HOW DO I BECOME A LICENSED
AMATEUR RADIO OPERATOR
| Clubs and Classes_ | Where to find clubs offering Amateur Radio license classes or exams. |
| Study Aids _______ | Where to find additional study materials and help. |
| Exam Practice ____ | Links to online practice exam sessions. |
| VE Exams ________ | Where to go to take the actual license exam. |
INTRODUCTION:
Today it is easier than ever to become a licensed operator in the Amateur Radio Service. The entry level license is the Technician license. The requirement for learning Morse Code has been removed leaving only a simple "multiple choice" exam to earn your Technician class Amateur Radio license. The questions and answers for all of the FCC license exams are readily available for you to study. The Technician license exam questions cover some common sense FCC rules and operating procedures, and only a very basic understanding of radio and electronics.
All Amateur Radio license exams are administered by authorized Volunteer Examiners (VEs) all over the country. The Technician license exam consists of 35 questions drawn from a larger pool of questions. You must correctly answer 70% of the questions. The FCC requires that the same pool of questions is to be used by all volunteer examiners - so you will study the same questions regardless of where you plan to take the license exam. The Question Pools for all classes of Amateur Licenses are maintained by the National Conference of Volunteer Examiner Coordinators (NCVEC). You can find details about the process including the actual "Question Pools" containing the exact questions for the various license classes online at the NCVEC website or at the ARRL Amateur Radio Question Pools page on the ARRL web site.
There are many resources available online to help you attain an Amateur Radio license including study guides and practice tests. You can study and take practice exams online, but you must take your actual exam in person at a Volunteer Exam session before the FCC will issued your license. On the remainder of this page we will walk through the steps you should follow to accomplish that goal, and we will attempt to point you to resources that will be useful along your journey.
If you don't see what you need here you may want to check out some of the information online at the ARRL-Getting Licensed web pages, or try using one of the internet search engines. There is a huge amount of information to be found online.
Return to topFIND A CLUB - FIND A CLASS:
The easiest way to earn your Amateur Radio license is to attend license classes. Many Amateur Radio Clubs conduct licensing classes and administer license exams. Attending these classes will provide you the opportunity to ask questions and participate in discussions with those who have gone before you. The instructors are not paid staff - they are volunteers who are there because they want to help you earn your license. There is typically no charge for these classes other than for the study materials. If you don't know of a local club you can check for ARRL affiliated clubs in your area by using the ARRL Club Search. You can find Amateur Radio VE Test Sessions in your area using the ARRL: Amateur Licensing Exam Search or the W5YI VE Exam Session Search.
You can also find many clubs and exam locations by from one of the internet search sites. Search for "Amateur Radio Clubs" or "Amateur Radio Exams" in your state or local area.
STUDY AIDS:
Free stuff:
ARRL Web: Amateur Exam Question Pools
On the ARRL site you can download a PDF file containing the entire question pool - all the questions that could possibly be on an exam, complete with correct answers and references to the FCC rule that covers the question. The first few pages of the document provide some errata about the question pool including any changes that have been made since the original was published by the Question Pool Committee, and a description of the sub-elements (subject categories) that comprise a test, and number of questions a test must have from each sub-element.
The Arlington Radio Public Service Club - W4AVA This RACES group has put together a series of 5 classes using a combination of PDF pages and some audio files (WAV and WMA files) that are available on their website. The audio files were recorded during live classes that I understand were also conducted online. CAUTION: These classes appear to be out of date. While the technical mater is still correct, there FCC has changed the privileges for the Technician license since these files were created. Do not study the FCC Rules and Regulations material in these classes.
Current FCC Part 97 Reference
The US Government Printing Office maintains online, an "e-CFR" (electronic Code of Federal Regulations). "Title 47 Telecommunication" is part of the e-CFR, and the Federal Communications Commission is covered in "Parts 0-199" of Title 47. Part 97 is where you will find rules and regulations governing the "Amateur Radio Service". This online version is always up to date, so it's a good place to look for answers to questions about Amateur Radio Rules and Regulations.
Commercial Products:
ARRL License Manual Series
The ARRL publishes some of the most popular study guides for each license class.
The ARRL Ham Radio License Course
The ARRL also provides ONLINE courses in many subjects, including this course to prepare you to pass an amateur license exam. You can work any time, from any place that has access to the internet. While the classes are NOT instructor led, there are "mentors" who work with you via email, and even on the phone if necessary. After reading their course description, scroll to the top of their page for general information about their online courses.
W5YI / QRZ Bookstore offers study guides for all Amateur license classes as well as Morse Code, Radio and Electronics Theory, and the commercial GROL license.Return to top
EXAM PRACTICE:
QRZ Ham Radio Practice Tests
The QRZ tests provide feedback, once downloaded they will run without a network connection, and a special large print version is available.
eHam.net Ham Radio Practice Exams
eHam provides practice tests using both current and older question pools.
AA9PW FCC Amateur Radio Practice Pages
Simon Twigger, AA9PW, has practice tests for both Amateur and commercial licenses as well as such supporting resources as Morse Code instruction and practice, and the ability to send a practice exam via email for later use without internet connection, or to be printed for use when no computer is available.
Taking the License Exam
The actual license exams are administered by a team of at least three Volunteer Examiners (VEs) who are certified by one of the Volunteer Examiner Coordinators (VECs) authorized by the FCC. The VEC offices interface directly with the FCC and provide oversight and support services to the VEs.
VE teams usually accept "Walk-In" applicants but it is best to contact them ahead of time to verify what their requirements are for taking the test. At the very least you must have some form of identification and in most cases will be required to pay a fee for taking the test. As their title implies, the VEs are all volunteers, they do not receive any pay for administering the tests. They are giving their time to help you and are anxious for you to succeed in getting your license - but they are strictly regulated and must follow very specific procedures.
Many clubs sponsor VE teams and the best way to find out where the exams are given locally is to go to a meeting at your local ham radio club.
If you can't find information at your local club try the ARRL Exam Search page.
Many Hamfests also include VE test sessions on their program. You can find a hamfest schedule online at the ARRL: Hamfest and Convention Calendar. A south east regional hamfest calendar can also be found online at K4HM Hamfest Calendar.