Pass your Part 107 in two weeks
If you want to earn money with your drone — real estate photos, inspections, weddings, YouTube monetization tied to client work — US law requires the FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate. The good news: most people pass in two weeks of light study.
What the Part 107 actually is
It's a knowledge test (no flying involved) of 60 multiple-choice questions; you need 70% to pass. You take it at an FAA-approved testing center, it costs about $175, and the certificate is valid with a free online recurrency check every 24 months. You must be 16+ and able to read/speak English.
What's on the test
- Regulations (~15–25%) — airspace rules, waivers, operating limits.
- Airspace & charts (~15–25%) — reading sectional charts is the part people fear; it's very learnable.
- Weather (~11–16%) — how conditions affect flight, reading METARs.
- Loading & performance, and operations — the remainder.
Reading sectional charts is where most study time goes and where a good course pays for itself — it turns an intimidating topic into pattern recognition.
The two-week plan
Week 1 — learn
- Days 1–2: Regulations & operating rules.
- Days 3–5: Airspace and sectional charts — the big one. Do it in small daily doses.
- Days 6–7: Weather + loading/performance.
Week 2 — drill
- Days 8–11: Practice exams, every day, until you're scoring 85%+ consistently.
- Days 12–13: Review only the questions you get wrong.
- Day 14: Book and take the test.
Pilot Institute — Part 107 Made Easy
The most-recommended prep course: clear chart lessons, a huge test-question bank, and a pass guarantee. Turns the two-week plan above into a follow-along path.
Test day & after
- Bring a government photo ID. You'll register for an FTN number in the FAA's IACRA system beforehand.
- You get your pass/fail immediately; the certificate follows after a quick TSA background check.
- Then register your drone at FAADroneZone (~$5) and you're legal to fly commercially.