Your Study Plan
Follow these steps whether you're cramming the night before or spreading your study over several weeks. The tools on this site are designed to work together — each step builds on the last.
-
1
Get a study guide and read it cover to cover.
The ARRL Handbook or a Gordon West guide will give you the conceptual foundation. Don't try to memorize yet — just read to build familiarity.
-
2
Create a free account (or log in).
Your account tracks your progress across sessions so the site knows what to focus on as you study.
-
3
Take a baseline practice test.
This establishes where you stand before studying. Don't worry about the score — the goal is to surface which sections need the most work.
-
4
Use the Review system to drill your weak sections.
Work through the sections where you scored lowest on the practice test. The review system shows you questions one at a time and tracks your answers, so you quickly find the ones you're getting wrong.
-
5
Study the questions you're missing.
For questions you keep getting wrong, don't just memorize the answer — understand why it's correct. A few minutes here saves time later.
-
6
If your exam is more than a week away: add Daily Practice for longer-term retention.
Daily Practice schedules questions at the optimal interval so knowledge sticks over time. A short daily session (10–20 minutes) is far more effective than cramming the same material all at once. If your exam is this week, skip this and focus on Review + Practice Tests instead.
-
7
Take another practice test and repeat.
The FCC passing threshold is 74%. Aim for 80%+ on practice tests before your exam so you have a comfortable margin. Return to review any sections that are still below 74%.
About Each Tool
Practice Tests
Simulates the actual FCC exam. Each test is generated fresh from the full question pool, with answers scrambled — so no two tests are the same, and you can't just memorize answer positions.
Best for: Establishing a baseline before you start studying, and checking your readiness in the final days before your exam.
Take a Practice Test →Review System
Focused drilling by exam pool and section. You pick a license class, then work through questions section by section. The system tracks which questions you get right and wrong, letting you zero in on your trouble spots.
Best for: Targeted practice after you've identified weak sections from a practice test. Great for the days or weeks leading up to your exam.
Start Reviewing →Daily Practice
Short daily sessions that schedule questions at the right interval for long-term retention. Questions you know well appear less often; ones you struggle with come back sooner. A 10–20 minute daily session compounds into solid retention over time.
Best for: Studying over multiple days or weeks. Not the right tool if you're cramming — if your exam is this week, focus on the Review system and Practice Tests instead. Daily Practice pays off over a longer horizon.
Go to Daily Practice →Read the Question Pool
The entire FCC question pool is public — every question that could appear on your exam, word for word. This tool lets you read through it section by section in two formats: all four answer choices shown, or correct answer only.
The correct-answer-only format is the basis of Ham Crams — one-day study events run by radio clubs where complete beginners walk in and walk out licensed. The technique works because the FCC exam draws its questions verbatim from the published pool, so recognition memory is all you need to pass. Read through a section, read it again, repeat. No account required.
Best for: Cramming (exam this week), studying without creating an account, reading alongside a textbook, or looking up a specific question you keep getting wrong.
Read the Question Pool →About the FCC Exam
- Technician: 35 questions from a pool of 423. Passing score: 26/35 (74%).
- General: 35 questions from a pool of 432. Passing score: 26/35 (74%).
- Amateur Extra: 50 questions from a pool of 622. Passing score: 37/50 (74%).
- Exams are administered by volunteer examiners (VEs). Find a session near you at arrl.org/exam-search.