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CASA drone theory practice test

Australia routes the theory through an approved training organisation rather than a single national paper, so the format moves between providers while the underlying Part 101 material does not. These ten questions sit on that material.

Formats and fees move. Confirm both with the authority before you book, because the authority is the only source that counts.

Ten questions

Pick an answer and the page tells you straight away whether it was right, then shows the reasoning and the rule. There is no sign-up and no score to keep, so you can start over as often as you like.

1. 1What is the maximum weight for a remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) to be classified in the 'micro' weight category?

   1. A250 g or less
   2. B2 kg or less
   3. C25 kg or less
   4. D150 kg or less
   Show the answer

   A. 250 g or less

   The micro category covers RPA weighing 250 g or less, the lightest weight tier in CASA's framework, with the fewest requirements attached to it. Aircraft above that weight move into the excluded, small or medium categories depending on how much heavier they are.

   CASA, Drone weight categories and requirements

2. 2What does 'visual line of sight' (VLOS) mean in the context of the standard operating conditions?

   1. AThe remote pilot may fly using only the live video feed sent back to the ground station by the onboard camera
   2. BAn observer watching from a separate location some distance away can hold the visual line of sight on the pilot's behalf, provided the two of them stay in radio contact throughout the flight
   3. CThe pilot may use binoculars or a spotting scope to extend the maximum control range indefinitely in clear weather
   4. DThe remote pilot must be able to see the RPA with their own eyes, close enough to maintain orientation and monitor its flight path
   Show the answer

   D. The remote pilot must be able to see the RPA with their own eyes, close enough to maintain orientation and monitor its flight path

   Visual line of sight means the aircraft is watched directly, with unaided eyes, close enough to keep track of its orientation and flight path rather than following a camera feed. A visual observer can hold that watch for the pilot, which is how flying on first person view is done lawfully, but the observer has to be beside the pilot and in direct communication, not stationed somewhere else on a radio. Binoculars and a spotting scope do not extend the condition either: unaided vision is the basis of it.

   Part 101 Manual of Standards

3. 3Under the standard operating conditions, how close may an RPA generally be flown to a controlled aerodrome without specific approval?

   1. ANo closer than 500 m
   2. BThere is no set distance
   3. CNo closer than 50 km
   4. DNo closer than 5.5 km
   Show the answer

   D. No closer than 5.5 km

   The standard operating conditions require staying at least 5.5 km away from a controlled aerodrome unless specific approval has been obtained, keeping RPA well clear of the busiest manned traffic. This is a meaningful, specific distance, not an unlimited allowance, and it is far less than 50 km while being considerably more than 500 m.

   Part 101 Manual of Standards

4. 4In basic terms, how does a multirotor RPA's propeller generate the thrust needed to fly?

   1. ABy reducing the air pressure in the space directly above the rotor disc all the way down to zero
   2. BBy accelerating air downward through the spinning blades, which by reaction pushes the aircraft upward
   3. CBy heating the surrounding air so that it expands and lifts the aircraft
   4. DBy vibrating the whole airframe at a frequency that cancels out the pull of gravity on the aircraft
   Show the answer

   B. By accelerating air downward through the spinning blades, which by reaction pushes the aircraft upward

   A propeller generates thrust by accelerating a mass of air downward through its spinning blades, and by Newton's third law, the reaction to that downward push on the air is an upward force on the aircraft. It does not work by eliminating air pressure, heating the surrounding air, or cancelling gravity through vibration.

   Part 101 Manual of Standards

5. 5A remote pilot has slept badly for three nights and feels flat on the morning of a mapping job. Which effect of fatigue matters most in the air?

   1. AFatigue costs physical strength only, and flying an RPA asks very little of that
   2. BAttention narrows and reactions slow, and the pilot is a poor judge of how impaired they are
   3. CFatigue sharpens concentration, because tiredness strips away outside distractions
   4. DFatigue makes no difference on flights that last less than about ten minutes
   Show the answer

   B. Attention narrows and reactions slow, and the pilot is a poor judge of how impaired they are

   Fatigue degrades attention, working memory and reaction time, and it degrades the self assessment that would otherwise catch the problem, so a tired pilot rates their own performance higher than it deserves. Flying an RPA is a mental task rather than a physical one, and a short flight can still be the one that demands a fast decision. Fatigue sits in the licence syllabus among the medical factors that affect a remote pilot's performance.

   Part 101 Manual of Standards, Schedule 4, Unit RHPF

6. 6Before launch a remote pilot measures 12 kt of wind with a handheld meter held at head height. What should the pilot expect of the wind at 100 m above the same spot?

   1. AThe same speed and direction at every height up to 120 m
   2. BA lighter wind, because wind always weakens with height
   3. CA stronger wind, possibly from a slightly different direction
   4. DNothing useful, because wind above the surface cannot be estimated
   Show the answer

   C. A stronger wind, possibly from a slightly different direction

   Friction between the moving air and the ground slows the wind close to the surface, so speed normally increases through the first few hundred feet and the direction shifts a little as that friction eases. A reading taken at head height is a lower bound rather than the wind the aircraft will work in, so plan a margin above the measured figure. Wind gradient is one of the indications a remote pilot is expected to allow for before flight.

   Part 101 Manual of Standards, Schedule 4, Unit RBMO

7. 7An operator planning their first commercial flight with a 1.2 kg RPA believes that registering the aircraft with CASA is the only step needed before flying. What is missing from this understanding?

   1. ANothing is missing, since aircraft registration on its own satisfies every requirement that applies before a first commercial flight is flown for a client
   2. BThe operator additionally needs a full ReOC before any commercial flight of this kind can lawfully take place, on top of registering the aircraft itself
   3. CThe operator needs nothing further, since RPA under 2 kg carry no requirements at all beyond registering the aircraft itself with CASA before first use
   4. DThe operator must also complete operator accreditation and, in most cases, notify CASA at least 5 business days before the first commercial flight, in addition to registering the aircraft
   Show the answer

   D. The operator must also complete operator accreditation and, in most cases, notify CASA at least 5 business days before the first commercial flight, in addition to registering the aircraft

   Registering the aircraft is only one part of what is required, since the operator generally also needs to complete operator accreditation and notify CASA at least 5 business days before their first commercial flight in the excluded category. A full ReOC is not required for this sub-2 kg excluded category scenario, so the gap is accreditation and notification, not an operator's certificate.

   CASA, Drone weight categories and requirements

8. 8What is the minimum age generally required to register an RPA with CASA?

   1. A16 years old
   2. B12 years old
   3. C21 years old
   4. DNo minimum age
   Show the answer

   A. 16 years old

   The minimum age to register an RPA with CASA is generally 16 years old, aligning registration with an age at which the person can reasonably take on that responsibility. It is not set as low as 12 or as high as 21, and there is a genuine minimum age rather than none at all.

   CASA, Register your drone

9. 9Does holding a ReOC, on its own, qualify an individual to personally fly an RPA?

   1. AYes, a ReOC automatically qualifies every employee of that business to fly any RPA that the business operates under it, at any weight
   2. BYes, but only the business owner personally, and not any of the staff or contractors they employ to fly the aircraft for them
   3. CNo, because a ReOC only ever applies to fixed wing RPA and never to the multirotor aircraft that most businesses actually use
   4. DNo, a ReOC authorises a business to conduct RPA operations, but the individuals actually flying still generally need their own RePL or accreditation as applicable
   Show the answer

   D. No, a ReOC authorises a business to conduct RPA operations, but the individuals actually flying still generally need their own RePL or accreditation as applicable

   A ReOC authorises the business itself to conduct RPA operations, but the individual people actually flying still generally need their own RePL or operator accreditation as appropriate to the operation. It does not automatically hand a flying qualification to every employee, or to the owner alone, and it is not restricted to fixed wing aircraft.

   CASA, Get your ReOC

10. 10What do the accelerometers and gyroscopes inside an RPA's inertial measurement unit measure?

    1. AAccelerometers measure height above the launch point, and gyroscopes measure speed across the ground
    2. BAccelerometers measure linear acceleration, including the direction of gravity, and gyroscopes measure the rate of rotation about each axis
    3. CBoth measure position, which is why an IMU can stand in for a satellite navigation receiver
    4. DAccelerometers measure the strength of the earth's magnetic field, and gyroscopes measure air pressure so the aircraft can hold altitude
    Show the answer

    B. Accelerometers measure linear acceleration, including the direction of gravity, and gyroscopes measure the rate of rotation about each axis

    An accelerometer senses linear acceleration and therefore the direction of gravity, which gives the flight controller its reference for level, while a gyroscope senses how fast the aircraft is rotating about each axis. Neither measures position, so an IMU cannot replace a satellite navigation receiver, and magnetic field and air pressure belong to the magnetometer and the barometer. IMU calibration has to be done with the aircraft stationary on a genuinely level surface, because a calibration taken on a slope teaches the flight controller a false idea of level, after which the aircraft holds a slight lean with the sticks centred.

    CASA, Advisory Circular 101-01

Where the CASA drone theory questions come from

The bank behind this page holds 160 questions on this track, written against the published syllabus and spread over the subject areas below. Every one of them names the paragraph it tests. The whole track was last checked against its source on 2026-08-06.

A RePL comes from a CASA certified training organisation, which sets its own exam within the rules. Check the format with the provider you book.

Questions people ask

Is this CASA drone theory test free?

Yes, and there is nothing to sign up for. The ten questions, the explanations and the citations are all on this page.

Are these the real exam questions?

No. Nobody may publish the live question bank, and any site that claims to have it is either wrong or breaking the rules. Every question here is written against the published syllabus, and each one names the rule it tests so you can verify it.

How many questions does the real exam have?

That is set by your approved training organisation.

What happens if I want more than ten questions?

The app carries 160 questions on this track, all of them free, with the same explanations and citations. One payment adds the full mock exams at the real length and clock.

The rest of the bank is in the app, and it is free

Every one of the 160 questions on this track is free in the app, with the same worked explanation and the same citation. One payment of 24.99 adds the full mock exams, at the real length and the real clock, on all seven tracks at once. It does not renew.

The other six tracks

• FAA Part 107 practice test
• EASA A1/A3 practice test
• EASA A2 CofC practice test
• UK A2 CofC practice test
• Transport Canada Basic operations practice test
• Transport Canada Advanced operations practice test

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