport Operations and Traffic Patterns 5.7 Maintenance, Inspection, and Condition 5.8 Special Operations and Considerations 5.9 Flight Planning and Risk Mitigation 5.10 Sectional Chart Interpretation Exercises

1.2 Remote Pilot Certification (Subpart C)

Key Takeaways Explain This Topic AI

Minimum age for a Remote Pilot Certificate is 16; you must read, speak, write, and understand English.

The initial UAG knowledge test is 60 multiple-choice questions, 70% to pass (42 correct), 120 minutes, about $175 at a PSI testing center.

Recurrent training is FREE online at faasafety.gov, completed every 24 calendar months — there is no longer a paid recurrent test requirement.

Current Part 61 pilots skip the proctored test and take the free online initial course instead.

The certificate itself never expires; only the ability to exercise privileges lapses without current recurrent training.

Last updated: October 2026

Earning and Keeping the Remote Pilot Certificate

Subpart C (sections 107.52 to 107.79) governs how you become — and stay — a certificated Remote Pilot in Command (Remote PIC) . This is one of the most heavily tested regulatory blocks on the Unmanned Aircraft General (UAG) exam.

Eligibility (Section 107.61)

To hold a Remote Pilot Certificate with a small UAS rating you must:

Be at least 16 years old .

Be able to read, speak, write, and understand English (medical-condition exceptions exist).

Be in a physical and mental condition that does not interfere with safe operation — note there is no FAA medical certificate required for Part 107.

Pass the initial aeronautical knowledge test (UAG) at an FAA-approved testing center, or complete the free online course if you already hold a Part 61 certificate.

Pass a TSA security background check , triggered automatically when you submit your IACRA application.

For the exam: The minimum age is 16 — not 14, 17, or 18. This single fact is asked almost every test.

The Knowledge Test, By the Numbers

Attribute Value
Official name Unmanned Aircraft General (UAG)
Number of questions 60 multiple choice
Choices per question 3 (A, B, C)
Time limit 120 minutes
Passing score 70% (42 of 60 correct)
Fee About $175 (FAA estimate)
Where PSI-approved testing center
Topic areas Regulations, airspace, weather, loading/performance, operations
The Application Path

Pass the knowledge test — you receive an Airman Knowledge Test Report with a 17-character exam ID.

Log in to IACRA (Integrated Airman Certification and Rating Application) at iacra.faa.gov and complete FAA Form 8710-13 .

TSA screening begins automatically.

Once vetted, print a temporary certificate valid for 120 days while the permanent card is mailed.

Receive the permanent plastic Remote Pilot Certificate by mail.

Staying Current — Recurrent Training (Section 107.65)

Your certificate never expires , but your privileges do unless you stay current. Currency is restored by completing free online recurrent training through faasafety.gov within every 24 calendar months .

The course is titled Part 107 Small UAS Recurrent and is free — the old paid in-person recurrent test is no longer required.

The 24-month clock runs from the calendar month you last completed initial or recurrent training.

Worked example: initial test passed March 15, 2026 → recurrent due no later than March 31, 2028 (end of the 24th calendar month).

When Privileges Lapse

If you miss the 24-month deadline:

Your certificate is not revoked — it remains a valid document.

You simply cannot exercise Part 107 privileges (cannot act as Remote PIC) until you finish recurrent training.

You do not retake the initial proctored test — just complete the free online course to restore privileges immediately.

The Part 61 Shortcut

If you already hold a current Part 61 pilot certificate (Private, Commercial, ATP) — meaning a flight review within the preceding 24 calendar months — you may obtain a Remote Pilot Certificate without the proctored test:

Complete the free online initial course Part 107 Small UAS Initial (ALC-451) on faasafety.gov.

Apply through IACRA.

Clear the TSA background check.

This route saves the about $175 test fee and the trip to a testing center.

Certificate Actions and Inspection

Under Sections 107.57 , 107.59 and 107.69 , the FAA may deny an application or suspend or revoke a certificate for drug or alcohol offenses, refusing an alcohol test or test results, or cheating on the knowledge test. The Remote PIC must present the certificate for inspection on request by the FAA, NTSB, TSA, or any federal, state, or local law enforcement officer .

Currency, Privileges, and the Documents You Carry

The exam draws a sharp line between holding a certificate and being current to exercise it. Holding is permanent — the Remote Pilot Certificate has no expiration date printed on it. Currency is a rolling 24-calendar-month obligation. Picture two clocks: one never runs out (the certificate document); the other resets each time you finish initial or recurrent training and counts down 24 calendar months. When the second clock hits zero, you may not act as Remote PIC until you reset it with the free online course.

Calendar-Month Arithmetic

The FAA always uses calendar months , which means deadlines fall on the last day of a month, not on an anniversary date. If you complete training on July 3, 2026 , you are current through the end of the 24th calendar month , which is July 31, 2028 — you effectively gain the partial first month for free. The exam tests this by giving a mid-month completion date and offering an exact-anniversary distractor; the correct answer is the end of that month two years later.

What You Must Carry and Show

While acting as Remote PIC you must have available, and present on request to the FAA, NTSB, TSA, or any law enforcement officer:

Document Required? Notes

Remote Pilot Certificate and identification Yes Section 107.7 requires both in your physical possession and readily accessible

Aircraft registration (Part 48) Yes Paper or digital copy is acceptable
Proof of TRUST No (Part 107) That is a recreational requirement, not Part 107
FAA medical certificate No Part 107 has no medical certificate requirement at all
No Medical, But a Real Fitness Standard

A common trap pairs "medical certificate" with Part 107. There is no FAA medical certificate for remote pilots — but Section 107.17 still prohibits acting as Remote PIC, or manipulating the controls, if you know or have reason to know of a physical or mental condition that would interfere with safe operation. So a pilot with an untreated condition causing dizziness must self-ground even though no medical paperwork exists. Fitness is self-assessed, much like the IMSAFE checklist used in manned aviation.

TSA Vetting and Enforcement Hooks

The TSA security background check runs automatically off your IACRA submission; you do not file anything separately. If the FAA later finds cheating on the knowledge test (Section 107.69) or a drug or alcohol offense (Section 107.57), it can suspend or revoke the certificate — and refusing a properly requested alcohol test, or refusing to furnish or release the test results, is itself grounds for action (Section 107.59). Tie these threads together and the certification picture is complete: easy to obtain, free to keep current, but governed by enforceable conduct standards throughout its life.