The A1/A3 exam

Do I need the A1/A3 exam?

You need it if you fly in the open category with:

• a drone with class label C1 (subcategory A1);
• a drone with class label C2, C3 or C4, a privately built drone under 25 kilograms, or a drone without a class label that was placed on the market before 1 January 2024 (subcategory A3).

If you only fly a drone under 250 grams (class C0, or without a class label), the EU does not require an exam. You do need to know the manufacturer’s instructions. If such a drone has a camera, you usually still have to register as an operator. See the drone rules for the Netherlands.

The exam at a glance

The nine subjects

1. Air safety
2. Airspace restrictions
3. Aviation regulation
4. Human performance limitations
5. Operational procedures
6. General knowledge of drones
7. Privacy and data protection
8. Insurance
9. Security

The rules say the questions must be “distributed appropriately” across these subjects, but not how many per subject. Each exam provider decides for itself. That is why our mock exams cover every subject, without promising the distribution matches your exam exactly.

Where do you take the exam in the Netherlands?

In the Netherlands the exam is not held by the government but by one of the examination bodies appointed by the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management. The list is on rijksoverheid.nl. After passing, you apply for your certificate with the RDW (the Dutch vehicle and registration authority), which costs a €10 fee.

The exam itself is paid; prices of around €99 per certificate are common. You can prepare wherever you like: exam preparation is not regulated.

After the exam

Your certificate is valid for five years. To keep flying after that, read how renewal works. If you want to fly a C2 drone closer to people, the A2 exam is the next step.

Sources: Regulation (EU) 2019/947 and AMC/GM (EASA Easy Access Rules, June 2026); rijksoverheid.nl; rdw.nl. Last checked: 16 September 2026.