The Dreaded Exam

OK, it’s not THAT bad, but no one really likes to take a test, right? Let’s talk about it, though. Amateur radio is a critical service as well as a fun hobby, which is why so few countries limit their citizens’ right to transmit and receive on amateur bands. At the same time, that right to transmit and receive comes with some responsibilities. Hams need to transmit in such a manner as to not cause interference to others. The ham bands should never be used for commercial gain. And, because international communication is core element of amateur radio, operators need to be aware, polite, and appropriate in their use of the frequencies. To help ensure these responsibilities, most countries have some form of training and testing which, upon successful completion, attest to an operator’s knowledge of the science and etiquette behind amateur radio.

In the United States, the FCC (Federal Communications Commission) is responsible for all frequencies in the communications spectrum. They have delegated authority for the ham bands to the ham community itself – the tests are written, administered, and graded by hams. I suppose that, if the ham community abused this trust, the FCC would eventually pull that authority back. But that abuse doesn’t (and shouldn’t) happen, so the trust relationship between hams and government continues.

In the US, there are three current levels of licensing:

• Technician: this is the entry-level to ham radio. The exam consists of 35 questions, and the applicant must correctly answer 27 or more to pass the test. Technician privileges are limited to a few bands.
• General: the next step up from technician is the general license. The General exam is longer and much more technical than the technician exam. General privileges cover all bands and nearly all frequencies within each band.
• Technician Extra (generally referred to as ‘extra’): the exam for extra encompasses questions from the technician and general exams, but is obviously more demanding than the those exams. Extras operate in the same bands as generals, but are afforded special “Extra-only” frequencies within many bands.

For more information on licensing in the US, see http://www.arrl.org/arrlvec/license-requirements.html.

Preparing For Exams

To prepare of an exam, you have a variety of options:

1. Most amateur radio clubs offer occasional prep courses. They generally charge a modest fee, and the courses are taught across multiple weeks. For a classroom learner, this is the best option.
2. There are a few courses available online. ARRL (http://www.arrl.org) offers online training, as do a number of independent hams.
3. There are also book options, for the reading learner. Of course, ARRL offers books for each license. Frankly, even if you’re using other methods to prepare, you should purchase a copy of the ARRL book for your license. It’s indispensable as a reference guide—and it’s probably the only form you can read in the bathtub!
4. iPhone: on the iPhone, you can use the “Amateur Radio Exam Prep” series to prepare for your test. These applications are affordable, and they include automatic test grading, historical test statistics, and study sessions.

The secret to these exams is understanding that there is a fixed pool of questions, which only changes every 5 or 10 years. For the Technician exam, for example, there are only 120 questions. A good memorizer can prepare for the exam in a week or less. The challenge is that the exam taker may know the correct answer to each question, but will have no background to the answer. Hams are torn about this approach – many new hams have grown in the hobby, to become contributing members. Many new hams, however, either grow disillusioned or even difficult to deal with on the airwaves. Whatever your motivation, preparation mode, and interests, be sure to work on understanding the material rather than just memorizing it.

Taking The Exam

On exam day, you’ll want to bring a couple of pencils (yup, just the like SAT) and arrive early. Bring two forms of identification, also. There will be three VEs (volunteer examiners) to administer and grade your exam. It’ll be informal, they’ll explain to you how the test will work, and then they’ll let you at it. Good luck!

After the Test

It generally takes a week or so for your results to be submitted to the FCC. You can look on several sites and watch for your call sign to appear. When I got my Technician call sign (KF7DVJ), I was thrilled!

Once the test is complete, the learning really gets going. It’s different actually building a radio, setting up an HT, and communicating! It’s one thing to read about it, and a whole other thing doing it. But the best way to learn is to dive in feet-first and learn. The ham community, for the most part, is polite and patient. They’ll point out where you’re doing things wrong, but they’ll coach you through how to do it right, too.

I’ve been involved in various open source software projects. The open source community is generally friendly and supportive, but nowhere near like the ham community. Soon you’ll have friends all over the world! For a hobby which usually takes place indoors, late at night or early in the morning, you’ll be amazed at how many face-to-face relationships you develop in such a short amount of time!