Technician class
All hams start by obtaining a Technician class license, also known as a “Tech” license. A Technician licensee is allowed access to all ham bands with frequencies of 50 MHz or higher. These privileges include operation at the maximum legal power limit and using all types of communications. Tech licensees may also transmit using voice, code, and digital signals on part of the 10 meter band and Morse code on some of the HF bands below 30 MHz.
The Technician exam is 35 multiple-choice questions on regulations and technical radio topics. You have to get 26 or more correct to pass.
General class
After earning the entry-level Technician license, many hams immediately start getting ready to upgrade to a General class license. When you obtain a General class license, you’ve reached a great milestone. General class licensees have full privileges on nearly all amateur frequencies, with only small portions of some HF bands remaining off limits.
The General class exam, which includes 35 questions (you have to get 26 right to pass), covers some of the same topics as the Technician exam, but in more detail. The exam also introduces new topics that an experienced ham is expected to understand to operate on the traditional shortwave or HF bands.
Amateur Extra class
General class licensees can’t use every frequency; the lowest segments of several HF bands are for Amateur Extra class licensees only. These segments are considered to be prime operating territory. If you become interested in contesting, contacting rare foreign stations (DXing; see Chapter 11), or just having access to these choice frequencies, you want to get your Amateur Extra license — the top level.
The Amateur Extra exam consists of 50 multiple-choice questions, 37 of which you must answer correctly to pass. The exam covers additional rules and regulations associated with sophisticated operating and several advanced technical topics. Hams who pass the Amateur Extra exam consider their license to be a real achievement. Do you think you can climb to the top rung of the licensing ladder?
Grandfathered classes
The amateur service licensing rules have changed over the years, reducing the number of license classes. Hams who hold licenses in deleted classes may renew those licenses indefinitely, but no new licenses for those classes are being issued.
Two grandfathered license classes remain:
Novice: The Novice license was introduced in 1951 with a simple 20-question exam and 5-words-per-minute (WPM) code test. A ham with a General class (or higher) license administered the exam. Originally, the license was good for a single year, at which point the Novice upgraded or had to get off the air. These days, the Novice license, like other licenses, has a ten-year term and is renewable. Novices are restricted to segments of the 3.5, 7, 21, 28, 222, and 1296 MHz amateur bands.
Advanced: Advanced class licensees passed a written exam midway in difficulty between those for the General and Amateur Extra classes. They have access to frequencies beyond the General licensees.
Table 4-2 shows the relative populations of all types of U.S. license holders as of February 2021.
TABLE 4-2 Relative Populations of U.S. License Classes
| License Class | Active Licenses | Share of Active Licensees |
|---|---|---|
| Tech | 395,683 | 51.0% |
| General | 183,283 | 23.7% |
| Amateur Extra | 152,643 | 19.7% |
| Advanced | 37,115 | 4.7% |
| Novice | 7,254 | 0.9% |
| Total | 775,978 | 100% |
Source: www.arrl.org/fcc-license-counts
Getting Licensed
To pass the exam, you’ll need to do a little studying and there are plenty of opportunities to practice. Then you’ll take your exam, administered by volunteer hams who were also in your shoes once upon a time. After you pass, you’ll receive a call sign that is yours and yours alone: your radio name. Ready? Let’s go!
Studying the exam questions
ARRL (www.arrl.org) and other organizations publish study guides and manuals, some of which may be available through your local library. Also, online training and study guides are available. All of these use the actual questions that are on the test. Take advantage of these materials, and you’ll be ready to pass the exam on test day.
