Element 4 examination
FCC Extra Ham Radio Practice Test
571 free questions written from the official handbook, each with an explanation and the page it comes from.
- From the official source
- Every answer cites its page
- Checked November 4, 2026
The real test at a glance
- Questions
- 50
- To pass
- 37 of 50 correct (74%)
Checked against official sources on November 4, 2026. Rules change: confirm with the Federal Communications Commission (exams given by Volunteer Examiner teams) before your test.
About the real test
What to expect on test day
The Amateur Extra exam (FCC Element 4) has 50 multiple-choice questions, and you need 37 correct to pass (47 CFR 97.503). It is given by a team of Volunteer Examiners, and every question comes from the public 2024-2028 Extra pool, effective July 1, 2024, with one question drawn from each of its 50 groups.
This bank uses the pool's questions and answers word for word, and adds our own explanation and a note on every wrong option, each checked by an independent reviewer. Practice by subelement, in mixed sets, or with a full-length practice exam that draws questions per subelement the way the real exam does. Pool questions that need one of the pool's diagrams are not included yet.
Practice by topic
Pick a topic to start
Start with a topic you're unsure of. Mixed sets work better once you've seen each topic.
- FCC rules for Extra licenseesExtra privileges, space and earth stations, remote control, international rules and VE program rules.68 questions
- Operating proceduresSatellites, television modes, contesting, digital modes and operating in unusual conditions.60 questions
- Radio wave propagationEME, meteor scatter, transequatorial, grayline and long-path propagation.39 questions
- Amateur practicesTest equipment, receiver performance, noise suppression and interference.63 questions
- Electrical principlesResonance, Q, time constants, phase, complex impedance and power factor.46 questions
- Circuit componentsSemiconductors, logic ICs, optoelectronics, piezoelectric devices and toroids.62 questions
- Practical circuitsAmplifiers, filters, mixers, oscillators, DSP and power supplies.88 questions
- Signals and emissionsAC waveforms, sampling, modulation, digital signals and spread spectrum.48 questions
- Antennas and transmission linesAntenna gain and patterns, matching, transmission lines and the Smith chart.85 questions
- SafetyRF exposure, hazardous materials and safe station practice.12 questions
learned (right 3 times on different days) seen
Full practice exam
Take it like the real thing
50 questions in the real format, scored with the real pass rule. Answers are shown at the end, and every retake draws different questions.
Try a few
Sample Extra exam questions
Open a question to see the answer, why, and the handbook page.
1.Why are received spread spectrum signals resistant to interference?
- ABuilt-in error correction codes minimize interference
- BThe high power used by a spread spectrum transmitter keeps its signal from being easily overpowered
- CIf the receiver detects interference, it will signal the transmitter to change frequencies
- DSignals not using the spread spectrum algorithm are suppressed in the receiver
Show the answer
✓ D. Signals not using the spread spectrum algorithm are suppressed in the receiver
A spread spectrum receiver despreads only signals using the same spreading code, so other signals stay spread out and are suppressed.
2.Which of the following file formats is used for exchanging amateur radio log data?
- ANEC
- BOCF
- CARLD
- DADIF
Show the answer
✓ D. ADIF
ADIF (Amateur Data Interchange Format) is the standard file format for exchanging log data between programs.
3.How much does increasing a receiver's bandwidth from 50 Hz to 1,000 Hz increase the receiver's noise floor?
- A3 dB
- B10 dB
- C13 dB
- D5 dB
Show the answer
✓ C. 13 dB
Noise rises by 10 log of the bandwidth ratio: 10 log(1000 / 50) = 10 log 20 ≈ 13 dB.
4.To what should lanyards be attached while climbing?
- AGuy brackets
- BAntenna mast
- CTower legs
- DTower rungs
Show the answer
✓ C. Tower legs
Lanyards should be attached to the tower legs, the main structural members strong enough to arrest a fall.
5.Which amateur stations are eligible to be telecommand stations of space stations, subject to the privileges of the class of operator license held by the control operator of the station?
- AAny amateur station so designated by the ITU
- BAny amateur station approved by AMSAT
- CAny amateur station so designated by the space station licensee
- DAll these choices are correct
Show the answer
✓ C. Any amateur station so designated by the space station licensee
Any amateur station the space station licensee designates may be its telecommand station, within the control operator's class privileges (§97.211(a)).
6.How is positive feedback supplied in a Pierce oscillator?
- AThrough link coupling
- BThrough a quartz crystal
- CThrough a tapped coil
- DThrough a neutralizing capacitor
Show the answer
✓ B. Through a quartz crystal
A Pierce oscillator uses a quartz crystal in its feedback path to set the frequency.
FAQ
Questions people ask
How many questions are on the Extra exam?
50 questions.
What score do I need to pass?
37 of 50 correct (74%).
Are these the real test questions?
No. Nobody can legally offer the real questions. We write our own questions from the official 2024-2028 Extra Class Question Pool and Syllabus (Public Release with 4th Errata Feb 4 2026), and each one shows the handbook page it's based on, so you learn the rules the real test is built from.