So you want to become an Amateur Radio Operator?

Great! Right now there are 3 license levels. These classes are Technician, General and Extra Class. These classes are granted by the Federal Communications Commission.
The most popular license for beginners is the Technician Class license, which requires only a 35 multiple-choice question written examination. The exam will test you on electronic theory and the FCC rules and regulations. This license will grant you permission to operate in all amateur radio frequencies above 30 MHz. To operate in the HF frequency bands, you must pass a 5 words per minute morse code test as well as additional written examinations for the General and Extra Class license. Most amateur operators enter at a lower class level and then "upgrade" later to the higher license classes.

The first thing you will need to do is to get study material. The local Radio Shack store MAY have study guides available to sell to you. If not, you can order study guides from the ARRL. Also, Amateur Electronic Supply is a good source of study material as well as equipment to buy! I found a site that is an on-line tutorial. Check out KG4BOO's Ham Radio Exam Tutorial Website.

In addition to study guides that you can buy, there are sites on the internet where you can practice taking the exams using the FCC question pools. One location that I have found is at Texas A&M University ARC. Another is at the AA9PW Amateur Radio Exam Practice Page. Also, you can visit the ARRL Morse Code Page for information on how to learn the morse code!

I do not guarantee any of these web sites will "automatically" teach you to pass the tests. Like any class material, it is up to the individual to study and "do their homework". With some dedication, you will be able to get your ticket!

Once you have studied up and feel confident that you can pass the test, you will need to find a location to take the exam. Local clubs in the area have certified Volunteer Examiners (VE's) that administer the exams. VE schedules can be found at the ARRL Exam Session Search Page. You may have to make an appointment in advance to let them know you are coming to take an exam. The VE's will grade the exams on the spot and let you know if you have passed or failed. Then it is the matter of the waiting game for the paperwork to be filed and a license issued to you! The FCC will enter you into their license database. Once that is done, you can start operating!

To inquire on your license status, go to the ARRL FCC License Data Search web page.

Good Luck!!