A friend asks which goal is written into the FCC's Basis and Purpose for the Amateur Radio Service. Which answer is correct?

Advancing skills in the technical and communication phases of the radio art

Supporting international contesting as the main activity of the service

Providing low-cost personal radio service to as many citizens as possible

Offering a backup commercial message network for local businesses

While talking through a repeater, you press the reverse button on your VHF/UHF transceiver. What does this let you do?

Listen on the repeater's input frequency

Listen on the repeater's output frequency

Reduce the transmitter's output power

Increase the transmitter's output power

A new DMR user is told to load a code plug before going on the air. What is a code plug?

Configuration data for accessing repeaters and talkgroups

A software upgrade for supporting new radio models

A codec that converts analog voice to DMR data

An adapter cable for linking the radio to a computer

A new ham compares a schematic with the real circuit board and finds the parts look different and sit in different places. What does a schematic represent accurately?

Physical appearance of components

A new licensee wants to confirm that the FCC has actually issued the license grant. What serves as that proof?

The license appears in the FCC ULS database

A printed copy of the CSCE from the exam

An email from the NCVEC announcing the grant

A letter from the lead volunteer examiner

During a busy contest, which practice is considered good operating?

Sending only your call sign and the required exchange

Working each station twice to be sure you are logged

Signing only the last two letters of your call

Adding "please copy" before sending the exchange

Ham Radio Technician License

Free Ham Radio Tech Practice Questions

10 sample questions for the Ham Radio Technician License, with the correct answer and an explanation for each. No account needed. Try each one before you open the answer.

Sections covered on the exam: Commission's Rules, Operating Procedures, Radio Wave Propagation, Amateur Radio Practices and Station Setup, Electrical Principles, Practical Circuits, Antennas and Feed Lines, Electrical, Antenna and RF Safety.

Question 1 · Commission's Rules
A friend asks which goal is written into the FCC's Basis and Purpose for the Amateur Radio Service. Which answer is correct?
- A.Supporting international contesting as the main activity of the service
- B.Providing low-cost personal radio service to as many citizens as possible
- C.Advancing skills in the technical and communication phases of the radio art
- D.Offering a backup commercial message network for local businesses
Show answer and explanation
Answer: C. Advancing skills in the technical and communication phases of the radio art
The Basis and Purpose in Part 97 includes advancing skills in the technical and communication phases of the radio art. Serving as many citizens as possible with personal radio is a trap; that describes other personal radio services, not the amateur service. (Pool T1A01)
Question 2 · Operating Procedures
While talking through a repeater, you press the reverse button on your VHF/UHF transceiver. What does this let you do?
- A.Listen on the repeater's input frequency
- B.Listen on the repeater's output frequency
- C.Reduce the transmitter's output power
- D.Increase the transmitter's output power
Show answer and explanation
Answer: A. Listen on the repeater's input frequency
The reverse function lets you listen on the repeater's input frequency, so you can tell whether you could hear the other station directly. You normally hear the output frequency already, so that choice is a trap. (Pool T2B01)
Question 3 · Amateur Radio Practices and Station Setup
A new DMR user is told to load a code plug before going on the air. What is a code plug?
- A.Configuration data for accessing repeaters and talkgroups
- B.A software upgrade for supporting new radio models
- C.A codec that converts analog voice to DMR data
- D.An adapter cable for linking the radio to a computer
Show answer and explanation
Answer: A. Configuration data for accessing repeaters and talkgroups
A DMR code plug is configuration data loaded onto the radio so it can access repeaters and talkgroups. Despite the name, it is not a physical adapter cable. (Pool T4B07)
Question 4 · Amateur Radio Practices and Station Setup
A new ham compares a schematic with the real circuit board and finds the parts look different and sit in different places. What does a schematic represent accurately?
- A.Physical location of parts
- B.Physical appearance of components
- C.Component connections
- D.Wire lengths
Show answer and explanation
Answer: C. Component connections
A schematic accurately shows how components are connected to each other. It does not show wire lengths, what the parts look like or where they sit on the board. (Pool T6C12)
Question 5 · Practical Circuits
You are on the air and want to connect a local IRLP node to a distant node. How do you control the node over the air?
- A.By sending DTMF signals
- B.By typing an internet password
- C.By sending CTCSS tone codes
- D.By speaking a voice password
Show answer and explanation
Answer: A. By sending DTMF signals
Over-the-air access to IRLP nodes is done with Dual-Tone Multi-Frequency (DTMF) signals, the tones from a keypad. CTCSS tones are used to access repeaters, not to control IRLP connections. (Pool T8C06)
Question 6 · Commission's Rules
A new licensee wants to confirm that the FCC has actually issued the license grant. What serves as that proof?
- A.A printed copy of the CSCE from the exam
- B.An email from the NCVEC announcing the grant
- C.The license appears in the FCC ULS database
- D.A letter from the lead volunteer examiner
Show answer and explanation
Answer: C. The license appears in the FCC ULS database
Proof of a license grant is that the license appears in the FCC ULS database. A CSCE only shows that you passed an exam element; it is not a license grant. (Pool T1A05)
Question 7 · Operating Procedures
A repeater requires a sub-audible tone sent along with your voice audio to open its receiver's squelch. What is this system called?
- A.Carrier squelch
- B.DTMF
- C.Tone burst
- D.CTCSS
Show answer and explanation
Answer: D. CTCSS
CTCSS, Continuous Tone-Coded Squelch System, sends a sub-audible tone with normal voice audio to open a receiver's squelch. DTMF uses two audible tones and is mainly used for control commands. (Pool T2B02)
Question 8 · Amateur Radio Practices and Station Setup
Your multimode receiver offers several filter widths. Which choice gives the best signal-to-noise ratio for SSB voice?
- A.2400 Hz
- B.5000 Hz
- C.500 Hz
- D.1000 Hz
Show answer and explanation
Answer: A. 2400 Hz
A 2400 Hz filter closely matches the width of an SSB voice signal, giving the best signal-to-noise ratio. A 500 Hz filter suits CW and would cut off much of the voice, while 5000 Hz lets in extra noise. (Pool T4B10)
Question 9 · Amateur Radio Practices and Station Setup
A low-power control signal from a radio energizes a coil that pulls a set of contacts closed to switch an amplifier. What is this device called?
- A.Pass transistor
- B.Relay
- C.Inverting amplifier
- D.Rectifier
Show answer and explanation
Answer: B. Relay
A relay is an electrically controlled switch: current through its coil moves contacts that switch a separate circuit. A pass transistor controls current electronically and has no coil-driven contacts. (Pool T6D02)
Question 10 · Practical Circuits
During a busy contest, which practice is considered good operating?
- A.Working each station twice to be sure you are logged
- B.Signing only the last two letters of your call
- C.Adding "please copy" before sending the exchange
- D.Sending only your call sign and the required exchange
Show answer and explanation
Answer: D. Sending only your call sign and the required exchange
Good contest practice is to send only the minimum information needed for proper identification and the contest exchange. Signing only part of your call sign does not meet identification requirements. (Pool T8C04)

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