Amateur Extra Practice Test & Lessons (2024–2028 Pool)
The top license, with every amateur privilege.
About the Amateur Extra exam
Amateur Extra is the highest US license and unlocks every amateur frequency. The exam (Element 4) is 50 multiple-choice questions, and you need 37 right (74%) to pass. Questions come from the official 2024–2028 pool of 599 questions, in use through June 30, 2028.
Extra is the toughest exam, with more electronics and math. Each short lesson walks through the topic with the exam's own numbers, every answer has a plain-English why, and Smart Drill focuses on what you keep missing. The first lessons and 30 questions are free.
All 50 Amateur Extra question groups
The real exam asks one question from each group. Open a group to see its official questions, the correct answers, and why each one is right.
- E1ABand edges, LF bands and operating at sea11
- E1BSpurious emissions, protected areas and PRB-111
- E1CRules for special bands and operating abroad12
- E1DSpace, telemetry and telecommand12
- E1EVolunteer Examiner rules11
- E1FSpread spectrum, Line A, amplifiers and business11
- E2AAmateur satellites12
- E2BAmateur television12
- E2CContesting, DXing and remote operation12
- E2DVHF digital modes and APRS11
- E2EHF digital modes13
- E3AEME, meteor scatter and wave basics14
- E3BTransequatorial, long-path, chordal hop and sporadic E13
- E3CSpace weather and propagation tools12
- E4AOscilloscopes, spectrum analyzers and antenna analyzers11
- E4BMeasurement accuracy and network analyzers11
- E4CReceiver performance14
- E4DDynamic range, intermod and link budgets13
- E4ENoise and interference14
- E5AResonance and Q13
- E5BTime constants, phase angles and admittance12
- E5CPlotting impedance12
- E5DParasitics, skin effect and reactive power12
- E6ASemiconductors and transistors12
- E6BDiodes11
- E6CDigital logic11
- E6DCrystals and magnetic cores11
- E6EMMICs and component packages12
- E6FOptoelectronics and solar cells11
- E7ADigital circuits11
- E7BAmplifier classes and circuits12
- E7CFilters and matching networks11
- E7DPower supplies and regulators15
- E7EModulators, mixers and detectors11
- E7FDigital signal processing and SDRs14
- E7GOperational amplifiers12
- E7HOscillators and synthesizers13
- E8AWaveforms and analog-to-digital conversion11
- E8BModulation index and multiplexing11
- E8CDigital signals and bandwidth15
- E8DSpread spectrum, keying and data codes11
- E9AAntenna gain, ERP and efficiency12
- E9BRadiation patterns and modeling11
- E9CArrays, long wires and wire antennas14
- E9DLoading, Yagis and Q12
- E9EMatching systems10
- E9FTransmission line behavior12
- E9GThe Smith chart11
- E9HReceiving and direction-finding antennas11
- E0ARF exposure and tower safety12
Amateur Extra exam questions, answered
How many questions are on the Amateur Extra exam, and what's a passing score?
50 questions, one from each of the pool's 50 groups. You need 37 correct (74%) to pass.
Do I need a General license first?
Yes. You need to have passed the Technician and General exams (Elements 2 and 3) before the Extra exam (Element 4). You can take them at the same session if you pass each in turn.
Are these the real exam questions?
Yes. Every question comes word for word from the official question pool written by the NCVEC Question Pool Committee, which is public domain. The real exam picks one question from each group, so studying the whole pool covers everything that can be asked.
Which question pool is on the Extra exam now?
The 2024–2028 Amateur Extra pool, 599 questions, used on exams through June 30, 2028, with withdrawn questions removed.
How much does it cost to upgrade?
The FCC charges a $35 application fee for a new license, paid to the FCC after you pass. Upgrading to General or Extra later has no FCC fee. The volunteer examiner team also sets a small session fee: often around $15, and some sessions are free.
Where do I take the exam?
Exams are given by Volunteer Examiner (VE) teams, in person at club sessions or online over video. Use the ARRL exam session finder to find one near you. Find an exam session