Ham Radio Exams · SAINTCON 26

The Ham Radio Village VE team is back at SAINTCON with free amateur radio exams for all attendees! All three levels of license exams will be offered, so use this as your opportunity to join the amateur radio community, or get your upgrade!

When: Wednesday/Thursday - times TBA
Session length: 2 hour examination window
Where: Hyatt Place Provo, exam room
Exam Cost: Free
Required: Government photo ID

What to bring

Photo IDPencilNon-programmable calculator

Examinees must present a valid, government-issued photo ID upon arrival at the exam room to verify their identity. Please be sure to bring this with you, as we are required to verify your ID before you can take the exam.

Examinees are welcome to bring their own calculator, though they will be required to demonstrate to a volunteer examiner (VE) that no formulas have been programmed or stored in the memory. This is typically done by doing a reset in front of the VE. Calculators will also be provided and available if you’d like to use ours.

How it works

Register for the exam session here!
Study! Being prepared for the exam helps you finish it faster and make the most of your time at SAINTCON 26. See below for tips on how to study.
Come to the exam room anytime during our exam windows. Most folks who’ve studied can get through the process in 20 to 30 minutes. Make sure to have your photo ID with you.
Pass the exam! Take the exam! We will offer retakes if needed, and you’re welcome to take the next license exam once you pass your first one.
Paperwork. After passing, Laurel VEC will submit your application to the FCC. On acceptance you will receive an email from the FCC directly with instructions to pay the $35 application fee. Once paid your callsign will be issued to you.

Studying for the exam

Everyone studies differently, and there are different paths to succeed on your license exams. Check out the tips below, as well as hamvillage.org/study for an in-depth guide on how to study for the exam.

There are two common approaches to preparing for each exam:

Memorize the questions and answers, pass the test, then learn practical skills through experience.
Master the material in depth before attempting the exam.

Memorization can be very effective for the technician and general exam. For the amateur extra exam, a deeper understanding of theory is typically preferred. Amateur radio licenses are meant to be a starting point, a license to explore and learn all things RF.

Memorize the questions

The complete question pools for all three exams are publicly available, including both the questions and correct answers. This makes it possible to study using exactly what will appear on the exams.

Technician and general exam (35 questions from about 400): flashcard study is effective in 4 to 6 hours.
Amateur extra exam (50 questions from about 600): plan for 10 to 12 hours of study time.

Master the material

A variety of books, websites, videos, and tools are available to assist with exam prep.

KB6NU No-Nonsense Study Guides. Dan, KB6NU, has published No-Nonsense Study Guides since 2006. The Technician-level PDF is available for free; General and Extra guides are available for a small fee.
HamStudy Technician License HamBook. Richard, KD7BBC, is the Utah-based founder of HamStudy, ExamTools and SignalStuff, and authored the HamBook for the Element 2 exam. It is freely available online but does not currently offer a downloadable PDF or print edition.

Before and after the exam

The Ham Radio Community runs all week with hands-on demos and a Get On The Air station. It is the place to go once you have a callsign, and a good place to ask questions before you sit the exam.

Questions?

If you have any questions, please reach out to ve-team@hamvillage.org.