Ham Radio Technician Class Practice Test

Free Ham Radio Technician Class Practice Test (updated 2026)

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) provides a Technician Class exam to certify the operation of an amateur station. This page covers the Technician Class radio license needed to operate an amateur radio, also called ham radio. Three levels of ham radio licenses are issued by the FCC, and the technician license is intended for beginners.

Click “Start Test” above to take a free Ham Radio Technician practice test!

Why Get a Ham Radio Technician License?

To operate a ham radio, a person must have a license. Using a ham radio allows you to contact others during natural disasters or emergencies that interrupt internet services.

The technician exam is considered the entry-level license exam. Still, with that entry-level license, you can transmit on VHF and UHF amateur bands. The license allows you to communicate on Amateur Radio frequencies above 30 megahertz. You will also have CW privileges on portions of the 80-, 40-, and 15-meter bands, plus CW, data, and limited SSB voice privileges on the 10-meter band.

Exam Eligibility

Meeting the eligibility requirements for this exam is relatively easy. To take the test, you must have the following:

• A valid United States mailing address
• A valid email address
• Proof of identity that meets your exam team’s requirements
• An FCC Registration Number (FRN)

Ham Radio Technician Outline

The Ham Radio Technician Exam contains 35 multiple-choice questions, and the questions are split into ten main categories.

1. Commission’s Rules (6 questions)

The six questions in this category are pulled from a pool of 68 questions. The pool is split into six groups:

2. Operating Procedures (3 questions)

The three questions in this category are pulled from a pool of 37 questions. The pool is split into three groups:

3. Radio Wave Propagation (3 questions)

The three questions in this category are pulled from a pool of 35 questions. The pool is split into three groups:

4. Amateur Radio Practices (2 questions)

The two questions in this category are pulled from a pool of 23 questions. The pool is split into two groups:

5. Electrical Principles (4 questions)

The four questions in this category are pulled from a pool of 50 questions. The pool is split into four groups:

6. Electronic and Electrical Components (4 questions)

The four questions in this category are pulled from a pool of 46 questions. The pool is split into four groups:

7. Practical Circuits (4 questions)

The four questions in this category are pulled from a pool of 44 questions. The pool is split into four groups:

8. Signals and Emissions (4 questions)

The four questions in this category are pulled from a pool of 47 questions. The pool is split into four groups:

9. Antennas and Feed Lines (2 questions)

The two questions in this category are pulled from a pool of 23 questions. The pool is split into two groups:

10. Safety (3 questions)

The three questions in this category are pulled from a pool of 36 questions. The pool is split into three groups:

Top 3 Most Challenging Questions

Now that you know more about the exam, try your hand at some targeted practice!

Over the last year, we've compiled the data from about 1,000 test-takers who tried their hand at the practice test at the top of this page. According to the data, around 60% of people answered these three questions incorrectly.

Answer each question and read through the answer explanation, whether you got the answer right or wrong. This will help you ensure you've got the topic mastered.

Whether you struggled with these questions or aced them on your first try, be sure to take the full practice test to get a better idea of how prepared you really are!

Hardest Question

Only 41% answered correctly

1. Where may SSB phone be used in amateur bands above 50 MHz?

A.Only in sub-bands allocated to General class or higher licensees B.Only on repeaters C.In at least some segment of all these bands D.On any band if the power is limited to 25 watts Submit

Found a bug? Let us know!

Registration

Before taking the exam, you must have an FCC Registration Number (FRN). If you don’t already have one, create an account in the FCC’s Commission Registration System (CORES) and register for an FRN. If you already have an FRN, use your existing number.

You'll then need to find an in-person or remotely proctored exam session through a Volunteer Examiner (VE) team. Follow the team’s registration instructions and confirm its identification requirements, exam fee, accepted payment methods, and testing procedures.

After you pass, the Volunteer Examiner Coordinator (VEC) submits your examination and application information to the FCC. New license applicants must pay a separate $35 FCC application fee directly to the FCC. Payment is due within 10 calendar days after the application file number is issued.

How to Pass

Think you aren’t a good test-taker? Maybe on a study-time crunch? Or just don’t know how to begin studying? Mometrix has designed a new Study Secrets course to help every student, no matter what study scenario you are in. Here’s what you’ll find in the Study Secrets Course:

• Techniques to Conquer Procrastination
• Steps to building a Study Plan custom to your learning style
• 7 Effective Note-Taking Methods
• Test-Taking Tips
• Memory Techniques and Mnemonics
• And much more!

Everyone learns differently, so we’ve tailored our Study Secrets Course to ensure every learner has what they need to prepare for their upcoming exam or semester. Click below to check it out!

Test Day

Exams are offered by volunteers who work in conjunction with a Volunteer Examiner Coordinator under the direction of the FCC. A large number of ham radio clubs offer exam services.

You will need a few items on the day of the test:

• Your FCC Registration Number (FRN)
• Acceptable identification
• The email address used for your registration and license application
• Payment for any exam session fee, using a method accepted by your exam team

A photo ID, such as a driver’s license or passport, is commonly accepted. If you don’t have a photo ID, contact the exam team in advance about acceptable alternatives. ARRL sessions allow specified combinations of other identification documents, with additional options for minors.

For an in-person paper exam, bring pencils with erasers and an ink pen if your exam team requires them. A calculator is optional. ARRL sessions permit calculators with their memories erased and stored formulas cleared, but prohibit using a phone or similar device as a calculator. If you are taking a remotely proctored exam, follow your team’s requirements for your computer, cameras, internet connection, room setup, and permitted materials.

Passing Score

To pass the Ham Radio Technician exam, you must answer 26 out of 35 questions correctly, which is a score of approximately 74%.

You will be immediately notified of your score once you finish the exam. If you pass, you will be eligible to take the General Class test on the same day, if you wish. Note that additional testing depends on the exam team’s procedures, available materials, and time.

Retaking the Ham Radio Technician Exam

If you don’t pass, there is no mandatory FCC waiting period before another attempt. A same-day retake may be available if the exam team has a different question set and the time and resources to administer it.

You cannot be given the same question set again. However, a different version may include some questions you encountered on your previous attempt.

Retest fees depend on the VEC’s policies. At an ARRL VEC session, retaking an exam element after a failed attempt requires an additional exam fee.

Study Tips

Start with a Technician Practice Test

Before creating your study schedule, take a Technician practice test to establish a starting point. You don't need to wait until you have reviewed every FCC rule, electrical formula, radio component, or antenna type. At this stage, the goal is to identify where your preparation time will have the greatest effect.

Review your results across the ten categories:

• Commission's Rules: Do you understand licensing, frequency privileges, station identification, control operators, prohibited transmissions, interference, and other FCC requirements?
• Operating Procedures: Can you choose an appropriate frequency, make contacts, use repeaters, resolve operating problems, and follow emergency and public-service procedures?
• Radio Wave Propagation: Do you understand wavelength and frequency, line-of-sight communication, the radio horizon, ionospheric propagation, and other ways radio signals travel?
• Amateur Radio Practices: Can you correctly set up and operate common station equipment and controls?
• Electrical Principles: Do you understand current, voltage, resistance, power, frequency, Ohm's law, and series and parallel circuits?
• Electronic and Electrical Components: Can you identify common components, schematic symbols, and the functions of resistors, capacitors, inductors, diodes, transistors, transformers, and other devices?
• Practical Circuits: Do you understand basic station equipment, common transmitter and receiver problems, SWR and feed-line troubleshooting, and test instruments?
• Signals and Emissions: Can you distinguish FM, SSB, CW, and digital modes and understand satellite and other specialized operating activities?
• Antennas and Feed Lines: Do you understand antenna polarization and gain, resonant length, feed-line losses, SWR, connectors, and antenna matching?
• Safety: Do you understand electrical, battery, antenna, tower, lightning, grounding, and RF-exposure hazards?

Identifying those specific weaknesses will show you where to devote more attention during your study time.

Review Difficult Questions

After each practice session, review every question you answered incorrectly AND every question you guessed on or answered with low confidence.

For each difficult question, determine which of the following caused the problem:

• You memorized a rule but didn't understand when it applied.
• You confused two frequency bands, operating modes, or license privileges.
• You knew an electrical formula but didn't recognize which quantity to calculate.
• You confused the purpose of two similar electronic components.
• You recognized a schematic symbol but didn't understand what the component does in the circuit.
• You knew a radio term but couldn't connect it to actual station operation.
• You misunderstood how an antenna, feed line, or propagation condition affects a signal.
• You overlooked an electrical, RF, battery, or antenna safety requirement.

Then, outline a specific plan for improvement based on what you discovered. In other words, don't just say, “I need to study electricity.” Note that you need to practice using Ohm's law to solve for current when voltage and resistance are given.

Similarly, replace “study antennas” with something specific, such as reviewing how frequency relates to resonant antenna length or how high SWR affects a transmission system.

Utilize Answer Explanations

Answer explanations are an underutilized studying resource. To take full advantage of them, read the explanation for every question you found difficult, including questions you answered correctly.

For each one, make sure you can confidently explain:

1. Why the correct answer is correct
2. Why each incorrect answer is less appropriate
3. What rule, electrical principle, component, or operating concept is being tested
4. Which information in the question controls the answer
5. How the concept applies to an actual amateur radio station
6. How the same principle could appear in another question

For calculation questions, don't stop after getting the correct number. Identify what each value represents, choose the correct relationship, keep track of the units, and make sure the answer is reasonable.

For equipment questions, connect each component to what it actually does in a radio system. Knowing that a mixer converts a signal from one frequency to another is more useful than memorizing the answer to one mixer question.

Use the Current Technician Question Pool

Unlike most licensing exams, every possible Technician exam question is published in advance. Use that to your advantage, but make sure you're studying the current 2026-2030 question pool.

The pool is divided into 35 question groups, and the exam contains one question from each group. That means your practice should cover every group rather than repeatedly drilling only the topics you already know well.

Don't rely entirely on memorizing which answer choice is correct. The wording, distractors, and concepts can be similar across questions, and understanding the material will make it much easier to distinguish between plausible answers.

When reviewing the pool, use this process:

Question → Correct Answer → Principle → Real-World Application

For example, if a question asks about repeater offsets, don't memorize only the correct frequency difference. Understand what an offset is, why the transmit and receive frequencies differ, and how you would configure a radio to use a repeater.

Connect Electrical Theory to Radio Equipment

Electrical principles, components, and practical circuits account for a significant portion of the Technician exam. Study these areas together instead of treating them as unrelated chapters.

For electrical problems, use:

Known Values → Principle or Formula → Calculation → Units → Meaning

For components, use:

Component → Function → Circuit Role → Effect of Failure

For example, don't just memorize that a capacitor stores energy in an electric field. Understand how capacitors differ from resistors and inductors, recognize their schematic symbol, and know the types of circuits where their properties are useful.

The same principle applies to test equipment. Know not only what a voltmeter, ammeter, ohmmeter, or SWR meter measures, but where it should be connected and what the measurement tells you about the system.

FAQs

By Peter Rench

Peter Rench joined Mometrix in 2009 and serves as Vice President of Product Development, responsible for overseeing all new product development and quality improvements. Mr. Rench, a National Merit Scholar, graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering and a minor in mathematics from Texas A&M University.

Edited by Aaron Lanni

Aaron is the content manager and lead editor for Mometrix Academy. He regularly produces, updates, proofreads, and edits content to ensure it meets Mometrix’s quality and accessibility standards.

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