No, not me personally! That’s just the headline in case you failed.
As for me I passed with a 90%, and I will absolutely never let you forget it. But statistically speaking, a lot of people reading this site are going to fail the Part 107 test — in 2025, roughly 17% of the nearly 74,000 people who took it didn’t pass. That’s more than 12,000 people who want a drone license so they paid $175, sat in a testing center for two hours, and walked out without a certificate.
If you’re one of them: it stings. I get it. But it’s not the end of the world, and here’s exactly what to do next.
First: Don’t panic! You can retake it
Failing the Part 107 test is not a permanent outcome. The FAA allows you to retake the exam — just not immediately. You’ll need to wait at least 14 days before scheduling a retake. Use that time well, because you do not want to pay another $175 to walk in with the same gaps you had last time.
Second: Figure out why you failed
If your testing center printed your score report, it should show performance by category — airspace, weather, regulations, charts, and so on. Identify any specific areas that cost you the most points, and then make a study plan.
The most commonly failed areas on the Part 107 test are consistently weather (METARs, TAFs, density altitude) and sectional chart reading. These are the topics most people with no aviation background have never touched before, and they’re also the topics that take the most time to actually internalize rather than memorize. If that’s where you struggled, plan to spend the majority of your retake prep there.
I teamed up with Drone Pilot Ground School to find out the three most commonly missed Part 107 test questions — worth reading before you study for the retake.
Third: Get a proper prep course if you didn’t use one the first time
The most common reason people fail the Part 107 test is going in underprepared — either self-studying from the FAA’s free materials alone, cramming too fast, or using outdated resources. In 2025, the average score hit an all-time low of 79.31%. The pass rate was 82.96%. Most people who fail aren’t failing because the test is impossible. They’re failing because they didn’t study the right things the right way.
Drone Pilot Ground School is the course I used when I took the test — and the one I’d tell anyone to use for a retake, especially if they’re coming in knowing they have knowledge gaps. And in fact, the pass rate among their students is 99% — far higher than the measly 83% pass rate among the general population.
Here’s why it’s particularly useful post-failure:
When you complete DPGS practice tests, the course sends you a performance report breaking down exactly which questions you got wrong and why.
The course includes 80+ video lessons, 400+ practice questions, weekly live Zoom sessions, and unlimited 1:1 instructor support. Normally $299, but use code DRONEGIRL100 to get $100 off — so $199. Enroll here.
If you’re on a tight budget after already paying one test fee, Drone Launch Academy gets you to $149 with code DRONEGIRL50 and covers the material well.
Fourth: Check if your course owes you money
If you used a prep course and still failed, check the fine print on their pass guarantee — many of them cover your retake fee.
Drone Pilot Ground School is so confident in the power of your course that the company’s guarantee covers your $175 retake fee and refunds your course cost, provided you passed one of their practice exams with at least 85% within a certain window before your test. Drone Launch Academy has a similar structure. If you meet those conditions, reach out to them — you shouldn’t be out of pocket for the retake.
Related read: The best Part 107 test prep courses with a money-back guarantee
Fifth: Don’t rush the reschedule
There’s a 14-day waiting period before you can retake the test, but you can also take much longer than that. Schedule your retake for a date that gives you enough time to actually work through the weak areas and go through that test prep material.
The bottom line? The Part 107 test is passable — I passed it, and plenty of people with no aviation background pass it every day. But it’s not a common sense test either. Aviation weather and airspace aren’t intuitive subjects, so you’ll need to do some targeted studying.
Use code DRONEGIRL100 to enroll in Drone Pilot Ground School for $199 →
Further reading: The hardest Part 107 test questions — and how to get them right | The best Part 107 test prep courses of 2026
FTC disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. I may earn a commission if you purchase through them, at no extra cost to you.
The post I just failed my Part 107 test — here’s what to do next appeared first on The Drone Girl.