Part 107 Test Changes on October 26, 2026: What’s New and How to Prepare for Chart Questions

If you’re studying for your Part 107 right now, the Part 107 test changes coming on October 26, 2026 belong on your calendar. Starting that day, the FAA Part 107 knowledge test (officially the Unmanned Aircraft General – Small, or UAG, exam behind your Remote Pilot Certificate) will include image-based questions pulled from current FAA sectional charts. These images aren’t in the printed testing supplement you’ve been practicing with.

The FAA announced these Part 107 test changes in its Airman Testing Community Advisory. Below we cover what the advisory says, what stays the same, how the test has been trending, and a three-week plan to get chart-ready, whether you test before the change or after.

What Part 107 test changes start on October 26, 2026

The FAA’s Testing Standards Section publishes the Airman Testing Community Advisory (ATCA) to announce changes to airman tests. The September 2026 Special Edition says that, beginning October 26, 2026, the Instrument Rating Airplane (IRA) and Unmanned Aircraft General – Small (UAG) tests “will include image-based questions not found in the test supplements.”

According to the FAA, the new images:

• Come from FAA VFR charts (sectionals) and IFR low altitude charts. Both UAG samples in the advisory use sectionals; the IFR samples are for the instrument test.
• Are meant to be “clearer, up-to-date images from the latest Sectional Charts” than the reproductions in the supplement.
• Can’t be previewed. Once an image is embedded in a live question, the FAA keeps it confidential to protect the exam.

There’s also a date wrinkle you may have seen online. The June 2026 advisory listed October 27. The August and September editions corrected it to October 26, 2026, so October 26 is the date to plan around.

This is part of a broader FAA effort called the Graphics Conversion Project, which embeds images directly in test questions so candidates don’t have to flip through a printed booklet. The UAG test is already on the FAA’s list of exams with embedded-image questions. What’s new on October 26 is that some of those images will come from current charts rather than from the supplement.

What the Part 107 test changes look like (and what stays the same)

The advisory includes two UAG sample questions. Both use cropped images from real sectionals: the Washington and Las Vegas charts, dated June 12 to August 7, 2025.

1. Airspace and authorization. Given a chart image around Millville Municipal (MIV), what type of airspace is it, and do you need ATC authorization to fly a small UA there? (The FAA’s answer: Class E associated with an airport surface area, and yes, authorization is required.)
2. Airport communications. If the Grand Canyon National Park Airport (GCN) control tower isn’t operating, which frequency do you use as the CTAF? (The FAA’s answer: 119.0.)

In other words, the Part 107 test changes don’t add new topics. Airspace classification and airport operations have always been on the test. The difference is the format. Instead of a familiar figure number from the supplement, you’ll be reading a fresh piece of a current chart you’ve probably never seen. If you memorized the supplement figures, that habit won’t carry over. But if you learned to read a chart, you’re fine.

What stays the same on the UAS Part 107 test

Here’s what doesn’t change, according to the FAA’s own documents:

• Test format. The UAG has 60 scored questions, a 2-hour (120-minute) time limit and a 70% passing score. You may also see up to 5 unscored validation questions, and the allotted time already accounts for them.
• Topic weighting. PSI’s UAG bulletin breaks the test down as Regulations 48%, Operations 25%, Airspace Classification and Operating Requirements 20%, Weather 5%, and Loading and Performance 2%.
• The printed supplement. The FAA says the date for removing testing supplements from test centers “has not yet been set,” that the public will get ample notice, and that candidates keep access to the supplement until then. You’ll still get the supplement on test day; some questions just won’t use it.
• Measuring tools. The FAA says applicants will have the tools needed for questions that require measurement, and that any significant new on-screen tools will be announced well in advance.
• Cost and logistics. You still schedule through PSI, which lists FAA knowledge test vouchers at $175 each (plus any applicable tax). Confirm the price when you book. If you fail, you can retest after a 14-day waiting period with no instructor endorsement.

The Part 107 test was already getting harder

Even before the chart change, FAA 107 test results were moving the wrong way. The FAA’s annual Airman Knowledge Test statistics show:

More people took the test in 2025, and a smaller share passed. An average score just under 80% isn’t much of a cushion above the 70% line. So the Part 107 test changes, which add unfamiliar chart images, won’t make things easier for anyone who prepared by memorizing.

At Drone U we treat sectional charts, controlled airspace and weather as the most challenging areas of the test, and the new format puts even more weight on charts. If you want the full list of traps, read our breakdown of the most common Part 107 test mistakes.

Should you take the test before or after October 26?

There’s no single right answer. However, with the Part 107 test changes only weeks away, here’s how we’d decide:

Test before October 26 if you’re already scoring consistently well on full-length practice tests and you can get a PSI appointment in time. You’ll take the test in its familiar form, and nothing about passing early puts you at a disadvantage.

Wait until after October 26 if you’re just starting out, or your chart reading is shaky. After all, three weeks isn’t long to go from zero to test-ready. Rushing into a $175 test to beat a date, then waiting 14 days to retest, is worse than taking the time to prepare properly.

Either way, the fix is the same: learn chart reading as a skill. Questions built on current chart images reward pilots who can find an airport, identify the airspace around it, pull the right frequency and spot the restrictions. That’s also what you’ll be doing for real when you plan a commercial job. Our Part 107 test prep course covers sectional charts, controlled airspace and weather in short video lessons, with quizzes that tell you when you’re ready.

A 3-week chart-reading study plan

Use this plan if you’re testing in the next month. It assumes you’ve already covered the basics of the regulations.

Week 1: Airspace on the chart

• Learn to identify Class B, C, D and E boundaries by their chart symbols, and Class G by what’s left. Our guide to airspace classes explains each one in drone-pilot terms.
• For every airspace class, answer one question: can I fly here under Part 107 without ATC authorization?
• Practice reading altitude labels (ceiling over floor) in the shelves around Class B and C airspace.

Week 2: Airports, frequencies and special-use airspace

• Decode an airport data block: name, identifier, tower frequency, CTAF, field elevation, and what changes when the tower is closed.
• Find prohibited, restricted, warning and alert areas and military operations areas (MOAs). Our podcast episode on reading sectional charts for MOAs and restricted airspace walks through real examples.
• Spot obstacles and their heights (MSL vs. AGL) and work out the clearance.

Week 3: Practice on charts you haven’t memorized

• Download a current sectional for a region you don’t know from the FAA’s free VFR charts page and quiz yourself on random airports. Sectionals are reissued regularly; note the 56-day validity range on the FAA’s own sample images.
• Take timed, full-length practice tests. Start with our free Part 107 practice test, and retake it under a timer until you’re scoring well above the 70% passing line.
• Review every miss by ACS area. Your test report lists ACS codes for missed topics, so it helps to get used to thinking in those terms.

The goal for Week 3 is simple: when you see a chart crop for the first time, you know where to look within a few seconds.

FAQ: Part 107 test changes

How many questions are on the Part 107 test?
The UAG test has 60 scored questions. You may also see up to 5 unscored validation questions. You get 2 hours (120 minutes), and you need 70% to pass. The October 26 change doesn’t alter any of that.

Is the Part 107 testing supplement going away on October 26?
No. The FAA says it hasn’t set a date to remove testing supplements from test centers, it will give ample notice before it does, and candidates keep access to the supplement until then. Some questions will just use embedded chart images instead.

Can I see the new chart questions ahead of time?
No. The FAA says images used in active test questions can’t be previewed. However, you can practice the same skills with our free Part 107 practice test.

Does the change affect Part 107 recurrent training?
The advisory covers the UAG knowledge test, not recurrent training. To keep your certificate current, you still complete the FAA’s free online Part 107 Small UAS Recurrent course (ALC-677) every 24 calendar months. Pilots with a current Part 61 flight review can take ALC-515 instead. Our Part 107 renewal guide walks through the process.

How much does the Part 107 test cost?
PSI, the FAA’s testing vendor, lists FAA knowledge test vouchers at $175 each, plus any applicable tax. Confirm the amount when you schedule. For a full picture of what it costs to get licensed, see our drone license cost breakdown. For every step from FAA Tracking Number to temporary certificate, read how to get your Part 107 license.

Get chart-ready with Drone U

In short, the Part 107 test changes reward pilots who understand charts instead of memorizing figures. That’s how we’ve always taught.

Want to see where you stand first? Take our free Part 107 practice test.

Enroll in Drone U’s Part 107 course for $147 (regularly $197). You get on-demand video lessons, FAA-aligned quizzes (score 90%+ and you’re ready), a downloadable study guide, access to the private Drone U community, lifetime access and a 14-day money-back guarantee. Whether your test date is before or after October 26, you’ll walk in knowing how to read the chart in front of you.

Want in-person Part 107 classes for your team?

Training a group of employees for an enterprise drone program? In that case, we also bring hands-on, in-person Part 107 and flight training to organizations, so your whole team can prepare for the Part 107 test changes together.

Explore our Enterprise Drone Programs, or book a consultation with us to build a training plan for your organization.

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