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In this FAA Part 107 exam study guide, I cover what you need to know to successfully pass your remote pilot license exam. The strategies I describe here should help you get a passing score on your first try.

You need the part 107 license if you are planning to use drone photos and footage to earn money. I passed the FAA part 107 exam a few years back with a 90% score.

When I was preparing for my FAA Part 107 test, I had two goals in mind. The first was to spend as little time as possible and still pass. The second goal was about money. I did not want to spend a lot of it.

Method #1: Free Resources for FAA Part 107 Exam

Now, with that I had several choices. The first one was to study on my own using free resources from the internet. The FAA publishes guides and other resources that I could have used to pass the exam. There are also free online resources like YouTube tutorials videos and study guides.

Here is a list of some of the FAA resources that I personally referenced from time to time:

• The Airman Knowledge Testing Supplement
• Remote Pilot sUAS Study Guide
• Pilot’s Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge
• Aeronautical information Manual
• Aeronautical Chart User’s Guide

There are also many other free study guides by private parties. My main concern with them was their accuracy. I was also worried about testing my knowledge. It is one thing to read the material. But, it is a different matter of testing it with questions. I wanted to tell apart correct and incorrect answers. Sometimes, that’s more important than just getting the question right.

Method #1: FAA Part 107 Exam Study Guide Textbook

I thought a lot about going with free resources. I am pretty good about self-studying. But, the lack of structure and practice tests were my main concerns. I looked online for textbooks and came across the FAA Part 107 exam study guide by Aviation Supplies & Academics (ASA).

My main objective was the reliability of study materials. ASA has been in the business of helping aircraft pilots get their licenses since 1960. That’s all they do. It is not some random guy from the internet posing as some sort of authority. As I read more about ASA, they gained my trust as a credible company that I can rely on for my part 107 exam study.

So, that’s what I went with, the ASA part 107 study guide. The guide is not expensive and costs under $30. The good thing about this guide is that ASA updates it for any rules and regulations often. In fact, they publish a new guide almost every year. The textbook has a solid material coverage. They also have many practice questions in the book with explanations. If a question uses charts from the Airman Knowledge Testing Supplement, the guide has them too.

The Airman Knowledge Testing Supplement has various illustrations and sectional charts. You will need to look at it to answer your FAA part 107 exam questions. In fact, with the ASA textbook, you may not even need it. In case you still need it, the FAA has Airman Knowledge Testing Supplement also available in PDF version for free. Or, you can purchase it on Amazon below.

The best part about the ASA Part 107 test study guide is that it comes with access to online practice exams. You can test yourself with many questions and see how you score. The online prepware also explains correct and wrong answers for each question. That was the best part when I was studying. Either way, this is what I personally used to study for my FAA part 107 exam. It worked for me and many others.

Method #3: FAA Part 107 Exam Course

Now, as I mentioned the ASA study guide I used costs under $30. It is very effective at preparing you for the exam. But, as with any other textbook, it is not perfect. Sometimes I found their material explanation too short for a good grasp of concepts. That was, I guess, the most frustrating thing for me as I was studying.

Often, I had to dig on the internet and look up FAA guides and other resources. That’s why out of my sheer frustrations I made many YouTube Part 107 exam tutorials. There, I cover a lot of confusing or hard to understand material with practice questions.

And all this leads me to the third best way to prepare for the exam. And, that’s an online course. The main drawback is that they cost extra. Some companies offer them for as much as $300 or more.

Even though I did not go with this option, I can see why it has a lot of value. For one, they deliver material in the video format. Not everyone is good at sitting tight and reading a textbook. On top of it, FAA Part 107 exam online courses are well-structured. You won’t have to waste your time on concepts that you don’t need to know.  

If I had to recommend a part 107 exam course, it would be the Pilot Institute’s Part 107 Made Easy. They are the best, hands down. 99.8% of their students pass the exam on the first try. If anyone fails for some reason, the Pilot Institute will give you a full refund and even $175 extra. That’s right. This is how they are so sure that you will pass the exam. The course also comes with quizzes and part 107 practice exams. That’s a very good value.

Part 107 Made Easy Course

• 15 hours of video instruction
• 99.8% of students pass
• Unlimited practice exams
• 20 quizzes with 300+ questions
• Guaranteed to pass the test
• Or you’ll get $175 plus a full refund
• Use “BFILMS” code for $100 OFF

Part 107 Exam Course

If you decide to go with Pilot Institute, use our link above Also, this FAA part 107 course is often on sale. If it is not, use our coupon code “BFILMS” for $100 off.

Study Time and Topics For Your FAA Part 107 Exam

When I was studying for my exam with the ASA study guide, I probably spent around 30 hours in total for the exam. But, if I used the Pilot Institute course, it is possible it could have been less than that.  

Here is a primer on the part 107 exam. You must be 16 years or older. Registration for the exam is easy. You first get a special FAA Tracking Number (FTN). Then, you can schedule your Part 107 test via special testing centers. The test costs $175. 

The exam consists of 60 multiple-choice questions. You will have 2 hours to complete them. It took me around 50 minutes to answer everything and check my choices. The passing score is 70% or 42 questions. You will know your result immediately after completing the test.  

The exam consists of five topics. They are:

1. Regulations
2. Airspace and Requirements
3. Weather
4. Loading and Performance
5. Operations

I would say the most challenging topics for me were Airspace and Weather. I spent a lot of time sifting through sectional charts. There were many concepts that looked similar to me. So, I had to come up with my own ways to tell them apart. My YouTube Part 107 exam tutorials go over some of that challenging material.

FAA Part 107 Exam Takeaway

There are really three main ways to study for your FAA Part 107 test. They can be free or cost some money. I would say an online Part 107 exam course is probably the most time-effective study method. But, they cost a bit of money.

Conversely, we have lots of free resources scattered around on internet. You will have to create structure for your studying and somehow test your knowledge. It is totally doable with free resources. It just requires a bit of extra effort.

And, there are FAA Part 107 exam textbooks. They take a middle ground between free resources and online courses. The ASA study guide I used will give you access to practice exams and solid explanation of material. The book has lots of in-book questions to test your knowledge too.

I wish you best of luck to pass your FAA Part 107 exam on your first try regardless of what method you choose. I may sound like a nerd, but I did enjoy studying for my part 107 exam. There are reasons why the FAA wants you to learn these concepts. They will make you more confident and avoid accidents when operating your drone.

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