You can pass the FAA Part 107 exam for free — no paid course required. I did it using three free resources: Tony & Chelsea Northrup’s video study guide, Stinger Swarm’s Part 107 course series, and King Schools’ free practice tests. The only real cost is the FAA’s $175 test fee. Here’s my exact study method.
It probably sounds too good to be true, but the facts are that you absolutely do not need to spend a dime on study guides. People sell $150–$300 prep courses, and while some are genuinely good, you don’t need one to pass. Let me show you how I did it for free.
Can you really pass the Part 107 for free?
Yes — every study resource you need is available free online. Be clear on one thing, though: the exam itself costs $175, paid to the PSI testing center (not the FAA) when you book. That fee is unavoidable. What’s free is the studying, and that’s where people waste hundreds of dollars they don’t have to.
If you fail, you can retake after 14 days — but you pay the $175 again each time. That’s exactly why it’s worth grinding the free practice tests until you’re consistently passing before you book.
What’s on the Part 107 exam?
The Part 107 knowledge test (officially the Unmanned Aircraft General, or UAG, test) is 60 multiple-choice questions with a 120-minute time limit. You need 70% to pass — that’s 42 of 60 correct. You must be at least 16 years old and able to read, write, speak, and understand English.
Questions are drawn from five areas, and the weighting matters when you decide what to study hardest:
- Operations — 35–45% (the biggest area)
- Regulations — 15–25%
- Airspace — 15–25%
- Weather — 11–16%
- Loading & performance — 7–11%
The 3 free resources I used to pass
1. Tony & Chelsea Northrup’s free study guide
This is the single best resource you can use. Pull up YouTube and look for the free Drone Certification Study Guide by Tony & Chelsea Northrup. It runs about an hour and 43 minutes and covers just about everything you need — weights, temperature calculations, how to read chart supplements, sectional maps, weather maps, all of it.
They also have a companion written study guide that corresponds directly to the video, including a PDF version you can study on your phone without WiFi.
2. Stinger Swarm’s Part 107 course series
Still on YouTube, look up Stinger Swarm (Stingy). He’s an actual commercial pilot, so he genuinely understands the material rather than just reciting it. His series is a little on the long side — roughly four hours across four videos — but it’s excellent, and it filled in the few gaps the first video left.
The four videos to watch are Airspace for Drone Pilots, Physiology & Aeronautical Decision Making, Weather Briefings for Drone Pilots, and Airport Operations & Radio Communications. Those airport and radio topics have almost nothing to do with flying an FPV drone, but understanding how a pilot actually thinks makes a real difference on the exam — and later, if you do commercial work.
3. King Schools’ free practice test
The third piece is a practice exam. Go to King Schools’ free FAA Part 107 drone pilot test. It’s genuinely free, you don’t have to register, and you can tailor the number of questions and topics. I’d set it to a full 60 (or even load it up higher) to simulate the real thing and make it hard on myself.
One important note: King Schools points out — correctly — that you can’t just memorize questions and pass. The FAA rewrote its entire question bank to kill memorization. So use these tests to find your weak spots and learn the underlying concept, not to farm answers.
My exact study method (step by step)
Here’s the loop that actually got me through it. It’s a little painful, I’m not going to lie — but it drills the information in.
1. Take notes on the Northrup video
Watch the whole thing with a notepad next to you. Any time a fact comes up — a weight limit, a temperature calc, how to read a chart supplement, a cloud-clearance number — write it down. Just keep track of everything.
2. Re-watch it until you know it cold
Then re-watch the video until you know it inside out. When it poses a question, pause and see if you can answer it correctly. If you get it wrong, back up, figure out why you were wrong, and replay that section. Repeat until nothing trips you up.
3. Fill the gaps with Stinger Swarm
Work through Stingy’s four videos to cover the topics the first guide skimmed — airspace, physiology and decision-making, weather briefings, and airport operations. This is where a few concepts clicked for me that I hadn’t fully understood before.
4. Grind the free practice tests
Take the King Schools practice test as many times as you need. Set it to 60 questions (or more) and treat each run like the real exam — timed, no notes. The goal is repetition until you’re comfortably clearing the passing line.
5. Screenshot and relearn every wrong answer
Whenever I got a question wrong, I’d screenshot it, then go back and relearn that exact topic — Google it, re-watch the relevant clip, whatever it took. The test shows you what you missed at the end, so keep a running list of your weak spots and hammer them until they’re gone.
6. Book your test 2–3 weeks out and take it
Schedule the exam before you feel fully ready. A fixed date on the calendar is what actually makes you study instead of putting it off forever (more on this below).
Why you should book your test date first
This is the tip most people ignore, and it’s the one that matters most. A lot of folks study endlessly without ever booking the test — which is actually detrimental, because with no date locked in, you’ll procrastinate, end up cramming, and fail.
Book it two or three weeks out, then grind as hard as you can using these resources. It’s like ripping off a Band-Aid: you just want it done. Don’t set the test three or six months down the road — that’s a recipe for losing momentum.
Can you pass the Part 107 in a weekend?
If you were really under the gun, yes — you could realistically pass in a single dedicated weekend. It comes down to the time and energy you put into figuring out what the FAA is testing you on and understanding the thinking behind it.
Ultimately the FAA just wants to make sure you’re not going to fly your drone into an airport or do something that hurts somebody. Once you understand that mindset, a lot of the questions start to make sense rather than feeling like random trivia.
I put together my own free Part 107 study guide that corresponds directly to the videos above. Join my mailing list and I’ll send you a copy to study alongside these resources.
→ Get the free study guide
What happens after you pass?
Once you pass, you’ll apply for your Remote Pilot Certificate through the FAA’s IACRA system and receive a temporary certificate right away. To keep it current, you complete a free online recurrent training course every 24 months through the FAA Safety Team site — since 2021 there’s no in-person recurrent exam and no fee. Your certificate itself doesn’t expire.
Then comes the fun part: actually using it. Part 107 is the legal gateway to getting paid to fly, so if that’s your goal, read my guide on whether you can actually make money flying FPV drones next. And if you’re still early in the hobby, start with my best FPV drones for beginners guide.
Frequently asked questions
Can you really pass the Part 107 for free?
Yes. Every study resource you need — video guides, a full course series, and unlimited practice tests — is available free online. The only unavoidable cost is the FAA’s $175 knowledge-test fee, paid to the PSI testing center when you book. You do not need to buy a paid prep course to pass.
How many questions are on the Part 107 exam?
The Part 107 knowledge test has 60 multiple-choice questions and you get 120 minutes to finish. You need 70% to pass, which means at least 42 correct answers. Questions come from five areas: regulations, airspace, weather, loading and performance, and operations, with operations weighted heaviest.
How long does it take to study for the Part 107?
Most people need about 15–20 hours of focused study, or 25–30 hours with no aviation background, usually spread over two to three weeks. If you’re really under the gun, it’s possible to cram it into a single dedicated weekend. Booking your test date first keeps you honest.
How much does the Part 107 test cost?
The exam itself costs $175, paid to the PSI testing center (not the FAA) when you register. If you fail, you can retake it after 14 days, but you pay the $175 again each attempt. That’s exactly why the free practice tests are worth grinding first.
Do I have to retake the Part 107 exam every two years?
No. Since 2021 the FAA replaced the old recurrent exam with a free online training course you complete every 24 months through the FAA Safety Team site. Your Remote Pilot Certificate itself doesn’t expire — you just need the free recurrent training to keep flying commercially.
Do I need a Part 107 to fly FPV?
Only if you’re flying commercially — getting paid for real estate, events, automotive, or other client work. Purely recreational FPV flying falls under hobbyist rules instead. If you want to earn money with your drone, Part 107 is the legal gateway.
Watch the full video
Watch the full video above where I walk through all three resources and show you exactly how I studied. If it helped, give it a thumbs up and subscribe — and if you want a more in-depth guide on any of this, drop a comment and let me know.