Element 3 examination
FCC General Ham Radio Practice Test
418 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
- 35
- To pass
- 26 of 35 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 General exam (FCC Element 3) has 35 multiple-choice questions, and you need 26 correct to pass (47 CFR 97.503). It is given by a team of Volunteer Examiners, and every question comes from the public 2023-2027 General pool, in use from July 1, 2023 to June 30, 2027, with one question drawn from each of its 35 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. A few pool questions that need the pool's circuit diagram 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 General licenseesGeneral privileges, band edges, power limits, identification and third-party traffic.52 questions
- Operating proceduresHF phone and CW practice, band plans, nets, emergency traffic and digital-mode etiquette.60 questions
- Radio wave propagationSunspots, ionospheric layers, MUF and LUF, skip, and how HF conditions change.37 questions
- Amateur radio practicesStation setup, test equipment, interference, speech processing and mobile/portable power.60 questions
- Electrical principlesReactance, impedance, resonance, decibels, transformers and series/parallel circuits.40 questions
- Circuit componentsResistors, capacitors, inductors, semiconductors, ICs and displays.23 questions
- Practical circuitsPower supplies, schematics, amplifiers, oscillators, filters and digital signal processing.33 questions
- Signals and emissionsModulation, mixing, bandwidth, digital modes and signal quality.42 questions
- Antennas and feed linesFeed lines, SWR, dipoles, verticals, Yagis, loops and specialized HF antennas.46 questions
- Electrical and RF safetyRF exposure evaluation, grounding, electrical hazards and safe station practice.25 questions
learned (right 3 times on different days) seen
Full practice exam
Take it like the real thing
35 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 General exam questions
Open a question to see the answer, why, and the handbook page.
1.In what part of the 2.4 GHz band may an amateur station communicate with non-licensed Wi-Fi stations?
- ANo part
- BChannels 42 through 45
- CAnywhere in the band
- DChannels 1 through 4
Show the answer
✓ A. No part
Amateur stations may communicate only with other amateur stations, so no part of 2.4 GHz may be used to talk with unlicensed Wi-Fi devices (§97.111).
2.In what units is RF feed line loss usually expressed?
- ADecibels per 1,000 feet
- BOhms per 1,000 feet
- COhms per 100 feet
- DDecibels per 100 feet
Show the answer
✓ D. Decibels per 100 feet
Feed line loss is a power ratio, so it is given in decibels, conventionally quoted per 100 feet of line.
3.What output is produced by a balanced modulator?
- ADouble-sideband modulated RF
- BFrequency modulated RF
- CAudio with equalized frequency response
- DAudio extracted from the modulation signal
Show the answer
✓ A. Double-sideband modulated RF
A balanced modulator suppresses the carrier and outputs both sidebands, giving double-sideband suppressed-carrier RF.
4.Which of the following is required when using FT8?
- AA special hardware modem
- BComputer time accurate to within approximately 1 second
- CA vertically polarized antenna
- DReceiver attenuator set to -12 dB
Show the answer
✓ B. Computer time accurate to within approximately 1 second
FT8 transmissions are tightly timed, so the computer clock must be accurate to about one second.
5.Which mixer input is varied or tuned to convert signals of different frequencies to an intermediate frequency (IF)?
- AImage frequency
- BBeat frequency oscillator
- CRF input
- DLocal oscillator
Show the answer
✓ D. Local oscillator
In a superheterodyne receiver, the local oscillator is tuned so that mixing it with each desired signal produces the same intermediate frequency.
6.Which of the following is typical of the lower HF frequencies during the summer?
- AHeavy distortion on signals due to photon absorption
- BPoor propagation at any time of day
- CHigh levels of atmospheric noise or static
- DWorld-wide propagation during daylight hours
Show the answer
✓ C. High levels of atmospheric noise or static
Summer thunderstorms create high levels of atmospheric static on the lower HF bands.
FAQ
Questions people ask
How many questions are on the General exam?
35 questions.
What score do I need to pass?
26 of 35 correct (74%).
Are these the real test questions?
No. Nobody can legally offer the real questions. We write our own questions from the official General Class Pool and Syllabus 2023-2027 (Public Release with 6th 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.