Re: How long does it take?
By: Daryl Stout to James Goble on Tue Feb 03 2026 05:47 pm
> James,
>
> JG> How long does it typically take to get this license? To become
> JG> a ham radio op that is.
>
> It depends how much time you want to take to study the material.
> You can't just walk in off the street without some preparation. You
> will be tested on rules, regulations, frequencies, propagation, RF
> safety, and electronic theory (including Ohm's Law).
>
> In the United States and its territories, the National Council Of
> Volunteer Examiner Coordinators (NCVEC) generate a Question Pool,
> in the public domain, of a set of questions devised by licensed ham
> radio operators of these classes:
>
> General -- for the Technician exam
> Advanced -- for the Technician or General exam
> Amateur Extra -- for the Technician, General, or Amateur Extra exam.
>
> The Question Pools change every 4 years, depending on changes with
> rules, technology, etc. There are also schematic diagrams, where you
> have to identify certain components. The pools have to contain at
> least 10 times the number of questions on an exam.
>
> The Technician and General exam have 35 questions, and the Amateur
> Extra exam has 50 questions. So at minimum, if you decide to go for
> all 3 in one sitting (it can be done, but it's not easy), you have
> a minimum of 1200 questions (multiple choice) to know...and the total
> could be over 1700 questions.
>
> I personally recommend HamTestOnline (hamradiolicenseexam.com).
> While a fee based course (6 month subscription), they offer a money
> back guarantee if you fail the exam. Back in 2007, in studying 2
> hours a day for 2 weeks (you will burn out if you do any more than
> that), I went from Technician to General in 14 days, and from General
> to Amateur Extra 13 days later.
>
> They cover not only the questions, but the concepts...so you are
> learning something, and not just memorizing answers. When you get to
> 80 percent studying, start taking practice tests. When you start
> scoring 85 percent or better on a regular basis, you are ready to
> take the exam, and will likely pass.
>
> Yet, as noted above, if after adequate study and practice tests,
> you still fail the exam, send them proof of the failure, and they
> will cancel your subscription, and refund your money.
>
> With "internet radio" (for those like myself with medical/health
> issues, or for those with antenna prohibitions), you can still talk
> to hams around the world with just a Technician Class license.
>
> Daryl Stout, N5VLZ, Volunteer Examiner Team Leader
> University Of Arkansas At Little Rock Ham Radio Club
>
> ... Do you, Ham, take Radio, to be your lawfully wedded spouse??
I definitely want to learn something versus memorizing it. Thank you.
James,
telnet://ricksbbs.synchro.net:23
http://ricksbbs.synchro.net:8080
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