How To Study and Pass Your Ham Radio Exam
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- Опубликовано: 9 фев 2025
- The ham radio exam can seem daunting but it doesn't have to be. If you use the right approach to studying, the amateur radio tests don't have to be scary. The dirty little secret is there should be no surprises if you study the right way. This video gives you what you need to pass the test the first time and get your license.
HamStudy.org: hamstudy.org/
Ham Radio Prep: hamradioprep.com/
Gordon West Technician Study Guide: amzn.to/3Eakq2t
House of Ham Website: houseofhamradi...
Note: Some of the links in this description are affiliate links that may provide me a small stipend if you use it to purchase. The price you pay is the same as if you went there directly.
i'm watching this a couple hours after getting my technician's.
i saw we only have one upcoming test date locally & i've been kicking around the idea of finally doing it for the last 4 years or so.
all i did was read through all 423 questions - about 1/3 was general knowledge i already had, with some familiarity of the number & electrical aspects from being an analog synth enthusiast. the other 2/3 were new concepts.
i think i took 4 practice tests & passed all of them - basically crammed from 5pm to 4am & looking up concepts that were foreign to me so i understood what they were actually describing.
bam! 100% on the test - didn't even think about taking practice tests first, i guess, thankfully.
took the general test after & failed that (didn't ask how many i actually got right - maybe 10 i was pretty sure about). but it was nice finally getting to meet the local community & going to a club meeting next week.
anyways, stoked to get a call sign :) thanks for the video & encouraging people the right way. it was a huge confidence booster that now that im nearing 40, my brain still has a keen knack for study. more excited than ever. next time, im gonna do both the general & extra 🙏 if i would have looked up the test date & has more than 19 hours before it, i would have studied more but it is what it is!
Congrats!
You are smart, I was doing this backwards. I have been studying for over a week for Extra and using the app not computer. You already know I subscribe to your channel.
I administer on average 5 exams a week and I see the same things over and over. The approach I provide is what has proven to work for many people. Key thing for any question pool kind of test like the FCC exams is to ensure you have seen all of the questions and then test yourself with practice tests and go over the areas you are lacking. Best of luck on your extra exam.
@@houseofhamradio okay! Wow, Your a Pro never thought about it this way. Thanks Alot and looking for more videos like this 73.
Thank you for making this clear and simple.
Glad it was helpful!
Well said, I just registered and downloaded the app. I can’t imagine doing it any other way. I plan on joining a local club if one’s available too. Thank you for the informative video.
Best of luck.
Thank you thank you. I’m completely new to the hobby with no background at all. I’ve seen all these resources brought up on other videos on how to study for the test. But THIS! tells me how to use HamStudy in a way I can benefit from. I want to learn the material not just memorize a bunch of answers. Diving in thanks again.
Best of luck with your exam my friend. Make sure you have seen all the questions and are getting 80-90% or better on the practice exams and you should do well.
73 Bob
Thank you sooooo much! This helped me tremendously!
Glad it helped!
Liked and subscribed. Got my GMRS license recently and I see no reason not to go for amateur. So I’m gonna do it! Great content.
Go for the Ham license. You won't regret it.
@@houseofhamradio Roger that!!
Nice sign 👌
This is a really good video. Very clear. Very thorough.
Glad you liked it
Thank you for this. I saw this video just after registering for my tech exam on Tuesday, December 5th. This is a great strategy for consistency scoring high on the practice tests :)
Best of luck!
How'd the exam go? I'm thinking of following suit... :)
😢e@@houseofhamradio
Thank you great video. I am starting to study for my HF license here in Canada (in the USA called "general" I think).
I have had my ROCM license for decades (NASBLA approved) so this will be a nice upgrade and a bit of vanity on my side to have an actual call sign.
I find the HAM Study web site superb and I hope the questions in the Canadian exam will be similar!
Thanks again and good luck!
Cheers,
a.
Bets of luck. I am pretty certain the concepts will carry over but anything related to rules and such may differ so caution there.
I’m 62 years old man ,
You
Think I pass it ,
I’m not that smart burry,
Thanks
Joe from NYC 🙏
Joe, you can do it if you put the time in to study.
Joe, I am 80 years old. I passed the exam with a score of 100%. Yes, you can pass as well!
Thank you, this was very informative.
Glad it was helpful!
I knew I'd never learn everything, I knew I needed 70 some percent to pass, I studied electronics 40 years ago, Was not a A student. Never could learn the code so never got a license. In retirement I decided to give it a try. I'm pretty good at multiple choice, Mostly studied for Tech level, gave code another try. Went for a testing session. Passed Tech, Passed General, still needed code for general at the time, They made it real easy to pass 5WPM. Something about the number of characters in a row in what I copied. So if you recognised a word or 2 and corrected what you wrote down, and there was enough consecutive correct characters, you passed. Did not pass Extra at that session, studied a bit and squeeked by passing Extra class at next testing session a few weeks later. Just renewed it the 2nd time. .Never did learn code to a functional level,
The study tools we have today are far superior to what we had when we tested. Certainly is easier to get through the process than even 5 years ago.
It's been 20 years. I had the list of questions & answers and a couple study books with text on the material. Some books were old editions but I figured the tech material don't change. I was weak on rules & regulations and band limits & privileges. I could guestimate my way though a lot of tech questions. Some of it is just memorization.@@houseofhamradio
Sincere Thanks-Clear and concise..A great place here to get started!
Glad it was helpful!
Wow. Thanks! Great tips, great video!
Glad it was helpful!
This was excellent. I'm subbed now and looking forward to watching (and learning) more. Thank you!
Awesome, thank you!
Great Video! Just what I was looking for. Thanks!
Glad it helped!
Informative, useful, and helpful.
Glad it was helpful!
Thank you for the video and the resources.
My pleasure, I hope it helps you get your license or upgrade if you already have it.
@@houseofhamradio Thanks again, in the last six months, I earned my tech license and worked my way up to my extra amateur. I just passed the test on Saturday with a 49 out of 50.
@@plusorminusandtime Congrats on the Extra! No doubt you studied hard with that score.
Wow, thanks dude. I just signed up at hamstudy. I was about to buy a BaoFeng UV-5R 8W High Power Two Way Radio, then I asked myself "What can I do with it?" Talk about consumerism. I'd better get my license first so I can decide what I actually need/want. Like, can it listen to shortwave radio channels like WWCR? I was going to buy it just hoping, not even knowing their frequency nor the radios' bandwidth. Yeah, why don't I do this one right. Ok. Off & at it.
You will not regret getting your license. The Tech test is very easy with a little bit of study. The other two are a bit harder but with study you can pass those too.
The UV-5R is a VHF and UHF transceiver and will not receive short wave broadcasts. You need either a short wave capable receiver or an HF transceiver which can both transmit and receive on the ham bands but typically can listen on all of the short wave frequencies too. Best of luck.
Thank you
You are welcome. I am glad you found it useful.
Very Helpful Information.
Glad it was helpful!
Thank you for the video, it was informative!
Glad to help, good luck with your test.
Thanks for sharing! I'm KI4TBF and I want to upgrade to general class.
Hi Brenda, Best of luck on your General exam. Use HamStudy.org and make sure you see all of the questions and you should do just fine.
73
WV7W
ham radio prep made it easy i passed my tech and general in one go
Congrats. Use what works for you.
Thank you so much really appreciate the information
Glad it was helpful!
Thank you!
You bet! Glad you found it helpful.
I am currently studying for my technician. I understand that the test gives questions in segment order, however, when it comes to each question, do they mix up the answers? For example, if the question pool has answer as (C), on test could it be in (A) position?
Loving the Hamstudy app. Well worth the $3.
I would not count on or memorize the position of the answer choices. That is a real bad idea and recipe for disaster. Just memorize (or better yet understand) the correct answer.
@houseofhamradio thanks. I was just curious. I've been using the answer scramble option. As of right now, I have sections T1 to T7 memorized. I use the key word method in question and match it with key words in answer. Hamstudy does a great job providing these highlighted words.
IMO, the most difficult section is T5 because it contains numbers and math. I've gotten them down pretty well.
I passed my Technician 2 weeks ago, went home and studied and received my General yesterday. I couldn't have done it without Hamstudy. Now the hardest part. Finding enough money to buy a hf radio 😆
@@Dawgs241 There is that. Unfortunately, HF radios don't come cheap. My advice, spend as much as you can afford using the buy once cry once approach. If that is only a little bit, then get what you can afford. The used market isn't a bad thing.
This video made my day!!! Thank you!!! One question....do any of the questions on the exam twists the words around to force a different answer? I am a math guy; not a reader or words guy.
The questions are a pool. If you go through all the questions in HamStudy.org, you will be well prepared and have seen all the possible questions word for word. In the test, the answer options may be in a different order but the wording is exactly the same.
Great info
Glad it was helpful!
Dude you need to get back from outer space its not safe up there
I like living on the edge.
lol
Lmao anyone can receive transmission from a space craft?
I havent run into a pay wall on the ham radio prep android app
I haven't used Ham Radio Prep. If it is working for you, go with it. The question pool is the same for both so whatever gets you prepared for your exam.
You should understand the concepts as such understanding is what a license proves.
Very true. thanks for the comment.
Hello, so I am totally new at this, but want to get into the Ham radio world as another way to be prepared for whatever.... Should I go ahead and go for the general? Do I need to take both the tech and the general to get the general license? thanks
Elizabeth, I would study for the Technician and pass that then move on to General. You have to take the Technician test and pass it before moving on. Use HamStudy.org and you should do fine.
Best of luck,
Bob
Are these the same questions as the canadian test?
No, these are for the US testing pools. I don't know what the best study site is for Canadian tests, sorry.
Humm any suggestions on the philippines ham test I passed my fcc general no problem
Sorry, I don't know anything about Philippines licensing.
I used the ARRL Tech License Guide and might have got a perfect score on exam, anyway I passed. It’s so simple a caveman could do it if he was interested enough.
Absolutely! Use what works for you to pass the exam.
Does ham radio license still relevant these days?
Unless a person is in emergency services or a hobbyist maybe its not worth the time studying for it. Idk but please let me hear from the people who think it is still relevant.
Actually, ham radio has become more relevant than it had been prior to COVID. Many were seeing the advantage of reliable emergency comms if we were to lose Cell service. That being said, is it relevant to you? That depends on you. I am thinking by your question, you may not think so. I can say that ham radio has been an enjoyable and fulfilling part of my life for almost 30 years. Best of luck if you choose to join the ham radio world. If not, best regards in what you do choose to spend your time on.
It's talking on a radio. It'll be interesting to see how overcomplicated the government has made it. Let's go.
It is much more than that. The other radio services that don't require an exam are very well defined and restricted by the equipment that must be used for them such as CB and FRS/GMRS.
Modern day testing
- Don't learn the material, study the test.
- And by the way we will sell you stuff.
Thanks for your point of view. Personally, I don't agree but that is OK. I welcome differing opinions on this channel.
This isn't new. Hams have always studied the test since the inception of the question pool. The only thing that is modern is the mechanism which is now the web vice books.
As for the selling stuff part. the folks at Ham Study do sell the SignalStuff antennas (very subtly by the way) to help fund the costs of running the ham study and exam tools infrastructure. If you don't know, these costs can be significant. I think you need to look at the motivation. Many create sites to sell stuff. I believe this is the opposite. They sell stuff to keep the site going.