Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, completely free with no hidden costs, subscriptions, or premium features locked behind a paywall. This app was built by ham radio enthusiasts in North Carolina to help people get licensed.

There are three license classes:

• Technician - Entry-level license with VHF/UHF privileges. Perfect for local communication.
• General - Intermediate license with HF privileges. Communicate worldwide.
• Amateur Extra - Highest class with all privileges. Access to exclusive band segments.

Yes! We use the official National Conference of Volunteer Examiner Coordinators, NCVEC's question pools, which are the exact questions used on the real exam. The NCVEC publishes these pools publicly, and all exam questions come directly from them. When you study with us, you're seeing the same questions you'll see on test day.

Most people can prepare in 1-4 weeks with regular study. If you study 30-60 minutes daily, you should be ready within 2-3 weeks. Some people with technical backgrounds pass after just a few days of focused study.

Open Ham Prep has a built-in exam session finder! Simply enter your ZIP code or state, and we'll show you upcoming exam sessions nearby. You can filter by date, distance, and whether walk-ins are allowed.

You need to score at least 74% to pass. For the Technician and General exams (35 questions), that means getting 26 or more correct. For the Amateur Extra exam (50 questions), you need 37 or more correct.

The Learning Library is our educational content organized by topic—not just practice questions, but actual lessons that help you understand the material.

Each topic includes:

• Clear explanations of concepts in plain language
• Related exam questions so you can practice what you learned
• Links to additional resources for deeper learning

This way, you understand the "why" behind each answer—not just memorize random facts.

Our community forum at forum.openhamprep.com is powered by Discourse—the same software used by major tech communities.

Here's how it helps you:

• Get help on tricky questions - Ask about specific exam questions you're struggling with
• Connect with experienced hams - Learn from operators who've been there
• Share your journey - Celebrate when you pass and help others do the same

You're not studying alone—the ham radio community is here to support you.

Exam readiness is your personalized score that predicts how likely you are to pass the real exam based on your practice performance.

Here's how we calculate it:

• We track every question you answer across all study modes
• We weight recent performance more heavily than older attempts
• We ensure you've seen enough questions to make an accurate prediction

When your readiness score hits 74% or higher, you're statistically ready to pass. We'll let you know when you reach that milestone!

Every question has a discussion feature where you can ask questions and get answers from experienced hams. We also have a growing community of users helping each other succeed. Since Open Ham Prep is open source, you can also contribute on GitHub or report issues there.