FAA Part 107 Test Adds Chart Questions Oct. 26 (2026)

Starting October 26, 2026, the FAA Part 107 knowledge test adds image-based questions built from current VFR charts, and the FAA says those images are "not found in the test supplements." Applicants taking the Unmanned Aircraft General-Small exam at PSI testing centers must read live sectional excerpts instead of relying on the printed supplement, according to DroneXL.

What Is Changing in the Part 107 Knowledge Test?

The FAA's Unmanned Aircraft General-Small test, the exam for the Part 107 remote pilot certificate, will include questions with embedded chart images drawn from the same current VFR sectional charts pilots use in the real world. A sectional chart is a map of airspace, airports, and obstacles used for visual flight planning.

Key details reported from the FAA's Airman Testing Community Advisories:

• Effective date: October 26, 2026. An earlier advisory listed October 27, and the FAA corrected it.
• Same day: The Instrument Rating Airplane test also adds approach and low-altitude enroute chart excerpts.
• Supplement stays for now: The printed testing supplement remains at test centers, but the new chart questions will not appear in it. The FAA has not set a date to remove it.
• Measuring tools: Some questions may require measuring distance on a chart. The FAA says applicants will get on-screen tools, but it has not yet described how they work.
• No previews: Because the images are part of live test questions, the FAA cannot publish them in advance.

The change is part of the FAA's Graphics Conversion Project, run with testing contractor PSI Services.

What Do the New Chart Questions Look Like?

Expect questions that ask you to identify airspace or a frequency directly from a sectional chart. DroneXL published two samples based on FAA materials:

CTAF (Common Traffic Advisory Frequency) is the radio frequency pilots use at airports without an operating control tower. When a part-time tower closes, its frequency becomes the CTAF.

The FAA points applicants to PSI's sample test site, and current sectional charts are free from the FAA's digital VFR chart downloads.

How Hard Is the Part 107 Test Today?

The Part 107 exam passes most applicants, but not all. According to the FAA's CY2025 Airman Knowledge Test Statistics:

• 73,914 Unmanned Aircraft General-Small tests were taken in 2025
• 82.96% pass rate, with a 79.31% average score
• 89.56% pass rate across all 293,516 FAA knowledge tests

That means roughly one in six drone applicants failed in 2025. Chart-reading questions are historically a weak spot. Pilot Institute's Greg Reverdiau flagged two supplement-figure questions, on obstacle height and Class D airspace when the tower closes, among five trick questions in June 2025.

What This Means for Drone Pilots

If you plan to test before October 26, the old format still applies. If you test on or after that date, practice reading real sectional charts rather than memorizing supplement figures.

• Learn to identify Class B, C, D, and E airspace from chart symbols and shading.
• Practice finding airport frequencies and tower hours on a sectional.
• Know when controlled airspace requires authorization, usually through LAANC.
• Use the FAA's free digital charts alongside your study course.

Already certificated pilots are not affected by this change. For the full process, costs, and renewal rules, see our guide to the FAA Part 107 license, and for the wider rules on where you can fly, read drone laws in the USA. The change applies to the U.S. exam only.

Sources: DroneXL | FAA Airman Testing Community Advisory, Sept. 2026 | FAA CY2025 Test Statistics