General Info on Amateur Radio Exams
INTRODUCTION
Until 1984, all those taking a test except novice had to travel to arrive in an FCC office (Kansas City or Denver) by 8 A.M. If a test was failed, the applicant had to wait 30 days to take it again. The volunteer examining program has brought testing to you! Testing in Manhattan is a volunteer effort of members of the Manhattan Area Amateur Radio Society (MAARS). If you are ready to take an amateur radio test in the Manhattan, Kansas area, you may contact Brian Carter by e-mail, kc0dwx@cox.net, to ask if a test can be arranged. There is no regular schedule for exams in Manhattan.
Here's a quick introduction on preparing for an amateur radio license.
LICENSE TESTS
All amateur written tests are constructed from a standard national question pool. The questions in the pool are word-for-word what you will be asked on your test, and all questions are included in license preparation books. For any test, the total number of questions in the pool is about ten times the number of questions on the test you'll take (technician - 35, general - 35, amateur extra - 50). For example, if you're studying for a technician written test, you'll need to be able to answer about 350 questions.
All written tests will be multiple-choice, with the same four possible answers you've worked with when studying the question pool. The passing grade is about 74% (26 of 35 correct for technician or 37 of 50 correct for extra). Your test will be graded promptly after it's turned in, and you'll be told your score, but not which questions you missed.
The American Radio Relay League, 225 Main St., Newington, Ct. 06111, has all kinds of information, as well as publications for sale, on their excellent Web site.
modified 5/06/10 |
