What changed in the 2026 Technician exam
On July 1, 2026 the Technician exam switched to a new question pool. The exam works the same way, but about one question in fifteen is brand new and many more were reworded. Here's what changed and how to study for it.
The changes at a glance
| 2022–2026 pool | 2026–2030 pool | |
|---|---|---|
| In use | Through June 30, 2026 | July 1, 2026 – June 30, 2030 |
| Questions in the pool | 412 | 409 |
| Exam | 35 questions, 26 to pass | 35 questions, 26 to pass (no change) |
| New questions | — | 27 |
| Removed questions | 30 | — |
| Reworded questions | — | About 155 |
Counts are from the question pool committee's release, as reported by the ARRL. HamStudy counts slightly differently (26 new, 29 removed, 69 with changed wording and 8 moved to new numbers) because it doesn't count small edits like punctuation as rewording.
What's new or gets more attention
- Getting and keeping your license by email. The FCC now emails you a link to download your license grant instead of mailing anything, and it can revoke or suspend a license if it can't reach you by email. See T1A (question T1A04) and T1C (T1C04), which also covers when you can renew (up to 90 days early).
- Digital modes. More on DMR, including color codes and talkgroups (T2B), Winlink for email over radio (T2C), and where Technicians may use digital modes like FT8 (T1B).
- Who controls the station. Clearer questions on control operators, remote control (such as running a station over the internet) and auxiliary stations, in T1D and T1E.
- Beacons. Instead of defining a beacon, the pool now asks where to find automatic HF beacons: 28.200–28.300 MHz on 10 meters (T1A).
- Hands-on station knowledge. How an ohmmeter measures resistance (T7D), what a VFO does (T7A), foam versus solid coax (T7C), and taping outdoor connectors against water (T9B).
What was removed
- Questions on the special restrictions in the 219–220 MHz segment of the 1.25-meter band.
- The question that asked for the definition of a beacon (replaced by the "where are the beacons" question above).
- About 30 questions in all. Most covered material that's still in the pool in another form.
Reworded answers worth knowing
If you studied from older material, these answers now read differently:
- The ionosphere is now described as the region that can reflect HF radio waves (T3A).
- Signals by auroral backscatter are distorted, with a raspy sound (T3C).
- The FT8 setup question refers to FT8 software in general rather than naming one program (T4A).
- A dummy load is now explicitly a 50-ohm non-inductive resistor on a heat sink (T7C).
- Four questions were reworded again on February 19, 2026, after the pool's first release: T1C01, T5A05, T7A09 and T0A10.
How to study for the new exam
- Use material written for the 2026–2030 pool. Every question on My HAM Hub is from that pool, including the February 2026 corrections.
- If you started with older material, go through the groups linked above first: that's where most of the new and reworded questions are.
- Learn why each answer is right, not just which letter. Reworded questions trip up people who memorized answer positions. Every Technician question group page shows the official questions with a plain-English explanation of each answer.
- When you're passing practice exams comfortably, find an exam session, in person or online.
Questions about the 2026 changes
When did the new Technician question pool start?
July 1, 2026. Every Technician exam given on or after that date uses the 2026–2030 pool, and it stays in use through June 30, 2030. Exams built from the old 2022–2026 pool were valid only through June 30, 2026.
Did the Technician exam get harder or longer?
The format didn't change. It's still 35 questions, one from each of 35 groups, and you still need 26 correct (74%) to pass. The pool itself shrank slightly, from 412 to 409 questions.
Can I still study from an older Technician book or app?
Most of the material carries over, but about 30 old questions are gone, 27 are new, and many were reworded. Use study material written for the 2026–2030 pool, or at least review the new topics listed on this page.
Were there corrections after the pool was released?
Yes. On February 19, 2026 the question pool committee reworded four questions: T1C01, T5A05, T7A09 and T0A10. The versions on My HAM Hub include those corrections.
Sources
- ARRL: New Technician Class Question Pool Released, Effective July 1, 2026
- NCVEC: 2026–2030 Technician Question Pool Public Release
- ARRL: NCVEC Question Pool Committee Issues Revision to 2026–2030 Technician Pool
- HamStudy.org blog: the 2026 Technician pool changes
New to it all? Start with the New to Ham Radio guide.