Exam preparation: format, topic weighting, practice strategy and scheduling
The short version
- The UAG exam - 60 scored questions, 3 options each, 2 hours, 70% to pass (48 of 60). In person at a PSI testing centre.
- Topic weighting - OPERATIONS 35-45%, Regulations 15-25%, Airspace 15-25%, Weather 11-16%, Loading and Performance 7-11%.
- Figures are NOT on screen in the way the course quizzes show them - they are in a PAPER testing supplement. Bring a non-illuminated magnifying glass.
- Do not schedule until you have scored 80% or more on TWO practice exams. Scoring 70% in practice means near-certain failure on the day.
- Scheduling requires an IACRA account FIRST, to obtain an FTN (FAA Tracking Number), which PSI validates against the FAA database.
The concepts
Eligibility and what is examined 0:00:00
The requirements of 107.61 and the subject areas the UAG covers.
Be at least 16 to APPLY (you may SIT the exam from 14), read/speak/write English, have no disqualifying physical or mental condition, and pass the knowledge test.
Everything in the course is examinable - regulations, airspace, weather, loading, emergency procedures, CRM, radio procedures, performance, drug and alcohol physiology, NIGHT OPERATIONS, ADM, airport operations, and maintenance/preflight.
Topic weighting on the UAG 0:00:00
The published percentage split across subject areas, totalling 60 scored questions.
OPERATIONS - 35 to 45% (the largest block by far).
REGULATIONS - 15 to 25%.
AIRSPACE AND REQUIREMENTS - 15 to 25%.
WEATHER - 11 to 16%.
LOADING AND PERFORMANCE - 7 to 11%.
Topics not named separately fall inside one of these five categories.
Exam mechanics and the testing supplement 0:00:00
Format, timing, scoring and the paper figure supplement.
60 questions, 3 choices, one correct. Questions are INDEPENDENT - missing one does not affect another.
70% to pass - 48 of 60 correct, so 12 may be missed.
Two hours. Results are given IMMEDIATELY on finishing.
You may skip, revisit, and MARK questions for review. Answered questions change colour. No right/wrong feedback until the end.
CRITICAL DIFFERENCE from the course quizzes - figures are NOT clickable on screen. They are in a printed TESTING SUPPLEMENT.
Bring a MAGNIFYING GLASS with NO LIGHT in it - you cannot zoom.
Appendix 1 holds the LEGENDS (sectional chart legend plus 18 pages of chart supplement legend) - effectively a permitted cheat sheet.
Appendix 2 holds the figures. FIGURE number and PAGE number are DIFFERENT - figure 59 sits on page 56.
The supplement is shared with sport, recreational and private pilot tests, so many figures will not apply.
Fail and you must wait 14 DAYS before retesting.
How to use practice exams 0:13:24
Practice exams are an EVALUATION tool, not a study tool.
Each practice exam draws 60 questions randomly from a bank of about 350.
Do NOT repeat them the same day. Repetition teaches the BANK, not the subject.
The instructor's cautionary tale - a private pilot student took NINETY-NINE practice exams, finished them in 12-15 minutes from memory, never watched the course, and scored 63-65 on the real exam.
Finishing a practice exam in under 20 minutes means you have memorised it - stop.
Do not schedule until you score 80%+ on TWO practice exams. 70% in practice means near-certain failure under exam-day stress.
Use flashcards as a different modality - they force recall without offering options. Particularly good for AGL/MSL chart questions - answer in BOTH units, then look for the match.
Pilot Institute deliberately offers no free public practice exam, because free exams usually exist to drive site traffic.
The instructor names the KING SCHOOLS practice exam as one to AVOID, saying it draws heavily on private pilot questions irrelevant to drone flying.
Beware third-party banks not updated for the 2021 regulation changes.
This is not a studying tool. It's a testing tool.0:13:24
They ended up doing 99 practice exam... They flunked because they didn't follow what we told them.0:13:24
If you take a practice exam and you score 70, 100 percent chance that you're going to fail the exam on the exam day.0:13:24
Scheduling the exam 0:21:07
The two-step process - create an IACRA account for an FTN, then register and schedule with PSI.
PSI is the sole FAA testing provider at time of recording - faa.psiexams.com.
STEP ONE - register on IACRA as an APPLICANT. Leave the airman certificate section BLANK unless you already hold a Part 61 certificate.
IACRA issues an FTN (FAA Tracking Number). PSI validates it against the FAA database, so your name must match EXACTLY.
STEP TWO - on PSI, use 'Find a Test Center' with your postal code and select the UAG exam from the end of a long list.
When scheduling - enter the attempt number (1 for an initial), select NONE for authorization, and decline accommodations unless needed.
COST - $160, or about $96 at a PSI-owned centre; third-party sites (flight schools, universities) add roughly a $64 convenience fee.
Arrive 15 minutes early.
Bring - government photo ID, pen, eraser, plain ruler, a SIMPLE non-scientific calculator (no memory), and the magnifying glass.
Exam-day technique 0:00:00
Practical advice for sitting the test.
Arrive early to avoid rushing; stress costs more than time.
READ EVERY QUESTION FULLY even when it looks familiar - a left may have become a right.
On calculations, choose the CLOSEST answer; your figure will not match the FAA's exactly.
Take your time - two hours is generous for 60 questions.
Familiarise yourself with the supplement's ORGANISATION beforehand so you are not learning to navigate it under time pressure.
Every concept, three clicks deep
The same concepts as a quick reference: the closed row is the glance, open is the study card, and every timestamp jumps into the recording.
01Eligibility and what is examinedThe requirements of 107.61 and the subject areas the UAG covers.0:00:00›
The requirements of 107.61 and the subject areas the UAG covers.
Be at least 16 to APPLY (you may SIT the exam from 14), read/speak/write English, have no disqualifying physical or mental condition, and pass the knowledge test.
Everything in the course is examinable - regulations, airspace, weather, loading, emergency procedures, CRM, radio procedures, performance, drug and alcohol physiology, NIGHT OPERATIONS, ADM, airport operations, and maintenance/preflight.
02Topic weighting on the UAGThe published percentage split across subject areas, totalling 60 scored questions.0:00:00›
The published percentage split across subject areas, totalling 60 scored questions.
OPERATIONS - 35 to 45% (the largest block by far).
REGULATIONS - 15 to 25%.
AIRSPACE AND REQUIREMENTS - 15 to 25%.
WEATHER - 11 to 16%.
LOADING AND PERFORMANCE - 7 to 11%.
Topics not named separately fall inside one of these five categories.
03Exam mechanics and the testing supplementFormat, timing, scoring and the paper figure supplement.0:00:00›
Format, timing, scoring and the paper figure supplement.
60 questions, 3 choices, one correct. Questions are INDEPENDENT - missing one does not affect another.
70% to pass - 48 of 60 correct, so 12 may be missed.
Two hours. Results are given IMMEDIATELY on finishing.
You may skip, revisit, and MARK questions for review. Answered questions change colour. No right/wrong feedback until the end.
CRITICAL DIFFERENCE from the course quizzes - figures are NOT clickable on screen. They are in a printed TESTING SUPPLEMENT.
Bring a MAGNIFYING GLASS with NO LIGHT in it - you cannot zoom.
Appendix 1 holds the LEGENDS (sectional chart legend plus 18 pages of chart supplement legend) - effectively a permitted cheat sheet.
Appendix 2 holds the figures. FIGURE number and PAGE number are DIFFERENT - figure 59 sits on page 56.
The supplement is shared with sport, recreational and private pilot tests, so many figures will not apply.
Fail and you must wait 14 DAYS before retesting.
04How to use practice examsPractice exams are an EVALUATION tool, not a study tool.0:13:24›
Practice exams are an EVALUATION tool, not a study tool.
Each practice exam draws 60 questions randomly from a bank of about 350.
Do NOT repeat them the same day. Repetition teaches the BANK, not the subject.
The instructor's cautionary tale - a private pilot student took NINETY-NINE practice exams, finished them in 12-15 minutes from memory, never watched the course, and scored 63-65 on the real exam.
Finishing a practice exam in under 20 minutes means you have memorised it - stop.
Do not schedule until you score 80%+ on TWO practice exams. 70% in practice means near-certain failure under exam-day stress.
Use flashcards as a different modality - they force recall without offering options. Particularly good for AGL/MSL chart questions - answer in BOTH units, then look for the match.
Pilot Institute deliberately offers no free public practice exam, because free exams usually exist to drive site traffic.
The instructor names the KING SCHOOLS practice exam as one to AVOID, saying it draws heavily on private pilot questions irrelevant to drone flying.
Beware third-party banks not updated for the 2021 regulation changes.
05Scheduling the examThe two-step process - create an IACRA account for an FTN, then register and schedule with PSI.0:21:07›
The two-step process - create an IACRA account for an FTN, then register and schedule with PSI.
PSI is the sole FAA testing provider at time of recording - faa.psiexams.com.
STEP ONE - register on IACRA as an APPLICANT. Leave the airman certificate section BLANK unless you already hold a Part 61 certificate.
IACRA issues an FTN (FAA Tracking Number). PSI validates it against the FAA database, so your name must match EXACTLY.
STEP TWO - on PSI, use 'Find a Test Center' with your postal code and select the UAG exam from the end of a long list.
When scheduling - enter the attempt number (1 for an initial), select NONE for authorization, and decline accommodations unless needed.
COST - $160, or about $96 at a PSI-owned centre; third-party sites (flight schools, universities) add roughly a $64 convenience fee.
Arrive 15 minutes early.
Bring - government photo ID, pen, eraser, plain ruler, a SIMPLE non-scientific calculator (no memory), and the magnifying glass.
06Exam-day techniquePractical advice for sitting the test.0:00:00›
Practical advice for sitting the test.
Arrive early to avoid rushing; stress costs more than time.
READ EVERY QUESTION FULLY even when it looks familiar - a left may have become a right.
On calculations, choose the CLOSEST answer; your figure will not match the FAA's exactly.
Take your time - two hours is generous for 60 questions.
Familiarise yourself with the supplement's ORGANISATION beforehand so you are not learning to navigate it under time pressure.
Tools referenced
| Tool | Coverage | Moment | Context |
|---|---|---|---|
| faa.psiexams.com | demonstrated | 0:00:00 | Finding a testing centre and scheduling the UAG exam. |
| IACRA (iacra.faa.gov) | demonstrated | 0:00:00 | Creating the account and obtaining the FTN required to schedule. |
| FAA Testing Supplement | mentioned | 0:00:00 | The paper figure and legend book supplied at the test. |
| Pilot Institute practice exams and flashcards | mentioned | 0:00:00 | Evaluation - used sparingly and never back to back. |
Action items
Resources mentioned
- docFAA Testing Supplement (downloaded earlier in the course) 0:00:00
Extraction notes
This page was built from an auto-generated transcript, which garbles product and people's names. Those were corrected silently in everything above and logged here for transparency. The warnings flag claims that were true on the recording day but change fast.
Transcript corrections applied
| The transcript says | The trainer actually means |
|---|---|
| FA / EFA | FAA |
| fa.psiexams.com / FAA PSI exam.com | faa.psiexams.com |
| IACRA.FA.GOV | iacra.faa.gov |
| FTM number | FTN - FAA Tracking Number |
| UGR | UAG (Unmanned Aircraft General) - the instructor misspeaks |
| you have all of a sudden you have a Russian | garbled - "you have a blank" / momentary lapse |
| as you squirrel scroll through this | as you scroll through this |
| page 256 2 for appendix 2 and in page 56 | figure 59 appears in appendix 2, page 56 - the numbering point |
| don't bring one that has a light in it | correct - non-illuminated magnifying glass only |
True on recording day — verify before relying
- Exam costs $160 ($96 at a PSI-owned centre plus a $64 third-party fee). - STATUS: OUTDATED. FAA knowledge test fees have increased. Check current pricing at booking.
- PSI is the only FAA testing provider. - STATUS: POINT-IN-TIME and the instructor says so explicitly. Verify the current provider.
- Topic weighting percentages. - STATUS: Published in the ACS and reasonably stable, but confirm against the CURRENT ACS.
- Practice bank of about 350 questions. - STATUS: POINT-IN-TIME vendor detail.
- Figures are only in the paper supplement. - STATUS: CHANGING. The Course Introduction section (a newer recording) states figures are INCREASINGLY shown on screen. Prepare for both.
- King Schools practice exam is poor and draws on private pilot questions. - STATUS: THE INSTRUCTOR'S OPINION at time of recording, about a competitor. Treat as such; verify independently before relying on it.
- 14-day wait after a failed attempt. - STATUS: CURRENT as taught, consistent with 107.71.