Element 2 examination
FCC Technician Ham Radio Practice Test
397 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 Technician exam (FCC Element 2) 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 2026-2030 Technician pool, in use from July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2030, 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 dozen pool questions that need the pool's circuit 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 and licensingWho regulates amateur radio, license classes, call signs, frequency privileges and what you may and may not transmit.68 questions
- Operating proceduresRepeaters, simplex, calling and answering, emergency and public-service operating, and band plans.37 questions
- Radio wave propagationHow VHF and UHF signals travel: line of sight, reflection, ducting, sporadic E and the ionosphere.35 questions
- Station setup and operationSetting up a station: power, mobile installs, controls on a radio and digital modes in practice.23 questions
- Electrical principlesCurrent, voltage, resistance, power, Ohm's law, decibels and metric prefixes.50 questions
- Electronic componentsResistors, capacitors, inductors, diodes, transistors, relays and reading schematic symbols.34 questions
- Practical circuits and equipmentReceivers, transmitters, transceivers, amplifiers, meters and troubleshooting.44 questions
- Signals and emissionsModulation types, bandwidth, satellites, digital modes and the signals you transmit.47 questions
- Antennas and feed linesAntenna types and length, polarization, SWR, coaxial cable and connectors.23 questions
- SafetyElectrical safety, RF exposure limits, tower and antenna safety, and batteries.36 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 Technician exam questions
Open a question to see the answer, why, and the handbook page.
1.What would cause a broadcast AM or FM radio to receive an amateur radio transmission unintentionally?
- AThe deviation of an FM transmitter is set too low
- BThe audio amplifier of the transmitter is overloaded
- CThe receiver is unable to reject strong signals outside the AM or FM band
- DThe microphone gain of the transmitter is turned up too high
Show the answer
✓ C. The receiver is unable to reject strong signals outside the AM or FM band
A strong nearby signal can overload a consumer receiver that cannot reject frequencies outside its band, so the transmission is heard even though it is legal.
2.What formula is used to calculate current in a circuit?
- AI = E2 x R
- BI = E / R
- CI = E x R
- DI = E2 / R
Show the answer
✓ B. I = E / R
Ohm's law gives current as voltage divided by resistance, I = E / R.
3.What is the digital color code used on DMR repeater systems?
- AA code which identifies the specific CODEC being used so that the repeater can properly decode the audio
- BA code which automatically programs the repeater offset to a frequency chosen by the user
- CA code transmitted by the repeater to indicate health and status of the equipment
- DAn access code which must be programmed into a DMR transmitter to access a specific repeater
Show the answer
✓ D. An access code which must be programmed into a DMR transmitter to access a specific repeater
A DMR color code is an access code, similar to a CTCSS tone, that your radio must use to work a particular DMR repeater.
4.Who is accountable if a repeater inadvertently retransmits communications that violate the FCC rules?
- ABoth the originating station and the repeater owner
- BThe control operator of the originating station
- CThe owner of the repeater
- DThe control operator of the repeater
Show the answer
✓ B. The control operator of the originating station
If a repeater inadvertently retransmits a rule violation, the control operator of the station that originated it is accountable (§97.205(g)).
5.Which of the following is accurately represented in electrical schematics?
- APhysical appearance of components
- BComponent connections
- CWire lengths
- DAll these choices are correct
Show the answer
✓ B. Component connections
A schematic shows which parts connect to which, but not how long the wires are or what the parts physically look like.
6.Which of the following is an acceptable method to determine whether your station complies with FCC RF exposure regulations?
- ABy calculation based on computer modeling
- BBy calculation based on FCC OET Bulletin 65
- CBy measurement of field strength using calibrated equipment
- DAll these choices are correct
Show the answer
✓ D. All these choices are correct
You can evaluate exposure by OET Bulletin 65 calculations, by computer modeling, or by measuring field strength with calibrated equipment.
FAQ
Questions people ask
How many questions are on the Technician 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 2026-2030 Technician Class Question Pool and Syllabus (Public Release Feb 19 2026), and each one shows the handbook page it's based on, so you learn the rules the real test is built from.