Would you like an amateur radio license for $5? *
Tests available to students and the public.
Contact: Spencer, KM6SJO for more details - email
his call sign (at) gmail (dot) com
What: Exams for Technician, General, Amateur Extra
When: Saturday, TBA, 2025, 10 am - noon.
Where: Heritage High School,
101 American Ave,
Brentwood CA 94513.
Room C-114
Hosted by www.qrz.com/db/W6HHS
Heritage High School and
members of www.darc.club and
members of www.mdarc.org
Required: Obtain An FRN
Required: $5 (under 18) or $15 exam fee.
Recommended: Access to your email address.
Recommended: bring your own device (tablet or phone) or
borrow one of our 10" tablets if available.
Optional: guest or account ham.study/register
(can use Facebook Auth, Google Auth or your email address)
Optional session pre-registration can be completed on site:
to register: ham.study/sessions/DARC-CLUB/inperson
or ham.study/sessions/DARC-CLUB/all
Team Identifier: DARC-CLUB
Pin: <four digits from your session registration>
Successful Candidates
After passing, resist the urge to log out of exam.tools.
Results must be certified by the VE team.
You will immediately receive an email with your
Certificate of Successful Completion of Exam (CSCE).
This is proof of your successful exam and is good for one year.
Exam session data is uploaded to the ARRL, processed then
uploaded to the FCC (next business day)
New Technicians will receive an email from the FCC requesting a $35 fee within 10 days.
Under 18 fee reimbursement is available from the ARRL using this form.
You are assigned your callsign. after you pay the FCC fee.
Callsigns are assigned alphabetical within region 6 (California),
something like KO6JOI as of June 2, 2025
This is called a 2x3 callsign. two letters before the six, three letters after the six.
Technicians can look for and request available 1x3 callsigns from the FCC
as a vanity callsign like your initials.
Shorter 2x2 and 1x2 callsigns are available after you upgrade.
The view from the other side of the table
is a lot of fun. Generals and Extras
can become Volunteer Examiners
helping people get and/or upgrade
their license.
* If you are under the age of 18 the $5 is a discounted exam fee. The regular fee is $15.
* $35 must be paid to the FCC but the ARRL will reimburse this by filling out the ARRL form.
Learning Amateur Radio & Passing The Technician Exam
The advice of Briggs Longbothum AB2NJ (SK) is the best we know for passing your exam. There is plenty of time for deep learning after you pass.
Here are the question pool questions and right answers (592 kb) to prepare. Use this for final prep along with any other method you prefer.
Several online, e-book, print and video resources may help.
ham.study aka hamstudy.org practice tests are in the same format as exam.tools
ARRL offers arrlexamreview.appspot.com to take practice tests
KB2NU PDF study guides, specifically the technican pdf v2 (1.7MB)
ARRL manuals: ebook, paper or study guides, see curated links at the bottom of mdarc.org/education-and-testing/class-details who also offer courses
learn.arrl.org online courses free for members
KB2NU video (seven hours) KC6HWB of Ham Radio 2.0 four part videos (seven hours)
Benicia one day Ham Classes
several one day w6sf.org/hamcramsignup.html
annual October (next is Sat, Oct 11, 2025) one day pacificon.org/education/license-classes/technician-class