Technician Practice Test & Lessons (2026–2030 Pool)
Your first ham radio license, studied the easy way.
About the Technician exam
The Technician license is where nearly everyone starts. The exam (Element 2) is 35 multiple-choice questions, and you need 26 right (74%) to pass. Every question comes from the official 2026–2030 pool of 409 questions, in use on exams from July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2030.
Here you learn the material a page at a time: read a short lesson, answer the real exam questions it covers, and see a plain-English explanation for every answer. Smart Drill brings back the questions you miss until you know them, and the readiness check tells you when you're ready to test. The first lessons and 30 questions are free.
Studied for the old exam? See what changed in the 2026 Technician exam.
All 35 Technician 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.
- T1AWhy ham radio exists, and who makes the rules11
- T1BTechnician frequencies and power12
- T1CLicenses, call signs and renewals11
- T1DWhat you can and can't transmit12
- T1EControl operators and control types11
- T1FIdentification, third parties, repeaters and clubs11
- T2ARepeaters, calling and band plans11
- T2BTones, digital voice and operating courtesy14
- T2CNets, emergencies and message traffic12
- T3AHow signals fade, bounce and get absorbed12
- T3BRadio waves, wavelength and frequency12
- T3CPropagation beyond the horizon11
- T4ASetting up your station: power, meters and computers12
- T4BOperating controls11
- T5ACurrent, voltage, power and frequency11
- T5BMetric prefixes and decibels13
- T5CCapacitance, inductance, impedance and power math12
- T5DOhm's law, series and parallel14
- T6AResistors, capacitors, inductors, switches and batteries11
- T6BDiodes and transistors12
- T6CReading schematics12
- T6DCommon circuits and parts11
- T7AInside a transceiver11
- T7BInterference and audio problems11
- T7CDummy loads, SWR and coax11
- T7DMeters and soldering11
- T8AModulation and bandwidth12
- T8BAmateur satellites12
- T8CContests, fox hunts and internet linking11
- T8DDigital modes12
- T9AAntenna basics11
- T9BFeed lines, connectors and SWR12
- T0AElectrical safety12
- T0BTowers and antenna safety11
- T0CRF exposure safety13
Technician exam questions, answered
How many questions are on the Technician exam, and what's a passing score?
35 questions, chosen one from each of the pool's 35 groups. You need 26 correct (74%) to pass.
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 Technician exam now?
The 2026–2030 Technician pool, 409 questions, used on exams from July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2030. It includes the corrections the NCVEC published on February 19, 2026.
Do I need to know Morse code?
No. Morse code hasn't been required for any US amateur license since 2007.
How much does it cost to get licensed?
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