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Transport Canada Advanced Drone Exam Practice Test 2026 – Free Drone Advanced Exam (RPAS) Questions

Original questions written from the official Canada (national) handbook, with an explanation for every answer.

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When may ATC let a drone without a transponder enter transponder airspace?

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6 sets of 30 questions. Each set is fixed, so you can repeat it until you score 100%.

Exam facts

Key facts: Transport Canada Drone Pilot Exam – Advanced Operations

Free practice tests for Transport Canada's Advanced Exam, the online test you pass before your flight review to get a Pilot Certificate – Advanced Operations. Every question is original, written from Part IX of the Canadian Aviation Regulations as amended in 2025, the drone chapter of the Transport Canada Aeronautical Information Manual (October 2026), the TP 15263 knowledge requirements and the TP 15395 Flight Reviewer's Guide. Each answer explains the rule and names the section behind it. No sign-up, and your progress stays on your device.

The real exam has 50 multiple-choice questions, a 60-minute limit and an 80% pass mark, so you need 40 correct, a much higher bar than the basic exam. Our mock exams use the same length, time and pass mark. Topic tests cover what is new at this level: Standard 922 safety declarations, flying near and over people, controlled airspace authorizations, airport procedures, EVLOS and sheltered operations, METAR and TAF decoding, radio, and the flight review itself.

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Every question is tagged to one topic from the official handbook. Pick a topic to drill just that area.

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Sample Drone Advanced Exam (RPAS) questions

Tap a question to see the answer. The full interactive test is at the top of the page.
  1. 1When may ATC let a drone without a transponder enter transponder airspace?
    • A. Whenever the drone weighs less than 25 kg in total
    • B. If asked before entry and safety is not affected
    • C. Only at night, when manned traffic is lighter
    • D. Never, there are no exceptions to the rule

    ATC may authorize it if the pilot requests it before entering and aviation safety is not likely to be affected. ATC may not always be able to approve such requests.

  2. 2What is a METAR?
    • A. A warning about volcanic ash in the upper atmosphere
    • B. A chart of the winds and temperatures aloft over Canada
    • C. A forecast of the weather for the next 30 hours
    • D. A routine report of observed weather at an aerodrome

    A METAR reports the actual weather observed at an aerodrome, normally on the hour. A TAF is the aerodrome forecast.

  3. 3In Transport Canada's terms, what horizontal distance band is 'near people' for a small drone?
    • A. Less than 50 m but at least 15 m
    • B. Less than 5 m but at least 1 m
    • C. Less than 30 m but at least 5 m
    • D. Less than 100 m but at least 30 m

    Near people means under 30 m (100 ft) but not under 5 m (16.4 ft) from anyone not involved, measured horizontally at any altitude. Under 5 m counts as over people.

  4. 4Which is a recommended post-flight action after a near-people job?
    • A. Update the firmware right away from any website you find
    • B. Leave the batteries in the drone to keep them warm
    • C. Inspect for damage, remove batteries, log the flight
    • D. Skip the logbook entry if nothing went wrong today

    Recommended post-flight actions include downloading data, checking for damage, cleaning and drying, removing batteries, recording information in logs and packing per the manual.

  5. 5During a busy landing near people, what does good workload management involve?
    • A. Cutting distractions and noticing your own overload
    • B. Answering client calls now to save time later on
    • C. Taking on the observer's duties to save on crew
    • D. Changing the camera settings during the landing

    Workload management means organizing resources, recognizing overload in yourself, eliminating distractions in high-workload phases and staying adaptable.

  6. 6In an MF area with no ground station operating, what do manned aircraft do with their reports?
    • A. They send them by text to the airport
    • B. They skip reporting until a station opens
    • C. They broadcast them on the MF
    • D. They phone them in to NAV CANADA

    When a ground station is operating, reports go to it; otherwise they are broadcast on the MF so other traffic can hear them.

  7. 7What is automation complacency?
    • A. Refusing to use any automated features at all
    • B. A software bug that stops waypoints from being saved
    • C. A rule limiting autopilot use to basic operations
    • D. Trusting the autopilot so much you stop monitoring

    Automation complacency means relaxing monitoring because the system is flying. Pilots must keep watching the drone and the airspace even on autopilot.

  8. 8Where would you find a published RPAS procedure for a certified airport?
    • A. In the PRO section of the current CFS
    • B. In the manufacturer's quick-start guide for the drone
    • C. In the airport's annual financial report to Ottawa
    • D. On the back of your drone's registration certificate

    Established procedures appear in the PRO section of the current CFS (or the CWAS for water airports), or in an RPA Flight Authorization Notice from the ANSP. If none exists, TC's generic procedure applies.

  9. 9Which frequency range is used for aeronautical VHF voice communications in Canada?
    • A. 2.4 to 2.5 GHz
    • B. 118 to 137 MHz
    • C. 400 to 470 MHz
    • D. 88 to 108 MHz

    Aeronautical voice communications use VHF-AM from 118 to 137 MHz with 25 kHz channel spacing. 88–108 MHz is FM broadcast radio and 2.4 GHz is common for drone control links.

  10. 10Your flight review was 14 months ago and you never applied for the certificate. What now?
    • A. Apply after paying a late fee in the portal
    • B. Apply anyway, since a flight review never expires
    • C. Do a new flight review; it must be within 12 months
    • D. Apply after first retaking the Small Basic exam

    The flight review must be completed within the 12 months before the application. After that, a new review is needed.

About the test

About the Transport Canada Drone Pilot Exam – Advanced Operations

An advanced certificate lets you fly small drones (250 g to 25 kg) in controlled airspace with air traffic control permission, closer than 30 m to people and over them, within 3 nautical miles of an airport or 1 nautical mile of a heliport following the established procedure, and, since November 4, 2025, sheltered operations near structures, extended visual line-of-sight (EVLOS) operations with a visual observer, and medium drones up to 150 kg in visual line-of-sight. For most of these, the drone itself must also be declared by its manufacturer to the matching part of Standard 922, such as 922.04 for controlled airspace or 922.05 and 922.06 for near and over people. A medium drone without a declaration cannot be flown at all.

To get the certificate you must be at least 16, pass the online Advanced Exam, pass an in-person flight review with a Transport Canada-approved flight reviewer at a drone flight school, and apply within 12 months of that review. The exam is taken through the Drone Management Portal in English or French; if you fail, you wait 24 hours and can try again as often as you need, paying the fee each time. Like the basic certificate, it does not expire, but you can only fly if you meet the 24-month recency requirement. An advanced certificate also covers all basic operations.

The exam questions are based on TP 15263, which marks each knowledge item as basic, advanced or both. The advanced-only items are what make this exam harder: the airspace structure and ATC communication, aerodrome traffic and mandatory frequency procedures, Part IX Division V and the flight reviewer rules, special flight operations certificates, meteorology including pressure systems, fronts, thunderstorms and coded METAR and TAF reports, navigation with variation and true versus magnetic tracks, and radiotelephony. Our 11 topics follow those items, and the flight review topic follows Standard 921.02 and TP 15395 so you know what the reviewer will ask you to plan and demonstrate.

We did not copy any flight-school course, the confidential exam bank or any third-party practice site. Every question is written from public, official sources: CARs Part IX (current to September 2026), Standard 921, the RPA, MET, COM, RAC and AIR chapters of the TC AIM, TP 15263 and TP 15395, and Transport Canada's drone safety pages. Treat our tests as a way to check your knowledge, not as a copy of the real exam. This site is independent and not affiliated with Transport Canada; passing a practice test here does not give you a certificate or replace the flight review.

The rules are federal and the same across Canada. Advanced privileges come with heavier responsibilities: you must carry your certificate, proof of recency, the drone's registration and any ATC authorization; follow ATC instructions; stop flying after any listed occurrence until it is analysed; and remember that some operations, such as flights above 400 ft in uncontrolled airspace, more than five drones at once, advertised events and drone shows, still need a special flight operations certificate.

Study plan

How to prepare

  1. 1Pass the basic material first. The Advanced Exam assumes you know everything on the basic exam, and many questions combine basic and advanced rules.
  2. 2Read Division V of CARs Part IX (sections 901.62 to 901.75) and section 3.4 of the TC AIM drone chapter until you can explain which declaration each advanced operation needs.
  3. 3Learn the distance bands: 30 m and 5 m for small drones near and over people, 500 ft and 100 ft for medium drones, 200 ft and 100 ft for sheltered operations, 2 NM for EVLOS and sheltered, and 3 NM and 1 NM for airports and heliports.
  4. 4Practise decoding real METARs and TAFs from NAV CANADA's flight planning site: wind in degrees true and knots, visibility in statute miles, FEW/SCT/BKN/OVC, the ceiling, temperature and dew point, the altimeter group and TEMPO, BECMG, FM and PROB.
  5. 5Review radio basics in TC AIM COM 1 and the NAV CANADA VFR Phraseology Guide: 121.5, 126.7 and 123.2 MHz, MF and ATF areas, height versus altitude, and why transmitting needs a ROC-A.
  6. 6Read Standard 921.02 and Appendix A of TP 15395. Prepare your site survey, normal and emergency checklists, lost-link and fly-away procedures and a 15-minute flight plan before your flight review.
  7. 7Take a 50-question mock with the 60-minute timer. Aim for 44 or more on two different mocks; the real pass mark of 40 leaves little room for error.
  8. 8Transport Canada strongly recommends a drone flight school course before the exam, and the school is also where you will book your flight review.

FAQ

Drone Advanced Exam (RPAS) test questions people ask

How many questions are on the advanced drone exam?

50 multiple-choice questions. The Small Basic Exam has 35.

What is the passing score for the advanced drone exam?

80% or higher, which is 40 correct answers out of 50.

How long is the advanced exam?

60 minutes. If time runs out, the exam is marked on the answers you gave. You can request extra time as an accommodation before paying.

How much does the advanced drone certificate cost?

Each exam attempt costs $10.17 and the certificate itself $25.43 (Transport Canada fees for April 2026 to March 2027, adjusted every April). The flight review is paid to the flight reviewer, who sets the price.

What is the flight review?

An in-person assessment by a Transport Canada-approved flight reviewer. You describe your site survey, plan an operation, explain emergency and fly-away procedures and incident reporting, do pre-flight checks, take off, navigate by sight and by screen, recognize distances and land. Failing any item means redoing the whole review after 24 hours.

Do I need a basic certificate before the advanced exam?

No. You need to be 16 and pass the Advanced Exam and a flight review. The advanced certificate covers basic operations as well.

Can I fly in controlled airspace once I have the advanced certificate?

Only with a drone declared to Standard 922.04 and an authorization from the air navigation service provider, usually requested through NAV CANADA's NAV Drone, or from DND near military aerodromes.

Can I take the advanced drone exam in French?

Yes. Transport Canada exams are offered in English and French, and our practice tests are available in French too.

Are these the real Transport Canada exam questions?

No. The real bank is confidential. Every question here is original, written from the CARs, the TC AIM, TP 15263 and TP 15395, and cites its source.

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