In order to sign up for the FAA’s Part 107 commercial drone exam, you will need to sign up for an IACRA account. Then you will need to contact PSI, which is the company that administers tests for the FAA, to actually sign up for the Part 107 exam.
What is an IACRA Account and Why Do I Need One?
The FAA uses a system to keep track of all United States licensed pilots. Because you are looking to take the Part 107 knowledge exam, you are trying to become a pilot and the FAA requires you to have an IACRA account so that your license and its current status is on file.
At the beginning of this year, the FAA started requiring all test takers to create a profile on their IACRA system and use your Federal Tracking Number in order to take the Part 107 exam. You can follow the steps below to get signed up for your IACRA account.
First, you will go to the IACRA website and register for an account. The link to register is circled in red below.
Next, you will see a screen that looks something like the one pictured below. You are going to want to create an account as an “applicant” so check that box and then agree to the terms of service to continue.
The next screen is pretty self explanatory and requires you to fill out your personal information, including your name, date of birth, etc as well as your account username and security questions.
Once you finish this page, you will want to click the “Register” button and this will complete your registration. Now, you can navigate back to the front page and login using your new credentials. Once you log back in, the first screen will show your “User Information” in the top left-hand corner. One of those pieces of information will be your FTN, which is required to sign up for the Part 107 exam. Copy this number down and keep it for when you sign up for the Part 107 exam.
How Do I Sign Up to Take the Part 107 Exam?
PSI is the company that administers the Part 107 exam for the FAA. Their website is:
https://faa.psiexams.com/faa/login
Like I mentioned above, if you navigate to PSI’s website, you will notice that signing up for the Part 107 exam requires you to have an FAA Tracking Number (FTN). Once you have this, you can go ahead and sign up on their website via the link above.
Signing up for your account with PSI is pretty simple (although their password requirements are a bit insane). Once your account is created, you will need to select which test you are taking. The list includes all types of knowledge exams, as PSI administers tests for all FAA exams. But you will either be looking for “Unmanned Aircraft General – Small (UAG)” or “Unmanned General – Recurrent (UGR).” The first one is for those people taking the Part 107 exam for the first time. The second option is for drone pilots that are already licensed but need to take their “recurrent” exam.
Make sure you are signing up for the correct test, depending on what you need, because PSI’s website is VERY clear that they won’t give you a refund for signing up for the wrong test. If you aren’t sure which one your should be taking, you can call PSI. Which leads me to my next point.
You can also sign up for the Part 107 exam over the phone if you feel more comfortable doing that. PSI’s phone number is (844) 704-1487.
How Much Does the Part 107 Exam Cost?
The exam typically costs $150, all of which goes to the testing center. But when I logged in to PSI’s website, it looks like some testing centers charge a $96 “exam fee” as well as a “convenience fee” of $64.
But some of the locations only charge the $96 exam fee.
I’m not sure what makes some locations “convenient” enough to charge a fee for it, but I guess if you have a choice, go for the cheaper one.
Where Do I Actually Take the Part 107 Exam?
The FAA used to have this really nice map that allowed you to search for a testing center based on your zip code. You’d put in your zip code and it would populate the map with all of the closest testing centers.
Since they switched to PSI to administer the tests, the link on the FAA’s website takes you directly to PSI’s website, which does not provide a convenient map until you are most of the way through signing up for the exam. But, once you’ve selected the type of test you will be taking, you are able to put in your zip code and get a list of the closest testing centers and choose the time and date that works best for you. When I logged in to PSI’s website, each location had a number of times and dates available.
What Will I Need to Take the Exam?
You basically aren’t allowed to take anything into the exam with you. The last time I took this Part 107 recurrent exam, I had to give them my cell phone and keys, which were kept at the front desk while I took my test.
One thing you will need is an ID. If you are a U.S. Citizen or a resident alien, make sure it is valid, current and includes your picture, date of birth, signature and residential address. If you are a foreign applicant, you will need a valid passport and a second form of government-issued photo ID.
What Should I Study for the Part 107 Exam?
The Part 107 exam is not exactly a cakewalk (I don’t really know what a cakewalk is, but I’ve always heard its easy and it sounds fantastic). In fact, if you don’t have an aviation background, taking the Part 107 exam can be kind of hard. It covers things like drone regulations, airspace, airports, radio communications, latitude and longitude, reading sectional charts, weather and loading and performance.
I know that’s a long list, but the good news is that I’ve put together the Ultimate Part 107 Study Guide for you and its FREE. It even includes a free practice exam. So although the list of things to study is long, you don’t have to stress about how you will learn it. We’ve got you covered.