Get Licensed
You need an amateur radio licence to transmit on the ORLP network. Here’s how to get one.
- Register for Your FRN
Before you can take your exam, you need an FCC Registration Number — a free, 10-digit number that identifies you in all dealings with the FCC. You'll give this number to the Volunteer Examiners at your testing session, and you'll use it afterward to download your licence, manage renewals, and apply for a vanity callsign. Register through the FCC CORES system — it takes about five minutes. Write your FRN down and keep it somewhere safe.
- Start Studying
The Technician class licence exam has 35 questions drawn from a published question pool of several hundred questions. The good news is the entire pool is public — you can study the exact questions and answers before you walk in. Several excellent free websites let you work through flashcards, take timed practice exams, and track your progress. You don't need to buy anything to pass. Start with one of the study sites in the resources section below.
- Keep Going Until You're Consistently Passing
Don't book your exam until you're regularly scoring 85% or better on full practice exams. The actual passing score is 74% (26 out of 35 correct), but you want a comfortable margin so test-day nerves don't push you below the line. Most people find they can reach exam-ready confidence in two to four weeks of consistent study — sometimes faster. The question pool is finite and the answers are known in advance, which makes this one of the more achievable certifications you'll ever sit.
- Find and Register for an Exam Session
Exams are administered by Volunteer Examiners — licensed hams who donate their time to run testing sessions. Sessions are held in person at clubs, libraries, hamfests, and other locations, and also online via video-supervised remote sessions if you prefer to test from home. The exam fee is typically $15–$20 and your licence is valid for 10 years. Use the links in the resources section below to find a session near you or schedule an online exam.
Get Your FRN
- FCC CORES Registration (opens in new tab) — The official FCC system to register for your FRN. Select Register New FRN and choose Individual.
- FCC CORES Video Tutorial (opens in new tab) — Short official video walking through the FRN registration process step by step.
Study & Practice Tests
- ORLP Practice Tools (opens in new tab) — Study for your test with the official ORLP Practice tests, Quizzes and Flash Cards
- HamStudy.org (opens in new tab) — The most widely recommended free study tool. Uses spaced repetition flashcards and full practice exams. Tracks your progress per sub-element.
- HamExam.org (opens in new tab) — Free practice exam site running since 2003. No account required. Generates full timed exams from the current question pool.
- ARRL Exam Review (opens in new tab) — Free practice exams from the ARRL. No membership required. Covers all three licence pools with answer explanations.
- Ham Radio Prep (opens in new tab) — Free practice tests for Technician, General, and Amateur Extra. Clean interface, no sign-up required.
Find an In-Person Exam
- ARRL Exam Session Finder (opens in new tab) — Find an in-person exam session near you. Search by ZIP code.
- HamStudy Session Search (opens in new tab) — Session finder covering multiple VEC organisations, with in-person and remote options and live availability.
Take the Test Online
- ARRL Online Exam Sessions (opens in new tab) — Video-supervised remote exam sessions administered by ARRL VEC. Take the test from home with a webcam.
- HamStudy Remote Sessions (opens in new tab) — Remote session listings from ARRL VEC and other VEC organisations.
Ready to test yourself?
Drill the official question pools with quizzes, flashcards, and full mock exams.