Preparing for Your Exam
There are lots of ways to study...
But we've got some tips!
Some people like to really go into depth as they study for their exam. Electronics might interest them, or antenna design, or something else. They learn the details up front. This is a longer, but fulfilling path. Others want to learn what they need to know to get on the air, then learn more every day. We often say that when you get your license, you're getting a license to learn. Some people like books, others like videos, and others prefer in-person classes.
Whichever approach is right for you, there is a fantastic free resource out there to help: HamStudy. SURF Exams is not affiliated with HamStudy, but we find that it is a very reliable tool to help people pass their exams. Our advice is to create a free account and go into "Study Mode". It will ensure that you are being exposed to 100% of the question pool for your exam. A lot of people take practice exams and then during their real exam, they are surprised to encounter questions they haven't seen. HamStudy will help you avoid that.
There's a local class!
Get Your FCC Amateur Radio License in Just 6 Weeks – No Experience Needed!
Thanks to the efforts of SCCARC members Bob Fike, Kathi Fike, Dan Selling, and Roberta Roberts, you can join a free class that will cover the basics — from how radios work, to making your first contact, and understanding licensing requirements. Family-friendly with lots of slides, hands-on equipment demonstrations, discussion and connections with other ham radio operators.
What you'll need:
- ARRL Ham Radio License Manual for the Technician Exam
- A free online study tool: HamStudy.org
- Enthusiasm and curiosity – no electronics knowledge needed – we start from scratch!
The exam questions
Your exam will be created randomly from a publicly available pool of questions developed by the National Conference of Volunteer Examiner Coordinators (NCVEC). The pools are quite large, but your exam will contain only 35 questions (50 for the Amateur Extra license). The question pools are normally updated every 4 years:
- Technician: The current pool is valid through June 30, 2026. A new pool will be active on July 1.
- General Class pool: The current pool is valid through June 30, 2027. A new pool will be active on July 1.
- Amateur Extra Class pool: The current pool is valid through June 30, 2028. A new pool will be active on July 1.
The question pools are available at many sites online, and an authoritative copy can always be found at the NCVEC site.