Interested in getting an amateur radio license? It is easier than you might think to get on the air with your very own FCC issued amateur radio callsign.
How easy you ask? There is NO Morse code requirement. The entry-level exam is a 35 question multiple-choice test from a pool of around 410 publicly available questions and answers. You only need to answer 26 of these questions correctly and you will be issued your very own FCC Technician Class Amateur Radio license.
Follow these 3 simple steps to get your license.
Dan, KB6NU, offers a free Technician Class study guide that you can use to pass your Technician class license exam. The Technician Class exam contains 35 multiple choice questions. The cost for the exam varies from free up to $15.
More on this in the - Find an exam near you section below.
There are other license preparation materials available. The two most popular are the ARRL license books and the Gordon West series of test prep books. These can be purchased from Amazon or often can be found at your local library. Don't worry if the manual is a few years old or out of date. Only a few questions (out of hundreds) change every four years and you will cover them by taking some online tests (next section).
Once you have read through the study guide a few times you should be ready to take some online practice tests.
Ron, NA0Q, provides a great resource free of charge that will help you get licensed. From the HamExam.org site:
Practice tests are a great way to ace your license exam. These sites all offer practice tests that will help you ace your exam.
- HamStudy.org website
- HamExam.org website
- AA9PW.com Amateur Radio Practice Site
There are also a ton of Ham Radio Exam Practice apps for Android and Iphone. Just search your app store for "Ham Exam". Many are free and work great while in the checkout line, the waiting room at the doctor's office, or whenever you are taking a small break.
All US amateur radio exams are administered by volunteer examiners. The FCC has designated a number of official Volunteer Examiner Coordinators to prepare and administer amateur radio license exams. All volunteer examiners are affiliated with one of these VECs. VECs are allowed to charge a fee for taking the exam however some offer free exam sessions.
You can find exam sessions near you at HamStudy.org or at the ARRL website.
- HamStudy exam session lookup
- ARRL exam session lookup
The Weld Amateur Radio Society has partnered with the Patriot VE Team to provide free Greeley area Amateur Radio License Exams. These sessions will take place on the third Saturday of even numbered months at 10 a.m. The Longmont Amateur Radio Club sponsors free Patriot VE Team test sessions on the third Saturday of odd numbered months.
You can register for future Greeley and Longmont area exam sessions at HamStudy.org
After you pass your exam you will be issued a callsign by the FCC and you can get on the air.
Now the door to amateur radio has been unlocked and you can step inside the hobby. What next?
Join WARS or another amateur radio club near you. The Weld Amateur Radio Society will welcome you and our members will be happy to share our knowledge on enjoying the many different aspects of amateur radio.
The US has three levels of amateur radio licenses.
The Technician and General Class Amateur Radio License exam consists of 35 multiple choice questions. You need to get 26 correct in order to pass the exam. The questions come from the official Technician or General Class Question Pool that is released to the public. The Tech and General question pools each have around 415 questions.
The Extra Class Amateur Radio License exam consists of 50 multiple choice questions. You need 37 to pass the Extra exam. The Extra question pool has around 620 questions.
Question Pools are maintained by the National Conference of Volunteer Examiner Coordinators (NCVEC). You can find out more about the NCVEC along with all of the published exam questions at:
→ NCVEC Website
Some licensed amateurs are content with their Tech license. And why not? It offers plenty of opportunities to get on the air and experiment with amateur radio.
But if you feel the need for more privileges then by all means go for it! The process is the same for any of the license classes.
Many of the WARS club members have had success in studying for their exam with HamStudy and FastTrackHam. Check them out!
There are many resources available to get you on the right course. A comprehensive overview of amateur radio is available at the ARRL, the National Association of Amateur Radio. Formerly the American Radio Relay League, the non-profit ARRL advocates for and supports amateur radio in the US.
The FAQ at the bottom of the
→ ARRL What is Ham Radio page will answer many of your questions.
The → ARRL's Licensing Section and
→ Getting Licensed pages have loads of information.
From Wikipedia:
- ARRL text of 'CFR Title 47: Telecommunication PART 97—AMATEUR RADIO SERVICE'
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The Weld Amateur Radio Society is based in Weld County, Colorado. We exist to promote the understanding and use of amateur radio within our community.
WARS is a private, non-profit organization and is recognized by the U.S. Internal Revenue Service as an independent 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
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