Alerts and Updates for FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Knowledge Test (USA)
Carries the current UAG test specification, the knowledge testing centre fee, the IACRA certificate route and the free online recurrency rule, each traced to FAA pages
Updated : 2 days ago
View Complete ArticlePart 107 knowledge test at a glance
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Test code | UAG, Unmanned Aircraft General - Small |
| Format | 60 questions, 2.0 hours allowed, multiple choice |
| Passing score | 70 minimum |
| Fee | Approximately 175 dollars charged by the knowledge testing centre |
| Age | 14 to sit the test, 16 to hold the remote pilot certificate |
| Recurrency | Free online training every 24 calendar months via FAASTeam |
No instructor endorsement or written authorization is required to take the UAG, either for a first attempt or after a failure. The test is sat at an FAA-approved Knowledge Testing Center booked through PSI. The FAA also publishes an airman certification standards document for the small unmanned aircraft rating and a set of UAG sample questions.
Source: FAA testing matrix · FAA FAQ · FAA UAG sample questions
Dates and windows
| What | When | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Knowledge test sittings | No fixed dates; booked on demand at PSI knowledge testing centres | Rolling |
| Knowledge test validity for certificate application | 24 calendar months | Confirmed |
| Recurrent training cycle | Every 24 calendar months, online and free | Confirmed |
| Waiting period to retest after a failure | 14 days | Confirmed |
| Online recurrent courses made available | Announced 8 April 2021, effective 21 April 2021 | Confirmed |
| Certificate application after passing | Form 8710-13 filed through IACRA | Rolling |
There is no examination season for Part 107. The only clocks that matter are the 24 calendar months of knowledge test validity before the certificate application, the 24 calendar months between recurrent training courses, and the 14-day wait after a failed attempt. Calendar months run to the end of the month in question rather than to the anniversary date, which gives a small amount of slack at each end but is not a reason to leave recurrent training to the final week.
Source: FAA testing matrix · FAA newsroom · FAA
What this means for your preparation
The single most persistent misunderstanding is that Part 107 has to be renewed by retaking the test. It does not. Since the FAA moved recurrency online, staying current means completing a free FAASTeam course every 24 calendar months, and the remote pilot certificate itself does not expire. Paying a testing centre 175 dollars for a recurrent sitting is money spent on a requirement that no longer exists. The second misunderstanding follows from the first: because the courses are free and self-paced, pilots let the 24-month clock run past without noticing, which leaves them uncurrent even though the certificate in their wallet still looks valid.
Recurrency is a free course, not a retest
The FAA requires online recurrent training every 24 calendar months to maintain aeronautical knowledge recency, and both courses are free on the FAA Safety Team site. Which one you take depends on your background: ALC-677 is the recurrent course for remote pilots who do not hold a Part 61 certificate, and ALC-515 is for Part 61 certificate holders with a current flight review. There is a third, ALC-451, which is the initial course for Part 61 holders rather than a recurrency route. Complete the right one, keep the completion certificate, and carry it with the remote pilot certificate when operating.
Two separate 24-month clocks
Both are 24 calendar months and they measure different things. The first is the validity of the initial knowledge test result, which limits how long you can sit on a pass before filing the certificate application. The second is the recurrency interval, which starts once you are certificated and repeats for as long as you keep operating. Passing the UAG in one year and only filing Form 8710-13 in the next is possible, but the window is finite. File the IACRA application promptly after the pass rather than treating the test report as an open-ended credential.
Set up IACRA before you book the test
The FAA's own sequence begins with obtaining an FAA Tracking Number by creating an IACRA profile, and only then booking the test. The FTN identifies you at the testing centre and links the result to the later application, so doing it in the wrong order creates reconciliation work. After passing, the certificate application is Form 8710-13 filed through the same IACRA system. Candidates must be at least 16 to hold the certificate and able to read, speak, write and understand English, although the matrix permits sitting the UAG from 14.
What a 70 over 60 questions actually allows
Sixty questions with a minimum passing score of 70 means roughly 42 correct answers, with two hours to produce them. That is two minutes a question, which is comfortable for regulatory recall and tight for the chart and performance items that require working with a supplement. The FAA publishes airman certification standards for the small unmanned aircraft rating and a set of UAG sample questions; those define the examinable ground far better than commercial question banks, which vary in how current they are. Work the sample set first and use it to find where your timing collapses.
Failing is cheap in rules, expensive in fees
After a failure there is a 14-day waiting period, the failed airman knowledge test report must go to the testing centre before the retest, and no instructor endorsement or written authorization is required to sit again. Procedurally that is about as forgiving as aviation testing gets. Financially it is not, because the centre charge of approximately 175 dollars applies to each sitting and is set by the centre rather than by the FAA. The economics therefore favour over-preparing for one attempt rather than treating the first sitting as a diagnostic.
Common questions
How much does the Part 107 knowledge test cost?
The FAA states that knowledge testing centers charge approximately 175 dollars for the initial aeronautical knowledge test. That amount goes to the testing centre rather than to the FAA, so it can vary slightly between locations. The FAA does not name any further fee in its published answer on the cost of a remote pilot certificate, and the recurrent training courses that keep a certificate current are free on the FAA Safety Team website.
How many questions are on the Part 107 test and what score do I need?
The FAA airman knowledge testing matrix lists the Unmanned Aircraft General - Small test, code UAG, at 60 questions with 2.0 hours allowed and a minimum passing score of 70. Roughly 42 correct answers are therefore required. No instructor endorsement or other form of written authorization is needed to take it, and the minimum age recorded in the matrix for sitting the test is 14, although certificate holders must be at least 16.
Do I have to retake the Part 107 test every two years?
No. The FAA requires remote pilots to complete online recurrent training every 24 calendar months to maintain aeronautical knowledge recency, and the courses are free. ALC-677 is the recurrent course for remote pilots without a Part 61 certificate; ALC-515 is for Part 61 certificate holders with a current flight review. Both are hosted on the FAA Safety Team site. There is no in-person recurrent knowledge test to sit and no testing centre fee to pay.
Where do I book the test?
At an FAA-approved Knowledge Testing Center, booked through the PSI portal at faa.psiexams.com. Testing is on demand rather than scheduled to fixed dates, so availability depends on the individual centre's diary. Before booking, obtain an FAA Tracking Number by creating a profile in IACRA, the Integrated Airman Certification and Rating Application system, because the FTN links your test result to the certificate application you file afterwards.
What happens if I fail?
There is a 14-day waiting period before you may retest, and the failed airman knowledge test report has to be submitted to the testing centre before the retest is administered. No instructor endorsement or written authorization is required to retest after failure. The practical cost is the fortnight and a second centre charge of approximately 175 dollars, since the fee applies per sitting and is set by the testing centre rather than the FAA.
How do I get the certificate after passing?
Complete FAA Form 8710-13 through the IACRA system using the FAA Tracking Number created before the test. Applicants must be at least 16 years old, able to read, speak, write and understand English, and in a physical and mental condition to operate a small unmanned aircraft safely. The knowledge test result supports that application for 24 calendar months, so file rather than letting the pass age. Recurrent training then begins its own 24-month cycle.
