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By KE9EPP W9WSP                          
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By KE9EPP W9WSP                  
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The Journey to Tech

The one of the hardest parts of amateur radio is starting out: getting licensed. If the license is all that's holding you back, don't hesitate! For me, it was worth it.

Phase 0: Spark

If you're reading this, you're probably already here. The Spark. For me, it started when I visited a Civil Air Patrol group. Two years later, I was gifted a handheld transceiver for my birthday. Then there was no turning back...

Phase 1: Study

I studied for my Technician’s license for about a month and a half using hamstudy.org's flashcards and practice tests. Then, it's just practice and a matter of time!
Once you can get 90% or above on three or four consecutive practice tests, you're ready for the real deal.

Phase 2: Pre-Test

I took my test through PARC Radio, a volunteer examiner coordinator team. I read their FAQ page, completed the instructions and filed the payment about two days before my test.
(Note: I took my test online via Zoom. In-person tests may be simpler.)

Phase 3: Taking the Test

The first step was finding a physical space good for the test. I reserved an empty study (or conference) room at my local library. Other good locations include empty closets or any clean space where you won't be disturbed. I joined the Zoom link, waited 15 minutes, and then joined the meeting. There were about four other people taking an exam with me. We all got transferred to our own Zoom rooms and took our tests separately. You get to know your score right away, and then that's that!

Special thanks to my volunteer examiners with the PARC VE group:

And thanks to all the other unnamed volunteer examiners working behind the scenes at the PARC Radio team.

I need your help! I want this page to be as easy-to-understand as possible. If there's anything that seems unclear or confusing, please reach out!