United Kingdom · Drone testDo you need a UK drone course for the Flyer ID?
No. The CAA’s page on preparing for the test says everything you need to know is in the Drone and Model Aircraft Code, and it suggests reading the Code to be sure you have the latest rules. If you’re already an experienced flyer, the CAA says you may not need to read it first, but you still have to pass the test.
The CAA’s own material and A2 CofC courses compared
| Option | Price | Free to use | Links |
|---|---|---|---|
| Official | |||
The Drone and Model Aircraft Code (CAP2320)The CAA’s official study materialThe current edition is dated March 2026 and follows the rules in force from 1 January 2026. Points 37 to 39, on less common flying, aren’t in the test. | Online and as a 48-page PDF | Published on caa.co.uk, with the PDF to download | |
| Official and free | |||
CAA Flyer ID theory testThe official online theory testThe test itself, taken online on the CAA’s registration site. Passing it gives you your Flyer ID. | Free, says the CAA | The test, and every retake | |
| Online courses | |||
Osprey Drone TrainingOnline A2 CofC courseOn the CAA’s list of approved providers under its registered name, Harbour Media Ltd. Online theory at your own pace, then a closed-book exam of 30 questions in 75 minutes with a 75% pass mark. Osprey asks for at least two hours of logged flying, declared with your flight log, and there’s no flight test. | £99 including VAT; revalidation £69 | ||
Commercial Drone TrainingOnline A2 CofC courseOn the CAA’s list as Commercial Drone Training Education Ltd. The course has over 2 hours of video tuition, a flight guide for the self-practical manoeuvres you fly on your own, and 56 mock exam questions with instant feedback. It also offers weekend online testing. | £99 | ||
Coptrz AcademyOnline A2 CofC courseOn the CAA’s list as COPTRZ Ltd, approved for the A2 CofC, the General Visual Line of Sight Certificate (GVC) and the Level 1 Remote Pilot Certificate. The course is about 10 hours, in modules on air law, meteorology, flight performance and operating principles, then an exam module. | £97 excluding VAT | ||
| In person | |||
Drone Pilot AcademyOne-day classroom A2 CofC courseOn the CAA’s list as Drone Pilot Academy Ltd. The day covers the theory and the exam, with hands-on flying when the weather allows, a student study guide and lunch. It also runs GVC courses. | From £375 plus VAT | ||
Prices and ratings checked October 2026.
Which drone course leads to which certificate
- A2 CofC: for the Near People (A2) sub-category of the Open Category. You train yourself in practical flying, then pass a theory exam with the provider.
- GVC: a Specific Category certificate for flying within visual line of sight (VLOS), and one of the two certificates a PDRA01 authorisation, the CAA’s pre-defined risk assessment, accepts. It’s being phased out.
- Level 1 Remote Pilot Certificate (RPC-L1): the newer Specific Category certificate that takes over from the GVC. The CAA’s list shows three providers approved for it: COPTRZ, Eagle Eye Innovations and Heliguy.
The CAA introduced the Level 1, 2 and 3 certificates in early 2025 and says it will add providers for them to its list as arrangements are in place.
CAA-approved drone training providers
The CAA calls approved providers Recognised Assessment Entities for Remote Pilot Competency, or RAE(PC)s, and it lets them set their own fees. Its directory in October 2026 named these providers, all approved for the A2 CofC and the GVC:
- 3iC Ltd
- Airborne Platforms UK
- ASG (Aviation Systems Group Ltd)
- Blue Skies Drone Training Ltd
- Commercial Drone Training Education Ltd
- COPTRZ Ltd, also RPC-L1
- Drone Pilot Academy Ltd
- Eagle Eye Innovations Ltd, also RPC-L1
- Global Drone Training (Drone Training Ltd)
- Heliguy (Colena Ltd), also RPC-L1
- Iprosurv Ltd
- iRed Limited
- Operational Solutions Limited
- Osprey Drone Training (Harbour Media Ltd)
- PCC Devon & Cornwall
- Pigs Can Fly (ASSD Media Ltd)
- Professional Drone Training Scotland Ltd
- RUAS Training Academy (Railscape Ltd)
- Sentinel Small Unmanned Aviation Systems (SUAS) Ltd
- The UAV Academy Ltd
- UAV8 Ltd
- Uavair (Consortiq Ltd)
- UAVHub (Aerial Motion Pictures Ltd)
Online or classroom A2 CofC training
The law fixes the order, whoever you train with: Flyer ID first, then practical training you do on your own in Far from People (A3) conditions, then a declaration and the provider’s theory exam. What changes between courses is how the theory is taught.
Online courses let you work through the theory at your own pace and sit the exam online; some add mock questions or a flight guide for the practical part. A classroom day puts the theory and the exam into one session with a trainer, and Drone Pilot Academy adds hands-on flying when the weather allows. Providers can add their own conditions too: Osprey asks for at least two hours of logged flying before the exam.
Sources: CAA · CAA Regulatory Library and 4 more. Checked October 2026.
- CAA: Prepare for the Flyer ID theory test ↗
- CAA: Ready to take the theory test? ↗
- CAA: CAA-approved training providers ↗
- CAA: Remote pilot qualifications overview ↗
- CAA: Registering to fly drones and model aircraft ↗
- CAA Regulatory Library: UK Regulation (EU) 2019/947, UAS.OPEN.030 ↗
Rules and fees can change, so check the official site before your test.
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