If you've been putting off your Remote Pilot certificate or you're considering a 2026 retest, the rules of engagement have shifted slightly. The core test — 60 multiple-choice questions, 70% to pass, 2-hour time limit at a PSI testing center — is structurally the same. But the FAA's question bank, the Remote Pilot ACS, and the broader regulatory environment around BVLOS and Remote ID enforcement have all moved. Here's what serious applicants need to know going into 2026.
What the Part 107 test actually is
The Unmanned Aircraft General – Small (UAG) knowledge test is the FAA's gate for FAR 107.65 — Aeronautical knowledge requirements for the Remote Pilot Certificate. You take it once at a PSI/LaserGrade testing center, pass with 70% or higher, and use the score report (IACRA-attached) to apply for your certificate.
- Questions: 60 multiple-choice
- Time limit: 2 hours
- Passing score: 70% (you can miss 18)
- Cost: ~$175 (set by PSI; verify at your local center)
- Eligibility: 16+, English proficient, physically/mentally fit per FAR 107.17
- Validity: Knowledge test report is good for 24 calendar months for certificate application
What changed for 2026
Nothing in the statute changed the core test format. What did shift is the FAA's emphasis inside the question bank and the surrounding ecosystem you'll be tested on conceptually.
1. Remote ID is now baseline knowledge, not a footnote
The Remote ID rule (FAR Part 89) hit full enforcement in March 2024, and by 2026 every operational test question that touches identification, broadcast requirements, or FRIA (FAA-Recognized Identification Areas) assumes you understand it cold. Expect questions on:
- Standard Remote ID vs. broadcast modules vs. FRIA-only operations
- What information is broadcast (serial number/session ID, lat/lon/altitude, control station location, time mark, emergency status)
- When operating without Remote ID is permissible
2. Updated ACS (Airman Certification Standards)
The Remote Pilot – Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems ACS (FAA-S-ACS-10) is the authoritative blueprint for what the test covers. The FAA has incrementally revised it; the 2026 version places noticeably heavier weight on:
- Operations over people and moving vehicles (Categories 1–4 under FAR 107.140)
- Night operations without a waiver (lighting requirements per FAR 107.29)
- Recurrent training crossover — knowing what triggers it and what it covers
3. Recurrent training is online and free — but the rules are tested
Under FAR 107.65 and FAA guidance, you no longer take a recurrent knowledge test at a PSI center. Instead, you complete the free online recurrent training course (ALC-677 on FAASafety.gov) every 24 calendar months. The 2026 test bank includes scenario questions about when recurrent is due and what happens if you let it lapse.
4. Heavier weather and airspace integration questions
Applicants consistently underperform on sectional chart reading and METAR/TAF decoding. The 2026 question pool reflects that — expect more chart-symbol identification, more density-altitude reasoning, and more questions on Class E surface extensions and shelf altitudes around Class B/C.
Test topic breakdown (2026)
The FAA doesn't publish exact percentages, but based on the current ACS and post-2024 candidate reports, the rough distribution is:
| Topic Area | Approx. Weight | Hot Items for 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Regulations (Part 107, 89, 48) | 15–25% | Remote ID, waivers, registration |
| Airspace classification & requirements | 15–25% | LAANC, Class E surface areas, special use |
| Weather sources & effects | 11–16% | METAR, TAF, density altitude |
| Loading & performance | 7–11% | CG, battery effects, wind |
| Operations | 35–45% | Ops over people, night, CRM, emergencies |
If you can hit 80%+ on full-length practice tests across all five buckets, you're test-ready.
How to study (a real plan, not a checklist)
Step 1: Read the source documents once
Most applicants skip this and pay for it. Read, in order:
- 14 CFR Part 107 end-to-end — it's about 30 pages
- Remote Pilot ACS (FAA-S-ACS-10) — this is the test outline
- AC 107-2A — the FAA's own study guide
- Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge, chapters on weather, airspace, aeronautical decision-making
Budget 6–10 hours total. You won't memorize it, but you'll know where things live.
Step 2: Drill the question bank
This is where most prep courses earn their fee. The key isn't volume — it's explanation quality. A question you got right by guessing is a question you'll miss on test day. Drill until you can explain why the wrong answers are wrong.
Step 3: Sectional charts until they're boring
Pull a real sectional (Phoenix, LA, NY — somewhere with complex airspace) and identify every symbol, every altitude annotation, every special-use airspace boundary. About 20% of your test score lives here.
Step 4: Take 3+ full-length 60-question timed practice tests
Under real test conditions: 2-hour timer, no notes, no breaks. If you're scoring 85%+ consistently, schedule the test.
Costs and timeline
| Item | Cost | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Knowledge test (PSI) | ~$175 | 2 hours |
| Self-study materials | $0–$300 | 20–40 hours |
| IACRA application + TSA vetting | Free | 1–6 weeks |
| Total to certificate | ~$175–$475 | 4–8 weeks typical |
What happens after you pass
- Log into IACRA, complete FAA Form 8710-13
- TSA security background check runs automatically
- Temporary certificate emailed within ~10 business days
- Permanent plastic card by mail in 6–8 weeks
- Register your aircraft (if 0.55+ lbs) per FAR Part 48 — $5, valid 3 years
- Comply with Remote ID before flying
Don't forget: under FAR 107.57, you must make your certificate, identification, and aircraft registration available to the FAA, NTSB, or law enforcement upon request. And under FAR 107.51, you're responsible for the operating limitations: 400 ft AGL max, 100 mph max groundspeed, 3 SM visibility, 500 ft below / 2,000 ft horizontal from clouds.
Common 2026 test traps
- "When does recurrent training expire?" — 24 calendar months from completion, not from your initial test date once you've done recurrent once.
- Operations over people categories — know the four categories and the weight/injury thresholds for each. This is the #1 area where 2025–2026 candidates lose points.
- LAANC vs. DroneZone vs. waiver — different authorization paths for different scenarios. Know which applies to controlled airspace at altitude vs. surface, and which applies to ops over people.
- Night ops without a waiver require anti-collision lighting visible for 3 statute miles — easy to confuse with the daytime visibility minimum, which is also 3 SM.
- Density altitude questions where you must reason about hot/high/humid effect on small UAS performance — battery-powered aircraft are still affected because thinner air = less lift.
How GroundScholar helps with this
GroundScholar's Part 107 prep is built around the actual 2026 ACS and the live FAR/AIM. Every question explanation cites the regulation it tests, and every cite is verified against the current text — not a 2022 PDF. The adaptive drilling engine tracks which ACS task elements you're weak on (e.g., "III.B Effects of weather on small UAS performance") and pushes those harder while easing off topics you've mastered.
The oral exam simulator runs you through scenario-based questions the way a Part 91 examiner would — except for Part 107, that means realistic mission-planning prompts: "You've been hired to inspect a roof in a Class D surface area at twilight, 700 ft from a daycare. Walk me through your authorization and operational planning." If you can answer that cleanly, the 60-question test will feel small.
Bottom line
The 2026 Part 107 test isn't harder than the 2024 version — but it punishes outdated study material more than it used to. If your prep course was last updated before Remote ID enforcement, throw it out. Use current sources, drill the airspace and ops-over-people sections like your score depends on it (it does), and take real timed practice tests before you book.
Ready to study against the live regulations with an engine that knows what's actually on the 2026 test?