Key Takeaways
- Recurrent currency is now met with free online recurrent training (ALC-677) on FAASafety.gov — no in-person testing center required
- You need to complete it every 24 calendar months to stay legal for commercial drone operations
- The course wraps up with a ~45-question multiple-choice test you can retake until you hit 100%
- There’s no fee for the online route
- Content mirrors the initial knowledge test, but leans harder into regulatory updates — Remote ID, operations over people, night ops
- Your certificate itself never expires, but you can’t fly commercially once your currency lapses
- This replaced the old paid, in-person recurrent knowledge test back in April 2021
What Is the Part 107 Recurrent Test?
The Part 107 recurrent test is the FAA knowledge assessment that certificated remote pilots complete every 24 calendar months (now delivered as a free online recurrent training course (ALC-677) with a 45-question quiz) to keep their aeronautical knowledge current and stay legal for commercial drone operations. It replaced the old paid, in-person recurrent knowledge test back in April 2021, so if you haven’t renewed since then, expect a much simpler process. It’s also worth noting this is separate from the initial Part 107 exam you took to get certificated in the first place; different test, different purpose. Not sure where you stand on the calendar? Check out how to renew your Part 107 certificate for the full timeline.
A Sample Part 107 Recurrent Test Question (Walkthrough)
Here’s a question that trips up a lot of pilots, straight from the video above: An ATC radar facility issues a traffic advisory to a manned aircraft flying north in calm wind. The advisory says, “Unmanned aircraft operations at 9 o’clock, 2 miles.” The question then asks, “Where should the remote PIC and crew look for the traffic?”
Your first instinct might be to picture the drone at the 9 o’clock position and call it a day. But slow down, because that clock reference belongs to the manned aircraft, not to you.
Here’s the reasoning: ATC calls out position using the manned aircraft’s 12 o’clock as whatever direction its nose is pointing — in this case, north. So 9 o’clock is off that aircraft’s left side, which puts it to the west.
But re-read the actual question. It’s not asking where the drone is relative to the manned aircraft. It’s asking where the remote crew should look for the traffic, meaning the manned aircraft. Since the drone sits to the west of the manned aircraft, the manned aircraft sits to the east of the drone.
The answer: look east.
Quick tip for questions like this: find the actual question being asked before you start solving anything. Details like “calm wind” are filler. They don’t factor into the answer, and chasing them is how you talk yourself into the wrong one.
How Many Questions Are on the Recurrent Test? Is It Hard?
The online recurrent course wraps up with a 45-question multiple-choice test, and you’ll have a 90-minute window to finish it. Here’s the part that makes it manageable: you can review the training material while you’re testing, and if you miss questions, you retake them until you score 100%. That setup makes it noticeably less stressful than the initial 60-question knowledge test most pilots remember sweating over.
If you’re already flying commercially, you’re not learning new material here; you’re refreshing what you know and picking up what’s changed since your last test. That’s a much lighter lift, and most pilots move through it without much prep at all.
What Topics Does the Recurrent Test Cover?
The recurrent test draws from the same knowledge areas as the initial Part 107 exam, per 14 CFR 107.73 and the FAA Remote Pilot Study Guide. Expect questions on:
- Applicable regulations
- Airspace classification and operating requirements
- Aviation weather sources and effects
- sUAS loading and performance
- Emergency procedures
- Crew resource management
- Radio communication
- Physiological effects
- Aeronautical decision-making
- Airport operations
- Maintenance and preflight inspection
Where the recurrent cycle really puts on the pressure is regulatory updates since your last test (think Remote ID, operations over people, and night operations). Those rules have shifted more than once in recent years, so they’re the areas most likely to catch you off guard. For the full recency requirements behind why this test exists at all, see 14 CFR 107.65.
How to Prepare and Stay Current
You don’t need a study plan for this one, but a little prep goes a long way. Skim the FAA study guide, review any rules that have changed since your last certification cycle, and run through a handful of practice questions to shake off the rust.
A few places to point yourself: our Part 107 practice test is a solid warmup, and our most missed questions page shows you exactly where other pilots tend to stumble — worth a look before test day.
One more thing: renew 1–2 months before your currency actually lapses, not the day of. And once you pass, hang onto that completion certificate with your other flight documents. You’ll want it on hand if anyone ever asks.
Stay Sharp With MzeroA
The free FAA refresher will keep you legal, but if you want to actually sharpen your skills — not just check a box — MzeroA’s Remote Pilot course goes a lot deeper. You’ll get instruction built by working pilots, not just enough to pass a quiz. Try it with a 14-day free trial, no credit card required, and see what real recurrent training looks like. Head over to mzeroa.com/store to get started.