My GUESS is that (I have taken tests from these centralized testing companies) the FAA created a pool of questions and each test is a random set of questions for each test from that pool - assuming the FAA had the initiative to do so - this is just my opinion and guess -
That is correct.
my plan is to take the example test questions the FAA has provided and look up the references they sight
Their small sample group of questions is really just to give you an idea of what the test will be like. And remember. They don't tell you which answer is correct.
- I really don't want to learn about high pressure zones, which way a run way is laid out and so on, just to fly a P3A in my real estate inspection business -
No disrespect meant, but if you don't learn these types of things you won't pass the test.
The reason the FAA covers all this material is this: Perhaps you will never fly your quadcopter above treetop level. In that case, airspaces and traffic pattern proximity don't matter. But the problem is that you CAN fly above treetop level and the FAA is certificating you to do so. Therefore, knowledge of these other topics that you eschew really is necessary.