PREPARATION
Overview
There are three classes of amateur radio licenses that the FCC offers, this course will prepare you for the first exam. The license classes are progressive, meaning you have to earn the first license before adding the next and so on. These license classes will grant you more and more privileges and each one is earned by passing a written multiple-choice exam.
While the license itself is regulated by the FCC, the exams themselves are administered through a network of volunteers across the country called Volunteer Examiner Coordinators or VECs. In most areas of the country, there will be one or more in-person exam sessions within a short drive. In recent years the FCC has started allowing online testing as well.
VEs may charge a small fee to reimburse the expenses related to the examination process, but this is never more than $15. Many urban areas offer free testing sessions as well. If you require any special procedures due to a disability, talk to a local VE before your exam so that they may accommodate your needs.
Most testing sessions allow you to retake the exam up to three times. Each of the exams will contain a varied selection of questions from the pool, so if you don’t pass on your first attempt, retry if time permits and you may get a more favorable selection of questions.
Once you pass one exam, you will be immediately offered the next license level exam as a courtesy but you are not required to take it.
Cost
Exam: Maximum $15 donation for the exam session, many urban areas have free exam sessions.
$35 FCC License Fee
License Levels
Technician Class
35 questions, 26 to pass.
This entry-level license grants privileges for short range communications using VHF and UHF radios. This allows operators to communicate with others in their local community - and even longer distances through the use of local repeaters. The Technician Class also allows limited use of HF radio bands, just enough to get a small taste of world-wide communications.
General Class
35 questions, 26 to pass.
This license level grants privileges to nearly the full range of the amateur radio spectrum. You must already have passed the Technician Class exam before you can attempt this exam. In addition to the full VHF and UFH bands, General Class operators have access to a majority of the spectrum on all HF bands for world-wide communications and are able to operate on those bands at the maximum amateur power output (1500 Watts).
Amateur Extra Class
50 questions, 37 to pass.
Amateur Extra Class license allows the full privileges granted to Amateur Radio Operators. You must already have passed the General Class exam before you can attempt this exam. This means maximum power in all modes across all of the bands in the amateur radio spectrum. This includes some parts of the HF spectrum that are only available to Amateur Extra Class operators. In practical terms, this license is more of a sign that an operator has deep knowledge of amateur radio operations, and these operators are great resources to reach out to for guidance and mentoring.