FAA Part 107 (Remote Pilot, sUAS)

A Remote Pilot Certificate with a small UAS (sUAS) rating is required to fly a drone for work, for pay, or for any reason other than personal recreation -- real estate photos, crop inspection, roof surveys, journalism, research, and more all need it. It is often called "Part 107" after the rule that creates it, 14 CFR part 107.

You must be at least 16 years old to hold the certificate (14 CFR 107.61), though the knowledge test itself may be taken at 14. You do not need any prior flight experience or a manned-aircraft license.

**This is not the same as the TRUST certificate.** If you fly only for fun, under the Exception for Recreational Flyers, you take the free TRUST (The Recreational UAS Safety Test) instead, and this course does not cover it. TRUST is a short, ungraded awareness quiz you pass by completing; the Part 107 knowledge test covered here is a proctored, 60-question, 70%-to-pass exam taken at a fee-charging testing center. Confusing the two is the single most common mistake new applicants make.

The knowledge test is called the UAG (Unmanned Aircraft General) exam. You have up to two hours, and 42 of the 60 questions correct passes it.

First, get an FAA Tracking Number (FTN) by creating a free account on IACRA, the FAA's Integrated Airman Certification and Rating Application. You will need the FTN to register for the test.

Next, book the UAG exam at a PSI-run testing center through PSI's FAA exam site. Bring government photo ID that shows your photograph, signature, and date of birth; if your mailing address is a PO box, bring proof of a current residential address too.

After you pass, apply for the certificate itself through IACRA using your Airman Knowledge Test Report. **A passing test report is valid for 24 calendar months (two years)** when applying, and once certificated you must complete recurrent training or retesting every 24 calendar months to keep exercising the certificate's privileges.

This course drills the 324 questions grounded in the FAA's own Remote Pilot Study Guide, Airman Certification Standards, and published sample questions -- see each question's citation for exactly which source proves it. The 2016 study guide predates the 2021 Operations Over People and Remote Identification rules, so those two areas lean more heavily on the ACS and the FAA's sample questions; the FAA's UAS page is the place to check for anything newer still.