Technician exam guide
How to pass the
Technician exam.
Everything you need to know to earn your first amateur radio license, from what’s on the test to what happens after you pass. Updated for the 2026–2030 question pool.
The best news for newcomers: every question on your exam comes from a pool that’s published in advance. You aren’t guessing what might be asked. You’re studying the exact questions you’ll see.
What’s on it
Ten topics, weighted unevenly.
The pool is divided into ten topics, called subelements, and the exam draws a set number of questions from each. Knowing how many come from each topic shows you where your study time pays off most.
| Subelement | Topic | On the exam | In the pool |
|---|---|---|---|
| T1 | Commission’s rules | 6 | 68 |
| T2 | Operating procedures | 3 | 37 |
| T3 | Radio wave propagation | 3 | 35 |
| T4 | Amateur radio practices | 2 | 23 |
| T5 | Electrical principles | 4 | 50 |
| T6 | Electronic and electrical components | 4 | 46 |
| T7 | Practical circuits | 4 | 44 |
| T8 | Signals and emissions | 4 | 47 |
| T9 | Antennas and feed lines | 2 | 23 |
| T0 | Safety | 3 | 36 |
The rules section, T1, supplies the most questions: 6 of the 35. It’s worth extra attention.
How to study
A plan that actually works.
This is the method HamBeacon is built around. Read why Bill built it.
Study a little every day.
Decades of learning research show that spreading study across multiple sessions generally improves long-term retention compared with cramming the same material into one session. A handful of new questions each day, combined with regular review of questions you’ve already seen, gives you repeated chances to recall the answers and strengthen your memory.
Source: Carpenter, Pan & Butler, “The science of effective learning with spacing and retrieval practice,” Nature Reviews Psychology (2022). Read a plain-language summary from Iowa State University.
In HamBeaconDrill builds each day’s session for you, and a daily streak with an optional reminder keeps you going.
Keep revisiting what you miss.
Answering a question once and moving on is how people forget it by exam day. Go back to the questions you missed, and to any you got right by guessing. Keep reviewing them until you can answer each one correctly on different days, not just twice in a row. That’s when you’ve really learned it.
In HamBeaconSpaced repetition schedules your reviews. Miss a question and it’s back tomorrow. Get it right and it returns in a day, then three days, and once you’ve truly mastered it, about a month later.
Shore up your weak areas.
Once you’ve seen most of the pool, some topics will lag behind the rest. Give those subelements extra practice, because that’s where the easiest gains are.
In HamBeaconThe Dashboard shows which subelements are lagging, and Smart Review’s weak-area drill works through them, weakest first.
Take full practice exams.
When most topics feel solid, take full 35-question practice exams. They show whether your knowledge holds up across the whole test, and they get you comfortable with the format.
In HamBeaconPractice Exam builds each test the way real exams are built: one question from each of the pool’s 35 question groups, such as T1A and T1B, so every subelement gets its proper share. It scores the test against the same 74% pass mark. Afterward, one tap drills the questions you missed or reviews the ones you flagged.
Book your exam when you’re consistently ready.
One good practice score can be luck. Steady results across practice exams are the real signal.
In HamBeaconThe Readiness Meter counts only what you’ve truly mastered. The first time it crosses 75%, the app notifies you and shows you where to find an exam session. Once you’ve booked, set your exam date and the Dashboard counts down the days, turning amber inside 30 days and red in the final week.
Older study materials
Got a used study guide?
Check the cover. The Technician pool changed on July 1, 2026, and exams now use the 2026–2030 pool. About six in ten questions carried over word for word from the 2022–2026 pool. The other four in ten were reworded or replaced.
That’s too big a gap to study around. If a book or app doesn’t say 2026–2030, switch to one that does before you start.
Getting licensed
From sign-up to call sign.
Get your FRN first.
Before exam day, create an account with the FCC’s CORES system and get your free FCC Registration Number (FRN). You must have an FRN before taking the exam, and you’ll use it for your FCC license application and to pay the FCC application fee afterward.
Find a session.
Amateur radio exams are administered by teams of volunteer examiners, either in person or online. Session fees vary, with many sessions charging $15 or less. Laurel VEC sessions are free. HamBeacon’s Exam Session Finder links you to the ARRL’s in-person and online session listings and to Laurel VEC.
Two separate fees
Paid to your exam team, if they charge one.
Paid directly to the FCC after you pass. Your exam team never collects it.
Bring the basics.
Bring your FRN, the identification required by your exam team, and the session fee if there is one. Most teams allow a simple calculator with its memory cleared, but phones and other electronic devices can’t be used as calculators. Online sessions have additional requirements, such as a webcam and a suitable testing environment, so check your team’s instructions when you register.
After you pass.
Your examiners submit your application to the FCC. When the FCC assigns an application file number, it sends you an email with instructions for paying the $35 FCC application fee. You have 10 calendar days from the date the application file number is issued to pay the fee.
After you pay and the FCC processes your application, the FCC sends another email with a link to your official license. Wait until your new license and call sign appear in the FCC license database before transmitting.
TipYou don’t have to wait for the FCC’s email. Once your application appears in the FCC system, you can find it using your FRN and pay through CORES.
FAQ
Common questions.
Do I need to learn Morse code?
No. Morse code hasn’t been required for any amateur radio license since 2007. Many hams learn it later because they enjoy it, but it isn’t on the exam.
How hard is the Technician exam?
It’s well within reach with steady study. Every question comes from the published pool, so there are no surprises. You need 26 of 35 correct.
How much does it cost?
There are two separate fees. The exam session fee, from $0 to about $15, is paid to your exam team if they charge one. The $35 FCC application fee is paid directly to the FCC after you pass; your exam team never collects it.
What if I don’t pass?
You can try again. Some teams allow a retake at the same session for another fee, while others ask you to register for a later session. Ask your team when you sign up.
Is there a minimum age?
No. There’s no age requirement for an amateur radio license.
How long is the license good for?
Ten years, and you can renew it.
Know when you’re ready.
HamBeacon is free to try, with 50 Technician questions and every feature unlocked.
Download on the App Store