The Wichita Amateur Radio Club is pleased to offer license test sessions through the Laurel VEC at NO COST to you. Since 1984, when the VEC program started, Laurel VEC has not charged for license testing, and we are proud to have a Volunteer Examiner Team affiliated with them.
Your amateur radio license is not difficult to get, and once you have it, you never have to test or pay a fee again to keep it. Your license will be valid for 10 years. Renewals are free and are good for 10 years.
There are three license classes; Technician, General, and Extra. To pass the exam for Technician and General, you need to get 26 out of 35 questions correct. For the Extra class, you need to get 37 out of 50 questions correct. The difference between the classes is what frequencies you may transmit on, and the Extra class has access to the shorter 2×2 call signs, such as KB0KS.
You may take more than one test at a single exam session. If you pass your Technician test, you may take the General test. If you pass the General test, you may take the Extra test. So, one session can get you all the way through to your Extra class license.
Step One
Your first step is to obtain a Federal Registration Number (FRN) from the Federal Communications Commission. The FCC uses this number instead of your Social Security Number. It is no longer feasible to apply for an FRN at the exam session. You MUST obtain this number before testing, as we will not accept an SSN. It’s free and nearly instant.
Click here to go to the FCC website. Click “Need a Username?” and complete the registration process. Then log in to the FCC CORES site again, and select “Register New FRN.” When you’re done, print out or write down your number. You MUST HAVE this with you when you take your test. You may want to enter an e-mail address when registering so you will be notified the moment your license is processed.
Study!
The pool of test questions is published and openly available. There are no tricks or surprises, but you must study. Here are some very helpful no-nonsense study guides for all three license classes (some are free). http://www.kb6nu.com/tech-manual/. Study these and you will have no problem passing. When you think you are ready, try these practice exams. When you can consistently pass these with around a 90-95% score, you should have no problem with the real test (remember, the questions are exactly the same). There are many more and we recommend you use several and go through them at least a dozen times in order increase your odds of seeing all the questions from the testing pool.
Find an exam session:
- Visit our calendar at HamStudy to see when our testing sessions will be (normally the second Friday of even months at 6:00 pm).
- Find an exam session near you: ARRL Exam Search, Laurel VEC Exam Schedule, W5YI Exam Search, HamStudy.org’s Session roster.
- You can also visit the Radio Shack in Derby to see when and where there will be a testing session in the Wichita area.
Pre-register (Please do this)
Before the session, go to HamStudy.org to register for the exam you wish to attend.
When you show up for testing, bring the following:
- Current photo identification, such as driver’s license, military ID, school ID, or passport. (Parents may show their ID for minors.)
- Your FRN
- If currently licensed, bring a copy of your license.
- If using a CSCE for credit, you must bring it also.
- A non-programmable calculator, if needed. Cell phones and tablets are not permitted!
- Two pencils and one pen (please)