Pass FAA Part 107 in 2026: Study Plan + Common Traps

The FAA Part 107 exam is the #1 gatekeeper to flying drones professionally — and in 2026, Remote ID and night operations updates make “old advice” risky.

In this episode, we break down exactly what the Part 107 test is (a knowledge exam, not a flight test), what’s on it, and a realistic study strategy you can follow with confidence. We also cover the traps that cause most people to fail — especially airspace and sectional charts — plus the readiness benchmark you should hit before you schedule your exam.

In this episode, you’ll learn

• What the Part 107 exam is (and what it isn’t)

• Who needs Part 107 (business intent = commercial use)

• Test format: 60 questions, 2 hours, 70% to pass (42/60)

• The 5 major categories: regulations, airspace, weather, loading/performance, operations

• 2026 updates: Remote ID + night ops requirements

• Common traps: AGL vs MSL, airspace floors, and “NOT” questions

• The “cheat code” most people miss: the testing supplement legend

• A proven study timeline (2–6 weeks) and readiness benchmark (80–85% on practice tests)

FAA Part 107 Certification Resources

• Part 107 Online Course: https://www.redravenuas.com/part107

• Blog companion: https://www.redravenuas.com/blog/pass-part-107-exam-2026

• Transcript

  What the Part 107 Exam Actually Is

  Welcome to the Red Raven UAS Podcast. Today we're tackling what is probably the single biggest hurdle for so many people in this industry. It's 2026. Drones are everywhere — construction, public safety, real estate, you name it. And you might have the best drone and amazing flying skills, but there is always that one final boss standing in your way: the FAA Part 107 exam.

  At Red Raven we specialize in training, consulting, and compliance, so helping agencies and individuals get certified is a huge part of what we do every single day. The mission for today's deep dive is simple — demystify this test, kill the anxiety around it, and give you a study strategy that actually works. Without needing a degree in aerospace engineering first.

  Reality Check: What Is the Part 107 Exam?

  Let's start with the absolute basics. Is this a flight test? Do you have to go out to a field and fly perfect figure eights for an FAA inspector? No — put that fear to rest right now. It is purely a knowledge test. Think of it as the driver's license of the sky, but only the written part. You never touch a drone. You don't bring your drone. The FAA for this test doesn't care if you can fly a perfect circle. They care that you understand the rules of the road so you don't cause a disaster. It's risk management — making sure you don't run into a Cessna or crash into a crowd.

  Who is this for? Anyone flying for work. For any commercial purpose. Even if you're just a realtor taking photos of one listing — if there's any business intent involved, even if money hasn't changed hands yet, you need the certificate. Flying for fun in your backyard is different, but the second business is involved, you need the Part 107.

  The logistics are straightforward. The exam is taken in-person at a PSI testing center — a proctored environment with cameras, phone in a locker, the whole thing. It's 60 multiple choice questions and you get two hours. The passing score is 70%, which means you need to get 42 questions right. That's very doable with the right preparation.

  The Five Main Knowledge Areas

  The FAA breaks the exam down into five main areas: regulations, airspace, weather, loading and performance, and operations.

  Regulations is where the biggest 2026 updates are. The basics haven't changed — fly below 400 feet above ground level, under 100 miles per hour, drone must be less than 55 pounds. But two major changes are now fully in effect.

  First, Remote ID is fully mandatory. It's not optional anymore. Think of it as a digital license plate for your drone — it broadcasts your drone's location and your location as the pilot. The test will ask about it, and it wants to confirm you understand that compliance is your responsibility, not the manufacturer's.

  Second, the night operations waiver requirement is gone. You can now fly at night, but you must have two things: anti-collision lights visible for 3 statute miles, and completed training for night operations — which is now part of the initial test itself.

  Airspace is the one that scares everyone. The charts look like a bowl of spaghetti exploded on a map — and it's hands down the area where most people fail. Why? Because you have to learn to see an invisible 3D map in the sky. It's divided into zones — Classes B, C, D, E, and G — controlled versus uncontrolled. The test gives you a physical supplement book with sectional charts. They'll point to a spot on the map and ask: what class of airspace is this at 500 feet? You have to be able to tell whether an airport has a control tower just by whether the symbol is blue or magenta. You have to know the floor and ceiling of the airspace just by looking at the chart. It takes practice, but it is a learnable system.

  Weather is another area people underestimate. The test wants you to know visibility requirements — you need at least 3 statute miles of visibility to fly — and cloud clearance rules: stay 500 feet below any clouds and 2,000 feet away horizontally. Why so specific? Because a medical helicopter or crop duster could pop out of that cloud layer at any moment. They are not looking for a tiny drone. If you're right up against the clouds, they will hit you before they ever see you.

  This section also involves reading METARs and TAFs — standard aviation weather reports that look like gibberish to the untrained eye. The test will give you a line of code and ask you to decode it: wind direction, speed, gusts, visibility. If you can't read them, you're giving away easy points.

  Loading and Performance is more straightforward — drone physics. What happens when you strap a heavy camera to your drone? It changes the center of gravity, affects stability, and drains battery faster. The test also covers density altitude: on a hot day or at high elevation, the air is thinner, your propellers have less to bite into, and your drone will feel sluggish, climb slower, and take longer to stop. Your drone's performance changes with weather and altitude — the test wants you to know that.

  Operations covers professionalism on the job: crew resource management, communicating with a visual observer, and radio communications including the phonetic alphabet — Alpha, Bravo, Charlie.

  Common Traps and the "Not" Questions

  People don't usually fail because the material is impossible. They fail because of how they studied. The biggest mistake is trying to memorize questions instead of understanding the concepts. Using a flashcard app and memorizing that the answer to a question is C will get you in trouble — the FAA changes the variables. Different wind speed, different tower altitude. If you only memorized the answer and not the how and the why, you're completely stuck.

  The classic trap is mixing up AGL and MSL — Above Ground Level versus Mean Sea Level. On the chart, a tower's height is listed in MSL. But your flight limit is 400 feet AGL, above the ground you're standing on. The test will give you a scenario: a tower is 1,000 feet MSL and the ground beneath it is 400 feet MSL. If you just add 400 to 1,000, you're wrong. You have to calculate the tower's actual height above the ground first. It's a math problem disguised as a regulation question.

  The second common trap is the floor of Class E airspace. A faded magenta line on the chart means Class E starts at 700 feet off the ground. A faded blue line means it starts at 1,200 feet. People mix those up constantly — and one wrong color means you get the question wrong.

  The third trap is simply reading too fast and missing the word "not." Which of the following is NOT a requirement for night flight? Your brain is tired, you're nervous, you skip right over it. You see the first correct-looking answer, click it, and move on. Slow down and read every question carefully.

  The Testing Supplement Cheat Code

  Here's the biggest tip available — and it's not cheating, it's just using your resources. That testing supplement book they hand you at the testing center has a legend in the front. A legend for everything on the map. If you see a symbol for a parachute jump area and you panic because you didn't memorize it, you don't have to — you can flip to the front of the book and look it up right there during the test. That alone should lower a lot of people's blood pressure.

  Why This Stuff Actually Matters

  It can feel abstract — why does a real estate photographer need to know about military training routes? Here's why. You're inspecting a roof in what you think is safe, uncontrolled airspace. But you didn't notice the thin gray line on your chart labeled VR1007. That's a military training route. Military jets can legally be flying through there at 500 feet off the ground, moving at incredible speed. If you're at 300 feet and don't know to look for them, it's a disaster waiting to happen. Checking the chart is about situational awareness. It's about sharing the sky.

  Same with the weather rules. It's 7 AM, it's misty, the rule says 3 miles of visibility. You look out and can't see the water tower 3 miles away — you can't fly. Why? A medical helicopter might be flying low to get a patient to the hospital. In that mist, they will never see you. You are protecting them by staying on the ground.

  Study Strategy: How Long It Actually Takes

  The myth that you need hundreds of hours or an aviation background is simply false. For most people starting from scratch, the realistic range is 2 to 6 weeks — based on about 5 to 8 focused hours of study per week. That's roughly an hour a day. It's not a full-time job.

  Here's how to break it down. Week 1 is your foundation — hit regulations and airspace, and spend extra time on the charts. Don't move on until you get it. Week 2, refine with weather, operations, and loading, then start hitting practice tests hard.

  Consistency beats cramming every time. An hour a day for two weeks is dramatically better than an 8-hour session the night before. Your brain needs time to build those connections.

  When to Schedule Your Exam

  Do not schedule the test until you are consistently scoring between 80 and 85% on good practice exams. The passing score is 70%, but you need that buffer for nerves. When you're in that quiet room with the clock ticking, your score will drop a few points. You want the cushion.

  More importantly — you're ready when you can explain why an answer is correct, not just recognize it. If you get a question right, ask yourself: could I explain this concept to someone who knows nothing about it? If yes, you're ready. It goes from being a guess to being knowledge. You just know.

  The Red Raven Part 107 Course

  You could try to piece this together yourself — YouTube videos from four years ago, scattered FAA PDFs, and hope the rules haven't changed. But we've just covered how much the rules have changed with night ops and Remote ID. Old information is dangerous.

  This is exactly why we built our Part 107 online course — a clear, structured roadmap updated completely for 2026. It covers everything discussed here: Remote ID, the new night rules, all of it. There's a structured study path, an AI tutor to answer questions along the way, and audio learning options so you can study on your commute.

  And there's a pass guarantee. If you go through the course and don't pass the exam, we refund the course fee. That's how confident we are in the structure. It saves you time, frustration, and gets you in the air earning money — legally and safely.

  Don't let the exam be the thing that holds you back. Take it one piece at a time, master the charts, respect the weather, and you will pass.

  Thanks for listening to the Red Raven UAS Podcast. Visit redravenuas.com for consulting, training, and FAA Part 107 certification, and check out the current special pricing on our Part 107 Course.

Ready to stop guessing and start flying?

At Red Raven UAS, we have built the ultimate Part 107 Prep Course for 2026.

• Up-to-Date: Fully updated for the latest Remote ID and Night Ops rules.

• Real Scenarios: We don’t just teach the test; we teach you what you learn relates to real world flying.

• Guarantee: We are so confident in our method that if you don't pass, we refund your course fee.

  (Pass Guarantee terms apply.)

Don’t let the exam slow you down — let’s get you certified.

About Red Raven UAS

Red Raven UAS was built by aviation professionals and real-world UAS operators who know what it takes to get certified and fly professionally. Our Part 107 online course cuts through the confusion of FAA manuals and scattered YouTube videos and gives you a clear, structured path to passing your exam on the first try — guaranteed. Whether you're a complete beginner or an experienced drone pilot finally going legit, we give you everything you need: study guide, practice tests, audio lessons, and an AI tutor available anytime. Pass the test, get your certificate, and start flying professionally with confidence.