A RadioBook beginner reference

Your First Amateur-Radio Licence—and What Comes Next

Choose the Canadian or U.S. path, use current official question material and prepare for operating rather than treating the exam as the finish line.

The short answer

Canadian beginners normally start with the Basic Qualification. U.S. beginners normally start with the Technician licence. The credentials, examinations and privileges are different, so use the path for the country that will issue your authority.

Passing is only the beginning. Learn where you may transmit, how to identify, how to prevent interference and how to make a clear first contact.

Canadian pathBasic Qualification, ISED material and accredited examiners
United States pathTechnician licence, current pools, FRN and FCC grant

First choose what you want to do

Your first equipment and study priorities should follow an intended use: nearby repeaters, local public-service activity, long-distance contacts, portable operation, antennas and electronics, Morse code, satellites or simply safe exploration. You do not need a permanent speciality, but one practical goal helps you avoid buying equipment only because it is popular.

Canadian beginner path

1. Use the current ISED material

The authoritative source is Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED). The current Basic question material took effect July 15, 2025. Use the ISED amateur-radio exam generator, which provides category study, a 100-question practice examination, the full question bank and official reference material.

2. Understand the result

The Basic examination has 100 questions.
70% is a pass.
80% or higher earns Basic with Honours and additional privileges, including broader access below 30 MHz.

Advanced and Morse Code qualifications also exist. Check current Canadian standards rather than an undated frequency chart.

3. Find an accredited examiner

Most examinations are conducted by ISED-accredited examiners. A local club or ISED’s certificate services can help you find one. RIC-3 has no candidate age or nationality restriction, but suitable photo identification is required. Discuss any accommodation need in advance.

4. Prepare for operating

Be able to explain where you may transmit, identification rules, power and emission limits, interference prevention, electrical and RF safety, and the roles of the radio, feed line and antenna.

5. Confirm your certificate and call sign

After the examiner submits the result, confirm the certificate and assigned call sign through ISED’s Amateur Radio Operator Certificate Services. Do not transmit until you have the required authority and call sign.

United States beginner path

1. Start with Technician

The active operator classes are Technician, General and Amateur Extra. Technician is the normal entry point, with privileges above 30 MHz and limited privileges on specified HF segments. General and Amateur Extra add broader privileges.

2. Use the current question pool

The current Technician pool is valid July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2030. Material for the former 2022–2026 pool is obsolete. The current exam and pool windows are:

Technician / Element 2: 35 questions; 26 correct. Pool valid July 1, 2026–June 30, 2030.
General / Element 3: 35 questions; 26 correct. Pool valid July 1, 2023–June 30, 2027.
Amateur Extra / Element 4: 50 questions; 37 correct. Pool valid July 1, 2024–June 30, 2028.

Question pools can be corrected after release. ARRL’s current withdrawn-question notice lists no Technician withdrawals, but it does list withdrawn General and Amateur Extra questions. Use the current pool file and withdrawn-question notice rather than an older saved copy.

3. Obtain an FRN before the examination

Obtain an FCC Registration Number before the exam and supply it with the application. Protect the associated account credentials and private registration information.

4. Schedule an examination

Volunteer Examiner teams offer in-person and online sessions. Confirm the element, identification, examiner fee, current FCC application fee, payment process and any remote-session requirements. Fees and procedures can change.

5. Wait for the licence grant

A passed examination does not by itself authorize a new applicant to transmit. Wait for the FCC licence grant and call sign to appear in the licensing database before transmitting.

What is different—and what is shared

Topic	Canada	United States
Entry credential	Basic Qualification	Technician licence
Entry examination	100 questions	35 questions
Passing result	70%	26 of 35 correct
Enhanced entry result	80% earns Basic with Honours and additional privileges	No honours result; broader privileges require later licence classes
Next level	Advanced Qualification; Morse Code qualification also exists	General, then Amateur Extra
Primary regulator	ISED	FCC
Exam delivery	ISED-accredited examiners and some ISED personnel	Volunteer Examiner teams coordinated through VECs
Authority to transmit	Valid certificate, call sign and applicable privileges	FCC grant and call sign present in the licensing database

Both systems test regulations, safe station operation, radio theory and interference prevention. Neither examination substitutes for practical operating skill.

A sensible first-station plan

Begin with one measurable goal: reach a nearby repeater, make a local simplex contact, listen to an HF net, or install and compare one simple antenna. Ask a local club which repeaters, bands and modes are actually active and whether you can try equipment before buying.

Budget for the whole path: antenna, feed line, connectors, power, mounting, weather protection, grounding, programming and appropriate test equipment. Before changing programming or firmware, preserve a known-good configuration and change one thing at a time.

Your first contact

Listen long enough to know whether the frequency is in use.
Confirm that your credential permits the frequency, mode and power.
Verify the antenna connection and choose appropriate power.
Identify according to your country’s rules.
Speak clearly and briefly, leaving room for a reply.
Record the call sign, time and frequency.
If anything behaves unexpectedly, stop transmitting and investigate.

A clear, legal exchange with a local operator is a successful beginning.

How RadioBook fits

RadioBook separates the journey into practical stages: what amateur radio is, how radio works, licensing, first operation, troubleshooting and jurisdiction-specific answer guides. The free RadioBook Game Suite adds browser-based practice for call signs, phonetics, Q-codes and weak-signal copying. Always use current regulator material for legal requirements and question-pool authority.

Explore the RadioBook series Open the RadioBook Game Suite

Official sources and currency

Canada

United States

Currency note: Rules, pools, fees and procedures can change. This page was checked against the listed sources on October 5, 2026 and should be rechecked at least annually and whenever a question pool changes.

Revision history

Reviewed	Change
October 5, 2026	Rechecked the licensing paths and added the current withdrawn-question notice so readers do not rely on an outdated saved pool.
October 2, 2026	Confirmed Canadian Basic examination rules and 2025 question-bank update; U.S. thresholds and pool windows; FRN-before-exam requirement; and the FCC-grant-before-transmitting rule.