About the Technician exam
The Technician licence is the entry level of US amateur radio. The exam, called Element 2, has 35 multiple-choice questions, and you pass with 26 correct, which is 74%. Every question comes from a public pool written by the National Conference of Volunteer Examiner Coordinators (NCVEC). The pool used here took effect on 1 July 2026 and runs until 30 June 2030. It has about 410 questions in 35 groups, and the exam takes one question from each group, which is how this practice exam works too.
The pool includes three diagrams, Figures T-1, T-2 and T-3, which show schematic symbols and simple circuits. They appear here with the questions that use them, just as they do in the exam booklet.
How to study
- Start with a practice exam to see where you stand.
- Study one subelement at a time with answers shown as you go. The progress table shows which areas need work.
- Drill your misses. Questions I got wrong collects every question you missed the last time you saw it, until you get it right.
- Understand the maths. A handful of questions involve Ohm's law, power or wavelength. The Ohm's law calculator and wavelength calculator let you check your working.
When you score 30 or more on several practice exams in a row, you're ready to book.
Taking the exam
Exams are run by teams of volunteer examiners (VEs), in person at club sessions or online with a webcam. You'll need an FCC Registration Number (FRN), which you get free from the FCC's CORES system, and the FCC charges a $35 application fee once you pass. Many VE teams also charge a small session fee. Your callsign usually appears in the FCC database within a few days, and you can transmit as soon as it does.
What Technicians can do
Technicians have every amateur band above 50 MHz, including 6m, 2m and 70cm for repeaters, simplex, satellites and digital voice. On HF they get CW on parts of 80m, 40m and 15m, and phone, CW and data on 10m from 28.3 to 28.5 MHz. The US band plan shows the details.
Practice tests for every class: Technician, General and Amateur Extra.
Questions
Are these the real exam questions?
Yes. The questions come from the official NCVEC 2026-2030 Technician pool, which is public domain. The real exam picks 35 of them.
How many questions do I need to pass?
26 out of 35, which is 74%.
Do I need to know Morse code?
No. The Morse code requirement was removed for all US licence classes in 2007.
When does this question pool expire?
The 2026-2030 Technician pool is valid from 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2030.
Does it save my progress?
Yes, on this device. Your answers stay in your browser and aren't sent anywhere.