Amateur Radio License Exam & Radio Operating Hours

Come get your amateur radio license at our next exam session! CampusGroups registration in advance is highly preferred, but not required.

Exam sessions are free, and CWRU undergrads are exempt from the $35 FCC licensing fee. Please register with the FCC to receive your FRN number ahead of the exam session. Getting an FRN takes approximately 5 minutes, and can be done through the FCC C.O.R.E.S. portal.
New CWRU hams who pass the Technician exam will receive a Baofeng handheld transceiver. 
Pizza will be provided.

Here is an excerpt from our website about exam logistics and studying:

1) Sign up for the Exam: Register on CampusGroups, and then: If you’ve already got a Technician class license or higher, you can easily finalize your registration at the exam session. If you haven’t got a callsign yet, you’ll need an FCC Registration Number. You will want to register for an FCC Registration Number (FRN) before coming to the exam. If you are an international student, use your dorm/local address. Bring your FRN and the address you used to register for it with you. Note that ham radio has no citizenship requirement.

2) Study for the Exam: The Technician class exam is 35 multiple-choice questions, of which you need to get 26 correct to pass. All possible questions are publicly available in the question pool: http://www.arrl.org/tech-question-pool. We recommend the No-Nonsense Study Guide 2022-2026 to cover the exam material if you feel new to ham radio and/or electronics concepts. If you are already familliar with the exam content, Study Mode on www.hamstudy.org is particularly useful, as it will help you get acquainted with the parts of the question pool you may be less familliar with and offer explanations for each question. Take practice tests before coming to the exam session. This is a good indicator of readiness: If you’re not generally passing practice exams, you’re probably not ready; if you’re passing them reliably, then you probably are.

3) Come to the Exam Session: Here’s a list of what you should bring: http://www.arrl.org/what-to-bring-to-an-exam-session.. We do not have an exam fee, however test takers who are not CWRU undergrads may have to pay the $35 fee through the FCC. There is no time limit for the exam sessions. Expect the exam, with grading, to take 45 mins - 1 hour. Once you pass the exam, you can…

4) Use your License: Once you’ve picked up your license, come to club operating hours (Tuesdays and Thursdays from 7-9pm) in the radio shack (Glennan rooftop, access via rear stairs). If you’re wondering what to do with your license, or are interested in picking one up, operating hours are a good place to start.