FAA Adds 5 Beta Questions to Part 107 Test What Drone Pilots Need to Know
- By Sean Strange
- Aug 1
- 8 min read
The Part 107 knowledge test is no longer just the familiar 60-question exam many drone pilots have studied for. The FAA has added 5 beta questions to the test, bringing the total number of questions shown to applicants to 65.
For new commercial drone pilots, that change can sound bigger than it is. The core exam has not turned into a different test overnight. The main topics remain the same, the passing standard still centers on knowing the rules of safe small UAS operations, and serious preparation still matters.
The key point is simple: the added questions are beta questions. They are used to evaluate future test content, not to surprise applicants with a new certification standard.
What changed on the Part 107 test
The traditional FAA Part 107 initial knowledge test has long been known as a 60-question multiple-choice exam. It covers the knowledge areas remote pilots need to operate small unmanned aircraft safely under 14 CFR Part 107.
The FAA has now added 5 beta questions to that test. That means test takers may see 65 total questions on screen instead of 60.
These extra questions are not there because the FAA suddenly added a new license level or created a hidden advanced section. Beta questions are commonly used in testing programs to evaluate whether new questions are clear, fair, and useful before they become scored items in the future.
In plain language, the FAA is testing the questions before the questions officially test applicants.
That matters because a well-built knowledge test needs ongoing updates. Drone operations keep changing. Remote ID, airspace authorization systems, newer aircraft capabilities, public safety uses, automated flight planning, and waiver-related operations have all shaped how remote pilots think about risk.
The FAA needs a way to test new wording and new question formats without immediately making them count against applicants. Beta questions help with that.
What beta questions mean for test takers
A beta question, sometimes called a pretest question, is a trial question placed into a real exam. The testing authority reviews how applicants respond to it. If the question works well, it may later become part of the scored question bank. If it causes confusion or does not measure the intended knowledge area, it can be revised or removed.
For a Part 107 applicant, this means a few practical things:
The test may feel slightly longer because there are more questions on screen.
Some questions may feel unfamiliar or worded differently than practice tests.
The core study areas still matter most.
A confusing question should not derail the whole exam.
The best way to approach the new format is to treat every question seriously, but not emotionally. Read the question, identify what it is really asking, eliminate wrong answers, and move on.
The added questions should not change how a prepared applicant thinks about the exam. A strong score still comes from knowing aviation weather, airspace, charts, regulations, loading, emergency procedures, radio communication, crew resource management, and decision-making.
The main Part 107 test facts still matter
The added beta questions do not erase the basics. Anyone preparing for the initial Remote Pilot Certificate should still understand the structure of the test and the standard expected by the FAA.
Test item | What to know |
Certificate | Remote Pilot Certificate with a small UAS rating |
Regulation | 14 CFR Part 107 |
Test type | Multiple-choice aeronautical knowledge test |
Traditional scored test length | 60 questions |
Added beta questions | 5 questions |
Total questions shown | 65 questions |
Passing score | 70 percent |
Testing method | FAA-approved knowledge testing center |
A 70 percent passing score means applicants need to answer enough scored questions correctly to show basic command of safe operations. The goal is not perfection. The goal is competence.
That said, aiming for the minimum is a weak strategy. Practice tests can create a false sense of comfort if they reward memorization more than understanding. The real exam often tests judgment through scenarios.
A question may not ask, “What is Class B airspace?” It may place a drone near an airport, give a location on a sectional chart, and ask what authorization is needed. That requires more than a definition.
Why the FAA uses beta questions
Aviation testing has to balance two needs. It must stay current, and it must stay fair.
Drone rules and operations do not stand still. The early Part 107 environment focused heavily on the basics of small UAS operations, visual line of sight, daylight operations, airspace, and safe decision-making. Those topics still matter, but the world around them has grown.
Remote pilots now deal with more common LAANC authorization requests, Remote ID requirements, more complex job sites, heavier use of drones in emergency response, and more advanced aircraft systems. Even basic operators run into modern questions that did not feel as common a few years ago.
Beta questions let the FAA measure whether new test items work in real exam conditions. A question may look clear when written by a subject matter expert, but real test results may show that applicants interpret it in an unexpected way.
The FAA can use performance data to ask useful questions:
Did well-prepared applicants answer it correctly?
Did the wording create confusion?
Did the question test knowledge or just trick people?
Did one answer choice seem unclear?
Did the question match the FAA’s intended learning objective?
This process helps keep the FAA Adds 5 Beta Questions to Part 107 Test What Drone Pilots Need to Know update from becoming a guessing game. The goal is better test quality over time.
What topics could appear in beta questions
The FAA does not need to announce every beta question topic in advance. That would defeat the purpose of testing new questions. Still, applicants can make smart guesses about the kinds of knowledge areas that may receive fresh wording.
A beta question could involve any normal Part 107 subject area. It may cover old material in a new way rather than introduce a brand-new topic.
Likely areas include:
Airspace classification and operating limits
LAANC and controlled airspace authorization
Remote ID concepts
Weather interpretation and risk
Sectional chart symbols
Crew roles and communication
Night operations
Operation over people or moving vehicles
Emergency procedures
Maintenance and preflight inspection
Aeronautical decision-making
The right response is not to chase rumors about specific questions. It is better to study the FAA’s published knowledge areas and learn how to apply them.
For example, knowing that a small unmanned aircraft must yield right of way to all other aircraft is useful. Knowing what that means when a medical helicopter enters the area during a mapping job is better.
That is the level of understanding the test is designed to encourage.
How to adjust your study plan
The change from 60 to 65 questions should not force a complete study reset. It should encourage a slightly more careful approach.
A good study plan should focus on understanding, not just answer patterns. Many applicants can memorize a practice bank and still struggle when a question uses different wording. Beta questions make that weakness more obvious.
Use this approach when preparing.
Study the FAA source material first
Start with FAA materials and official knowledge areas. Study guides, online courses, and practice exams are helpful, but they should support the source material rather than replace it.
Pay close attention to:
Part 107 operating rules
Airspace and airport operations
Aviation weather sources
Loading and performance
Emergency procedures
Crew resource management
Radio communication basics
Sectional chart interpretation
The test rewards applicants who can connect these topics. Airspace affects authorization. Weather affects performance. Crew communication affects safety. Poor planning affects everything.
Practice with scenarios
Scenario-style questions are the best preparation for unfamiliar wording.
Instead of asking, “Can I fly here?” build a full situation:
A drone pilot plans to photograph a construction site near an airport. The site is in controlled airspace. The forecast shows gusty winds. A visual observer is available. The operation must finish before sunset.
Now ask:
What authorization is needed?
What weather factor could affect the flight?
Who must maintain visual line of sight?
What should trigger a delay or cancellation?
What records should the pilot keep?
This style of practice builds flexible knowledge. That helps with regular scored questions and any beta questions that appear.
Do not overreact to odd wording
Some test questions feel awkward even when they are valid. Beta questions may feel especially unfamiliar because they are being evaluated.
If a question seems strange, slow down. Look for the subject, the condition, and the required action. Many missed questions come from reading too fast.
A useful method is:
Read the last sentence first to find what the question asks.
Review the scenario details.
Eliminate answers that violate a clear rule.
Choose the safest legal answer when judgment is involved.
Mark the question for review if the test system allows it.
Do not spend too long fighting one question. A calm pass through the whole exam helps more than obsessing over a single item.
What this means for instructors and prep courses
Training providers should adjust expectations, but they do not need to rebuild everything from scratch.
The biggest update is simple: students should know they may see 65 questions instead of 60. That prevents surprise at the testing center. Surprise can create stress, and stress can lead to careless mistakes.
Course material should also make room for newer operational topics where relevant. Remote ID, night operations, operations over people, and controlled airspace workflows deserve clear treatment. Those areas already matter outside the test, which makes them useful study targets even if they do not appear as beta questions.
Good instructors should avoid claiming to know the exact beta questions. That kind of promise is not reliable. Better training teaches students how to reason through any valid Part 107 question.
The best prep is still built around three skills:
Rule knowledge
Chart and airspace skill
Operational judgment
Knowing what Part 107 allows, limits, and requires
Reading locations, airspace, airports, and related restrictions
Making safe decisions when conditions change
When those skills are strong, five extra questions feel manageable.
What to expect on test day
A Part 107 applicant should arrive ready for the normal testing center process. Bring required identification, follow the testing center’s instructions, and avoid bringing prohibited items into the testing room.
The screen may show more questions than older study guides mention. That is the visible impact of the beta question change.
Do not let the number shake your confidence. If you prepared for the full range of Part 107 knowledge areas, the test is still testing the same kind of pilot thinking.
Before answering each question, watch for common traps:
Confusing controlled airspace with prohibited or restricted airspace
Missing altitude limits or distance references
Forgetting that the remote pilot in command is responsible for the operation
Reading weather reports too quickly
Mixing up what requires a waiver with what requires authorization
Choosing the answer that sounds convenient instead of the one that is legal and safe
The safest mindset is professional and steady. A remote pilot certificate is not just a card. It is a signal that the pilot can make sound decisions around people, property, aircraft, and airspace.
The bottom line for Part 107 applicants
The FAA’s addition of 5 beta questions is a meaningful test update, but it is not a reason to panic. The exam may now present 65 questions, while the long-standing 60-question scored structure remains the reference point applicants know.
The best response is practical:
Expect five extra questions.
Keep studying the core FAA knowledge areas.
Practice scenario-based decision-making.
Do not rely only on memorized practice answers.
Stay calm if a question feels unfamiliar.
For future remote pilots, this change is a reminder of what the Part 107 test is really about. Passing the exam is not just memorizing rules. It is learning how to recognize risk, follow airspace requirements, and make safe choices before the propellers spin.
Study for understanding, expect 65 questions, and treat every question as practice for the decisions that matter in the field.
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