FCC Fee Changes
FCC Changes in Testing procedures starting in 2021
All applicants wishing to take their initial exam for the technician Level License must now have their FRN (Federal Registration Number) prior to taking their exam.An FCC instructional video provides step-by-step instructions on how to obtain an FRN through the FCC's COmmission REgistration System (CORES).
The video is available at, https://www.fcc.gov/rofrn .
The following websites will assist all new applicants in obtaining their FRN's via the FCC CORES system. Strongly recommend that all applicants visit each of these sites prior to taking an exam. This way there should be no surprises on the day of your exam.
1. www.arrl.org/what-to-bring-to-an-exam-session (see item 4 on that page)
2. https://apps.fcc.gov/cores/userLogin.do
3. http://www.arrl.org/fcc-licensee-privacy
You should be aware that, as an applicant for an FCC Amateur Radio License, some information about you will be made publicly available via the FCC's Universal Licensing System (ULS), specifically information you submit on the NCVEC 605 form will be published:
- Your name
- Your mailing address
- Your license call sign and license class
- Felony conviction status
- Various transaction dates, administrative review statuses, etc.
W5YI Testing has returned to Victorville
W5YI VE Exam Sessions at Spring Valley Lake Community Center
12975 Rolling Ridge Drive, Spring Valley Lake
All Exam Sessions are the third Saturday of the month at Noon (local time).
Cost: $14 cash (exact change please)
2021
Sep 18Oct 16
Nov 20
Dec 18
2022
Jan 15Feb 19
Mar 19
Apr 16
May 21
Jun 18
Jul 16
Aug 20
Sep 17
Oct 15
Nov 19
Dec 17
Amateur radio license onsite testing ( GLAARG at fire station 305, Hesperia) have been suspended for the duration of the Pandemic.
Under the current Pandemic restrictions there are two means of completing your testing exams. ON-SITE or REMOTE/ONLINEON-SITE: There are still on-site testing being done in the State of California. However, you must be prepared to drive quite a distance to the testing site location. Websites that list onsite testing locations will have street addresses, city names and Zip codes. Unfortunately, some entries will not have a City name. So I have included the following link of Zip codes for California to assist you.
https://www.zip-codes.com/state/ca.asp
Some examples that I have found on the GLAARG website are:
ZIP CODE City
91355 Valencia CA
93283 Weldon CA (at Lake Isabela few miles east of Ridgecrest CA)
92040 Lakeside, CA (a few miles NE of San Diego)
92262 Palm Springs
REMOTE/ONLINE: Testing REMOTE/ONLINE has some very specific requirements that you must meet well before testing. The following link from HAMSTUDY.ORG gives a detailed explanation of these requirements. Read carefully.
https://blog.hamstudy.org/2020/06/so-you-want-to-take-a-remote-exam/
The three largest organizations that provide HAM Radio testing, in Southern California, are GLAARG, W5YI and ARRL Each organization's website provides information on both on-site and remote/online testing.
Greater Los Angeles Amateur Radio Group (GLAARG)
https://glaarg.org/exam_sessions/
W5YI
https://w5yi.org/
American Radio Relay League (ARRL)
http://www.arrl.org/findonlineexam
Online Practice Exams
QRZ practice exams
Android Ham Test App
Ham Test Online
eHam Testing
FCC Question Pool
please note: there are several pages of change notes before the actual questions2018-2022 Technician Questions
2019-2023 General Questions
2020-2024 Extra Questions
VE Testing organizations
(Post Pandemic)
1.) The ARRL/VEC (SW Division) provides testing in the following locations throughout the calendar year
Agoura Hills // Anaheim // Banning // Bishop // Carlsbad Cypress // Downey // Fountain Valley // Hemet // Highland La Habra // La Verne // Laguna Beach // Lakeside // Loma Linda Long Beach // Los Angeles // Moreno Valley // Mission Viejo // Orange Pasadena // Rancho Cucamonga // Rancho Palos Verdes // Redlands Redondo Beach // Riverside // Santa Barbara // Santa Clarita Santa Maria // Thousand Oaks // Torrance // Van Nuys
Visit their website at: https://www.arrl.org/exam_sessions/search
Search by city name and state of California
2.) Additional Testing locations, by city name, are available from the W5YI website at:
https://www.w5yi.org/exam_locations_ama.php?vec_state=CA
Unfortunately, you will have to contact the POC directly to obtain date, time and physical location information.
3.) Greater Los Angeles Amateur Radio Group
visit their website at: https://glaarg.org/ve-sessions/
You will have to sort this database by ZIPCODE since the city name is contained within the physical location column. So it would help if you researched the ZIPCODEs that you might be interested in beforehand.