The honest answer: it's very passable — but only if you study the right things. Here's what the exam is really like and how to stack the odds in your favor.
The Part 107 test is not hard if you study, and it's not about being smart — it's about getting comfortable with a few specific topics. You need 70% (42 of 60 questions). Most people who put in two to four focused weeks pass; the ones who fail almost always skimped on airspace and chart reading.
"Is the Part 107 test hard?" is one of the most-Googled questions in the drone world, usually by someone deciding whether it's worth the $175. The reassuring truth: thousands of people with zero aviation background pass it every month. It just rewards the right kind of preparation, not raw intelligence.
The FAA's knowledge test (officially the Unmanned Aircraft General, or UAG) is 60 multiple-choice questions with four answer options each. You get 120 minutes and need 70% to pass, which works out to 42 correct — you can miss up to 18. You take it on a computer at an FAA-approved PSI testing center, and you walk out knowing your score the same day.
For most beginners, the difficulty isn't the volume — it's that a few topics are completely unfamiliar:
None of these are hard once they click — they're just new. That's why the people who fail usually didn't study them enough, not because they couldn't.
Here's the part that matters in 2026: starting October 27, 2026, the FAA embeds the chart and figure images directly inside the test questions instead of a separate booklet. Memorizing "Figure 22" no longer works — you have to actually read a chart you've never seen. If anything, that makes solid chart practice even more valuable than it used to be.
Treat it like a driver's test, not a college final. It's not a gotcha exam; it's a "did you learn the material" exam. People who walk in cold and wing it are the ones who struggle. People who drill practice questions until the explanations stick almost always pass, often comfortably above the line.
Good prep doesn't guarantee a pass — nothing does — but it stacks the odds heavily in your favor and saves you from a $175 retake.
You need 70% to pass. With 60 questions, that means answering at least 42 correctly — you can miss up to 18.
Most people are ready in two to four weeks at about 45–60 minutes a day, with extra time on airspace and chart reading.
Airspace and reading sectional charts trip up the most people. With the October 27, 2026 change putting charts inside the questions, chart reading matters even more.
Yes. The testing center provides scratch paper and a basic on-screen calculator. You take the exam on a computer at an FAA-approved PSI testing center.
800 explained questions, a 22-lesson course, embedded chart practice for the Oct 27 format, and an AI study coach that drills your weak spots. One-time $39.99, no subscription, 7-day money-back guarantee.