Exactly what to bring to your FAA Part 107 test at PSI, what's NOT allowed, how the test runs, and the strategy that gets you through 60 questions in 120 minutes.
The Testing Supplement is provided at the test. You do NOT bring your own copy. PSI gives you the FAA Computer Testing Supplement (FAA-CT-8080-2H) for reference during the exam — the booklet with all the sectional chart figures and weather tables. Practice with the free PDF version at home so the format is familiar.
Find the PSI testing center. Park. Check in with the front desk. They verify your ID, take your photo, and assign your locker. Late arrivals may be turned away — PSI is strict.
Before the timer starts, you get a brief computer tutorial walking through the test software. How to mark questions for review, how to navigate, how to use the on-screen calculator. Do this even if you think you know it — it confirms everything is working.
Your timer starts when the tutorial ends. That's 2 minutes per question average. Some take 10 seconds (a regulation recall); some take 2 minutes (a busy sectional chart). Budget accordingly.
When you click Submit, your score appears within seconds. You'll see pass/fail and your percentage. PASS means 70%+ (42 correct out of 60).
This is your proof of passing. KEEP IT. You'll need it to apply for your Remote Pilot Certificate via IACRA. Take a photo of it before you leave.
Go through all 60 questions once. For each: if you know the answer in under 20 seconds, lock it in. If it requires examining a chart or working through a calculation, MARK FOR REVIEW and move on. Don't burn 5 minutes on question 3 when there are 57 more waiting.
Now come back to the marked questions. These are usually the chart-reading ones. Take your time. Use the magnifying glass. Zoom into the figure mentally and identify exactly what feature is being asked about.
Whatever's left, eliminate the obviously wrong answer first (usually one option uses the wrong unit — MSL when it should be AGL — or contains an absolute like "always" or "never"). That leaves you with two real options. Pick the one that matches the most specific rule you remember.
Wrong answer counts as wrong. Blank answer also counts as wrong. With 3 choices, random guessing gives you 33% on the ones you don't know — better than zero.
The mistake that flunks people: spending 8 minutes on a single chart question early in the test, then running out of time in the last 15 minutes and guessing on 10 questions you would have known cold. Pace yourself. Mark and move.
Wait 14 calendar days. Pay another $175. Schedule a new test. Most people who fail the first time pass the second because they now know what the test actually feels like. Use your AKTR to identify weak areas — it lists exactly which knowledge domains you scored low on.
The industry first-time pass rate is around 72%. That means roughly 1 in 4 people fail on their first try. It is not the end of the world. Spend two weeks on the areas your AKTR flagged, retake, and pass.
Within 48 hours, apply for your Remote Pilot Certificate via the FAA's IACRA portal using your AKTR. You'll get a "temporary airman certificate" instantly via email — that's enough to legally fly commercially while you wait for the physical card. The plastic card arrives 6-8 weeks later.
Then register your drone at faadronezone.faa.gov ($5, 3 years), confirm your aircraft has Remote ID compliance, and you're cleared for commercial operations.
The GetDroneReady quiz tracks your last 5 full simulations. Score 80%+ on three of them and the site tells you you're ready to schedule the real test. Stop overstudying. Take the test when the data says you are ready.
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