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There are a range of books, websites, and even audio resources to help you obtain your licence.
Note that each question pool in the US system is renewed after four years, so is important to ensure whatever materials you use, they are up to date for the date you will be sitting your exam(s).
It is possible to just do the Technician test; or to do two, or all three exams in one session, and so gain the General or Extra immediately. Note that if you do not have a licence, or have a Novice one, you must sit all papers up to the level you wish to obtain. Current licences, or those expired for less than 2 years, count as credit for your upgrade.
If you have held a licence which has expired more than 2 years ago you can pass the Technician paper, and obtain a General licence with credit from a General, Advanced, or Technician Plus (if obtained before March 21, 1987); or an Extra licence if you had an Extra.
I have written a number of pages, which cover all Technician questions, listed below.
HamTestOnline is an very effective online training and examination drill site. You can create an account for free, which provides access to a small amount of training, and to the practice exams. Subscribing gives access to course material at one or more levels. See hamtestonline.com
There are a number of competing sites, along with "apps" for 'phones and tablets.
Canadians can try: Ylab's Free Canadian Amateur Radio (Ham) License Training Class
The ARRL Bookshop sells printed and Kindle books for obtaining your Technician licence, and upgrading to General and then to Extra; along with training software. Visit the Shop Homepage, and select "Licensing".
The ARRL Handbook is an extensive manual on electronics and radio communications, generally updated each year. While not specifically designed to help you pass the exams, it is an important reference. Follow the "Handbook" link (in the list to the left) in the ARRL Shop page. As of April 2025, with the 101st Edition available, the 100th Edition (2022) remains available on the Clearance page. An Operating Manual, Antenna books, various maps, kits, mugs, clothing, etc are also available.
Gordon West produces a range of Books. Again, one book is required for each level. You can select Gordon West on the ARRL site. The 8 hours of audio from his CDs is now available via Youtube: Gordon West Radio School Audio Files. The first few minutes demonstrate a signal heard across the US on 6 metres.
YouTube has a range of training videos, some of which step through the ARRL books. A search such as "technician licence study" will find these.
One example is 2022-2026 Technician (Part 1) from Red Wagon Technology (Gary KE2GS).
Note that you should try to find videos relating to the pool in force at the date of your exam.
The official question pools are published by the National Conference of Volunteer Examiner Coordinators.
The pools are on the sidebar at: ncvec.org
The regulations are part of the US "Code of Federal Regulations". Title 47 covers the FCC, and Part 97 Amateur Radio. These rules are "administrative law", which can be amended by the FCC without legislation from Congress.
An up-to-date version of Part 97 on the National Archives' eCFR site: 47 CFR, Part 97. (Apparently publication of legislation is one of many things subject to change, but this is still up as of mid-April 2025). They are also on the NCVEC, ARRL, and W5YI sites, and can be purchased in printed form.
Practical aspects, such as frequencies to use are summarised in ARRL Band Plan charts. You should download and print one of these Frequency Allocation Charts.
There are also mostly voluntary band-plans which organise Amateur operations, such as ARRL Bandplan if in the US, or WIA Bandplan if in Australia.
Note that you do not need to learn the entire regulations by rote to pass the exam, as only the questions on them published by the NCVEC can appear in an exam.
While entirely optional, Morse Code, sometimes called "CW" for the fact that it is often sent using interrupted continuous wave, simply turning on and off a simple fixed frequency, fixed level radio frequency signal, still has several uses in Amateur Radio. Most repeaters use Morse code to satisfy the legal requirement of sending their callsign periodically, and can indicate mains power failure, battery depletion, or other information that way. It is also the most efficient non-computer mode of operation, so remains popular with "DXers", and the like.
The official standard is available for free download from this page on the ITU website.
If you are wondering why the document is so recent, the code was amended to include the "commercial at" symbol, @, to allow email addresses to be transmitted, nothing if not modern!
Many say it is better to use "dits" and "dahs", more reminiscent of the sound of Morse. An example is on MorseCode.World, along with a text to morse converter which plays audio.
Phonetics, usually the official Spelling Alphabet used or required by organisations such as the ITU, NATO, ICAO and IMO, are a series of words used to represent letters, and also includes standardised pronunciation of numerals. This alphabet is used to ensure clarity when exchanging callsigns, personal names, street names, licence plates, and similar information, including under poor or noisy signal conditions. Along with the items below, they also help to allow basic contacts or "QSOs" to be made between Amateurs who speak little of each-other's languages.
An example of a callsign expressed this way is: Alpha X-Ray Two India Mike Delta (VK2MA)
The Wikipedia article.
In a formal net you might say "VRA Commander Smith requests 5 ambulances to Reede Street, I spell, Romeo Echo Echo Delta Echo Street, Over."
Many drill on number plates they pass - "Charlie Alpha Two Niner November Tango", then "Victor Kilo Eight Papa Foxtrot" (personalised plates are affordable in the Northern Territory).
To speed Morse communications a set of standard statements and questions were published, some for aviation and shipping; and some more generally, and these are often used in Amateur radio. Many have come into formal or informal use in voice communications, and even in writing. Each can be a statement or a question. The Wikipedia article: from the page top, or Amateur Radio use.
A few are:
QRP, the request or permission to reduce power, becomes operation of stations using home built or commercial equipment at a power typically below 5 watts.
Some additional procedural words and abbreviations are:
An extensive list is available here: Wiki: Procedure word
In the most part these are last few sections are things you learn by listenning and operating; or if you join a volunteer emergency support group. Some assist with things like passing formal written messages during or after disasters, or during search operations. Either way unless you see them in a pool question you don't need them to pass the exam. Another few are "Say Again", "All After" and "All Before" useful for requesting repeats.
*Just to clarify, this relates to noisy radio circuits, or voice-powered telephones used by the US navy, not the current reversal of diversity, inclusion, and equity; or previous Affirmative Action programmes, in a period when using the word "diversity" instead of "variations" when indicating you are doing research into different fruit fly strains' resistance to insecticides risks your department being defunded.
Starting as a few pages on Power and Ohm's Law, these pages now cover all 411 questions (latest version). They jump around the exam, as to make sense of the Regulations, you need to know some theory.
The pages below, relate exams taken from 1 July 2022 until 30 June 2026.
You can always read ahead, say to Components, then go back to a previous section which you found difficult; or from Operating to Regulations.
I have a few comments on Division.
These go through the ~400 questions in the General pool. I go through in question order, as I expect you have either read the above sections, or already hold a licence.
They relate exams taken from 1 July 2023 until 30 June 2027.
These go through the ~600 questions in the Extra pool. I go through in question order, as I expect you have either read the above sections, or already hold a licence.
They relate exams taken from 1 July 2024 until 30 June 2028.
These were written for the previous question pool, and will be replaced soon. They should however help you understand most concepts.
Once you have read the required material, you are ready for your exams. Details are here: Exams
Drilling on some practice exams, such as hamtestonline.com before your test is a good idea.
Build yourself a Delta Antenna for 6m, 10m, or other bands.
DIY vehicle-mounted Vertical Antenna for VHF and UHF (requires a base).
Comments on the Australian 3 phase power system.
Comments on Dangerous fliping practices, and updating US power outlets; and on Electrical repairs in the Anglophone parts of the Pacific, Rural EV use, and Using Extension Leads with EVs.
Notes on using a Bird 43 Directional Wattmeter to determine SWR: Using a Bird 43
A very naughty boy (me) registered the imaginary domain used as a distractor in the Technician exam re FT8, an efficient mode for making long distance contacts using a HF, VHF, or UHF SSB radio, including where limits on antennas apply. See: FT8converter.com
Pages on EVs: EV Home, Are EVs practical in Rural Areas, and Using Extension Leads with EVs
The following four PDF documents are reference material used in the RSGB (UK) exams. While you can't take them into other exams, printing the formula pages (PDF readers allow selected pages to be printed) may be useful for learning and reference. They include things like national identification letters, definitions, and the extent of band there.
BRATS - Bredhurst Receiving and Transmitting Society - has lessons for the UK exams. Perhaps they will help you get a concept other notes don't.
Sources of mostly green trousers, skirts, shorts, etc for emergency communications operators.
Written by Julian Sortland, VK2YJS & AG6LE, July 2025.
Tip Jar: a Jefferson (US$2), A$3 or ¥275. Thanks!
You can also buy me a non-coffee beverage: ko-fi.com/ag6le