The Remote Pilot Certificate is for anyone who wants to fly a small drone under the FAA's commercial rules. You must be at least 16 and pass a knowledge test of 60 questions in 2 hours, with 70% needed to pass. This page gives you free practice sets for each topic, worked answers, and a short study plan built around the FAA's own facts.
The RPC has 60 questions, takes about 2 hours and costs $175[1][2] (Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), U.S. Department of Transportation, verified Oct 21, 2026).
Numbers in brackets link to the official sources listed under Sources & last verified. Dates that have passed are removed automatically.
According to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), U.S. Department of Transportation, “UAG Unmanned Aircraft General - Small 60 14 2.0 70”[1]
The FAA uses the initial aeronautical knowledge test, listed as Unmanned Aircraft General - Small, to check that a new remote pilot understands the rules, airspace, weather, loading and performance, and safe operations. Passing it is the main step toward the certificate.
Who can apply. You must be at least 16 years old, able to read, speak, write and understand English, and in a physical and mental condition to fly a drone safely.
Before you book. Create a profile in IACRA (Integrated Airman Certification and Rating Application) to get an FAA Tracking Number (FTN). You need it before you can register for the test. Testing runs year-round.
On test day. You sit the test in person at an FAA-approved Knowledge Testing Center and must bring a government-issued photo ID. There are 60 questions, the time limit is 2 hours, and the passing score is 70%. Testing centers charge about $175. The FAA calls this an approximate figure, so ask your center for its exact price when you book.
Results and retakes. You get your score report (an AKTR) as soon as you finish. If you fail, you must wait 14 calendar days before you can apply to test again.
Staying current. To keep using the certificate, you must finish the FAA's free online recurrent training every 24 calendar months. Before you book, check the latest steps on the FAA's Become a Drone Pilot page at faa.gov.
The content areas below are copied from the official RPC content outline published by Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), U.S. Department of Transportation. The right-hand column shows which of our practice sets covers it.
| Official content area | Practice on this site |
|---|---|
| Airspace & Requirements[6] | RPC National Airspace System Practise naming airspace classes on sectional charts and knowing when you need authorization before you fly. |
| Loading & Performance[6] | RPC sUAS Loading and Performance Work through how weight, balance, load factor and density altitude change how a small drone climbs, turns and handles. |
| Operations[6] | RPC Airport and Off-Site Operations Practise flying near airports, traffic patterns, radio phraseology, and the decisions a remote pilot in command makes before and during a flight. |
| Regulations[6] | RPC Part 107 Regulations Drill the operating limits, pilot responsibilities, waivers, and accident reporting rules until you can apply them to short scenarios. |
| Weather[6] | RPC Aviation Weather Services Practise decoding weather reports and charts, and spotting hazards such as wind shear, fog and turbulence that affect small aircraft. |
Prepare for the RPC - Remote Pilot Certificate exam with our free practice test modules. Each quiz covers key topics to help you pass on your first try.
These are practice questions written for this site, not questions from the real exam. Each explanation shows why the right answer is right and why the others are wrong.
Question: What does a red contour on a Graphical Turbulence Guidance (GTG) chart represent?
Answer: C. Severe turbulence — large abrupt changes in altitude or attitude
Explanation:
C is correct. On a Graphical Turbulence Guidance chart, red marks severe turbulence: large, abrupt changes in altitude or attitude, sometimes with a brief loss of control. A is wrong because light turbulence is shown in calmer colors and means only slight, irregular movement. B is wrong because moderate turbulence, which can shift loose objects, is a step below the red band. D is wrong because extreme turbulence is a separate, higher category, not what red stands for here. Rule to remember: GTG colors get warmer as intensity rises, and red is the severe band. For a lightweight drone, any forecast of moderate or worse turbulence on your route is a strong reason to delay or cancel the flight.
Question: Which of the following weather phenomena is characterized by a rapid change in wind speed and/or direction over a short distance and can pose a significant hazard to sUAS operations?
Answer: C. Wind Shear
Explanation:
C is correct. Wind shear is a sudden change in wind speed or direction over a short distance, either horizontally or vertically. A small drone can lose lift or get pushed off course without warning. A is wrong because a temperature inversion is a layer where air warms with height. It can trap haze and hide wind shear at its edge, but it is not the shear itself. B is wrong because high density altitude cuts propeller and motor performance; it is not a change in wind. D is wrong because advection fog forms when moist air moves over a cooler surface, which is a visibility problem. Rule to remember: if a question describes wind changing quickly over a short distance, the answer is wind shear.
Question: Which of the following events involving a small unmanned aircraft would require the Remote Pilot in Command to file an accident report with the FAA?
Answer: C. The sUAS collides with a building, causing $750 in damage to a window.
Explanation:
C is correct. A report is required when an accident causes serious injury, or when damage to property other than the drone costs more than $500 to repair or replace. A $750 window is above that threshold. A is wrong because the $600 of damage is to the drone itself, and damage to the aircraft alone never triggers a report, however expensive. B is wrong because losing GPS and landing under control 500 feet away harmed no person and no property. D is wrong because the $200 of damage to the tree is below the threshold, and the scratches are to the drone. Rule to remember: first ask whether anyone was seriously injured, then ask whether the damage to anything other than the drone is above $500. Leave the drone's own damage out of the total.
Start with a baseline. Take the general practice test without notes. Sort what you missed by the official areas: Regulations, Airspace & Requirements, Weather, Loading & Performance, and Operations.
Work topic by topic. Start with your weakest area. For rules, use Part 107 Regulations. For airspace, pair National Airspace System with Aeronautical Charts. Chart questions show up often, so practise with an actual sectional chart in front of you. For weather, combine Aviation Weather Services with Weather & Micrometeorology.
Read every explanation. Read the explanation for every question, not just the ones you got wrong. A correct guess can hide a gap. Write each rule you missed in a short notebook and review it every few days.
Check against official material. Our questions are practice, not real exam items. Confirm what you learn in the FAA's own study guides and the Part 107 regulation text.
Simulate test day. Before your appointment, sit a mixed set under a 2-hour limit and aim well above 70%. Then make sure your FAA Tracking Number is ready and pack a government-issued photo ID.
The initial test (Unmanned Aircraft General - Small) has 60 questions. You have 2 hours to finish, and the passing score is 70%. You take it in person at an FAA-approved Knowledge Testing Center. The FAA's testing matrix on faa.gov lists these figures.
Knowledge Testing Centers charge about $175 for the initial test. The FAA calls this an approximate figure, so the exact price can differ from center to center. Ask the testing center for its price when you schedule your appointment.
Create a profile in IACRA to get an FAA Tracking Number (FTN). You need it before you can register for the knowledge test. You must also be at least 16, able to read, speak, write and understand English, and fit to fly a drone safely. Bring a government-issued photo ID on test day.
You must wait 14 calendar days after failing before you can apply to take the test again. Your score report (AKTR) shows the knowledge areas where you lost points. Use that time to practise those areas with the matching question sets on this page and the FAA's study material.
Right away. The testing center gives you your score report, called an Airman Knowledge Test Report (AKTR), as soon as you finish. Keep it safe, because you will need it for the next steps of your certificate application.
To keep using it, you must finish the FAA's free online recurrent training every 24 calendar months. Under the rules, you cannot act as remote pilot in command unless you have kept your knowledge current within the previous 24 calendar months.
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