Test prep
The Part 107 ACS: knowledge areas, codes and how to use your missed items
The Remote Pilot Small UAS Airman Certification Standards (FAA-S-ACS-10B, April 2021) list five areas of operation and 17 tasks that define what the UAG knowledge test can ask. The report you get after testing lists an ACS code for each question you missed, and each code points to the exact knowledge element to restudy.
What is the Part 107 ACS and which edition is current?
The ACS is the FAA document that says what a remote pilot applicant must know. The FAA's ACS page lists Remote Pilot, Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (FAA-S-ACS-10B), April 2021, effective April 6, 2021, and the document itself notes that it covers the certificate with a small UAS rating issued under 14 CFR 107.65. The testing vendor's bulletin for the UAG exam uses the same area codes (UA.I through UA.V), so the 10B edition is what the exam maps to. The FAA revises the ACS as circumstances require, so check the FAA page for a newer edition before you rely on a printout.
The document is a knowledge standard, not a textbook. It names topics and points to references (the CFR, the AIM, the Pilot's Handbook, the FAA study guide) but does not teach them. Read it as a checklist of what to learn and where to read it.
Sources (checked 2026-11-14): FAA Airman Certification Standards page; FAA Remote Pilot ACS (FAA-S-ACS-10B, April 2021); PSI UAG Information Bulletin (effective 29 Sep 2025).
How is the ACS organized?
There are five areas of operation, each split into tasks. Each task lists knowledge elements, and each element has a code. Counting top-level elements (not the lettered sub-items) gives 131 in all, and nearly half of them sit in Area I.
| Area | Tasks | Top-level elements |
|---|---|---|
| UA.I Regulations | A General; B Operating Rules; C Remote Pilot Certification; D Waivers; E Operations Over People; F Remote Identification | 65 (A 8, B 28, C 4, D 1, E 17, F 7) |
| UA.II Airspace Classification and Operating Requirements | A Airspace Classification; B Airspace Operational Requirements | 14 (A 4, B 10) |
| UA.III Weather | A Sources of Weather; B Effects of Weather on Performance | 6 (A 5, B 1, with 11 lettered sub-items) |
| UA.IV Loading and Performance | A Loading and Performance | 2 |
| UA.V Operations | A Radio Communications; B Airport Operations; C Emergency Procedures; D Aeronautical Decision-Making; E Physiology; F Maintenance and Inspection | 44 (A 8, B 8, C 7, D 5, E 9, F 7) |
Every task carries a short list of references. Area I points to 14 CFR parts 47, 48, 89 and 107, AC 107-2, FAA-H-8083-25 and FAA-G-8082-22. Area II adds 14 CFR part 71, the AIM and SAFO 10015 (flying in the wire environment). Emergency procedures adds SAFOs 09013, 10017 and 15010, which cover lithium battery fires and transport. Each task also states "Risk Management: [Reserved]" and "Skills: [Not Applicable]", because the knowledge test only tests knowledge.
Sources (checked 2026-11-14): FAA Remote Pilot ACS (FAA-S-ACS-10B, April 2021).
How much of the test does each area carry?
The PSI information bulletin for the UAG exam (effective 29 September 2025) gives the share of scored items per area. The exam has 60 scored questions plus 5 unscored validation questions, 120 minutes, and a passing score of 70 percent, which is 42 correct answers out of 60.
| ACS area | Share of items | About how many of 60 |
|---|---|---|
| UA.I Regulations | 48% | 29 |
| UA.II Airspace Classification and Operating Requirements | 20% | 12 |
| UA.III Weather | 5% | 3 |
| UA.IV Loading and Performance | 2% | 1 |
| UA.V Operations | 25% | 15 |
The bulletin says these percentages come from an industry-wide job task analysis completed in 2025. The ACS itself prints older ranges in its appendix (for example 15 to 25 percent for Regulations and 11 to 16 percent for Weather). Those ranges do not match the newer bulletin, so plan your time from the bulletin and treat the ACS appendix as historical. The "about how many of 60" column is our arithmetic on the percentages; a single exam can differ by a question or two.
Study consequence: Area I and Area V together are 73 percent of the items. Weather and loading together are 7 percent, but they are small enough to learn in a few sittings.
Sources (checked 2026-11-14): PSI UAG Information Bulletin (effective 29 Sep 2025); FAA Remote Pilot ACS (FAA-S-ACS-10B, April 2021).
How do ACS codes work?
A code has four parts. The ACS uses UA.I.B.K10 as its own example:
| Part | Meaning | In the example |
|---|---|---|
| UA | The ACS (Unmanned Aircraft Systems) | UA |
| I | Area of operation | Regulations |
| B | Task | Operating Rules |
| K10 | Knowledge element | Visual line of sight (VLOS) aircraft operations |
At the end of the test you receive an Airman Knowledge Test Report (AKTR). Per the ACS, it lists your name, the test date, the type of test, a unique test identification number, your score, and the ACS codes for questions you answered incorrectly. Keep the report: you need its exam ID for the certificate application, and a failed report goes back to the test center before a retest.
The FAA's October 2026 testing advisory says 33 of the 91 FAA airman knowledge tests now show ACS codes on the report. The ACS and the PSI bulletin both describe the UAG report this way, so read your own report for the exact layout.
Sources (checked 2026-11-14): FAA Remote Pilot ACS (FAA-S-ACS-10B, April 2021); FAA Airman Testing Community Advisory, October 2026.
How do I use my missed codes to study?
- List every code on the report. Write the area, task and element text next to each one by looking it up in the ACS.
- Open the references on that task page. They tell you which CFR section, AIM paragraph or handbook chapter covers the element.
- Read the rule itself, then practice 5 to 10 original questions on the same element until you can explain each answer from the source, not from memory of the question.
- Group the codes. Three misses inside UA.I.B (operating rules) point to a rules gap. One miss in each of five different tasks suggests a general pass over the weighted areas instead.
- If you failed, remember the 14-day wait before a retest, and bring the failed report to the test center.
Worked example
Reading three missed codes
Say a report lists UA.II.B.K10, UA.I.B.K21d and UA.V.F.K6. Looking them up in the ACS:
| Code | Element | Where to study |
|---|---|---|
| UA.II.B.K10 | sUAS lighting requirements | 14 CFR 107.29: anti-collision lights visible for at least 3 statute miles during civil twilight and at night. See night operations. |
| UA.I.B.K21d | Cloud clearance requirements | 14 CFR 107.51(d): 500 ft below and 2,000 ft horizontally from clouds. See operating rules. |
| UA.V.F.K6 | Preflight inspection for night operations | 14 CFR 107.49 and the night-operation items in the study guide. See preflight and maintenance. |
Three codes, three rule sections, one evening of focused reading. The report tells you what to reread; it does not show you the question you missed, so verify your understanding with fresh questions.
Sources (checked 2026-11-14): FAA Remote Pilot ACS (FAA-S-ACS-10B, April 2021); 14 CFR 107.29 (eCFR); 14 CFR 107.51 (eCFR).
Which ACS elements are easy to underestimate?
The 2021 update added knowledge elements that older study material may skip. The ACS change table lists new elements in Area I (multiple category sUAS, record retention, previously manufactured sUAS, automated operations, civil twilight, night operations, transportation of property, the ATC transponder and ADS-B Out prohibitions), all of Task E (Operations Over People) and Task F (Remote Identification), new airspace elements about night equipment and lighting (UA.II.B.K6 to K10), and added items in airport operations, emergency procedures, physiology and maintenance. If your course material dates from before 2021, compare its table of contents with the ACS tasks and fill the gaps.
Elements also hide detail in the sub-items. UA.II.B.K4, for example, groups seven hazards: common accident causes, unmanned balloons, emergency airborne inspection of other aircraft, precipitation static, lasers, thermal plumes such as smoke stacks and cooling towers, and flying in the wire environment. UA.III.B.K1 groups eleven weather factors from density altitude to lightning.
Sources (checked 2026-11-14): FAA Remote Pilot ACS (FAA-S-ACS-10B, April 2021).
Can I use the ACS as a study checklist?
Yes. A practical way is to copy the 17 task titles into a table and mark each one red, yellow or green after you answer practice questions on it. A task is green when you can answer questions on every element without notes and can name the source. The two-week plan assigns tasks to days, and the four-week plan spreads them out.
The FAA also posts a "Frequently Missed Knowledge Test ACS Codes" report. The advisory says it is built from the FAA's Safety Performance and Analysis System data, covers codes administered at least 100 times, and lists codes missed more than 70 percent of the time on specific tests. Look for it on the FAA's testing pages if you want the agency's own view. We do not quote figures from it here.
Sources (checked 2026-11-14): FAA Airman Testing Community Advisory, October 2026; FAA Remote Pilot ACS (FAA-S-ACS-10B, April 2021).
Does the ACS tell me what the questions look like?
No. The ACS names knowledge, not question wording, and the FAA does not publish active test questions. PSI offers a free sample test (via the Exam Resources link at faa.psiexams.com, in the Unmanned Aircraft Systems category) so you can see the format. Questions in Sectional Cue are original and tied to the same elements, with the source for every answer shown after you answer.
Sources (checked 2026-11-14): PSI UAG Information Bulletin (effective 29 Sep 2025).
Free practice questions on this topic
3 original questions from the Sectional Cue bank. Try each one, then open the answer.
Registration eligibility
1. A 12-year-old owns a drone that must be registered. Who may register it?
- A person who is at least 13 years old
- The 12-year-old, using a parent's email address
- Only a person holding a remote pilot certificate
Show answer and explanation
A. A person who is at least 13 years old
Under 14 CFR 48.25(b), an owner younger than 13 cannot register the aircraft; it must be registered by a person who is at least 13. Using a parent's email does not change the owner's age. Registration has nothing to do with holding a remote pilot certificate.
Source: 14 CFR 48.25(b)
Crew briefing
2. Before flight, which people must the remote pilot in command make sure are informed about emergency procedures, roles and potential hazards?
- Every person within 500 feet of the takeoff point
- All persons directly participating in the operation
- The nearest air traffic control facility, by phone before launch
Show answer and explanation
B. All persons directly participating in the operation
Section 107.49(b) requires the remote pilot in command to ensure all persons directly participating are informed about operating conditions, emergency and contingency procedures, roles and responsibilities, and potential hazards. Nothing requires briefing everyone within 500 feet. Air traffic control is not a crew member to be briefed.
Source: 14 CFR 107.49(b)
Foreign civil aircraft definition
3. Which aircraft counts as a foreign civil aircraft under the definition in AC 107-2A?
- A US-registered drone owned and operated by people who are neither US citizens nor permanent residents
- A drone owned by a US citizen and flown on a vacation abroad
- Any drone that was manufactured outside the United States
Show answer and explanation
A. A US-registered drone owned and operated by people who are neither US citizens nor permanent residents
AC 107-2A defines foreign civil aircraft as an aircraft of foreign registry not in a foreign armed force, or a US-registered aircraft owned, controlled or operated by persons who are not US citizens or permanent residents. Flying abroad does not change a US citizen's aircraft status. Country of manufacture does not matter.
Source: AC 107-2A, para 5.4.1
Related guides
- A two-week Part 107 study plan, day by day
- How to study for the Part 107 test
- The FAA testing supplement for Part 107: figures, legends and the October 2026 change
- Free Part 107 practice questions
- All Part 107 guides
Study the charts on your phone
Sectional Cue has 1150+ original questions with explanations, 27 FAA figures you can tap to read, and timed 60-question rehearsals. About 152 questions and three chart lessons are free.
Sources
- FAA Remote Pilot ACS (FAA-S-ACS-10B, April 2021), checked 2026-11-14
- FAA Airman Certification Standards page, checked 2026-11-14
- PSI UAG Information Bulletin (effective 29 Sep 2025), checked 2026-11-14
- FAA Airman Testing Community Advisory, October 2026, checked 2026-11-14
How this page was made: written by Certloom Learning from the sources above, with the rules checked against the current regulation text. Practice items are original questions from the app's reviewed bank. Spot an error? certloomlearning@gmail.com.