plug for "hamtestonline.com" for ham test

[jonb96150]

Just passed my "General" ham test yesterday.
!00% on the 35 question test. I started studying last Sunday using hamtestonline.com and it worked great for me. The cost is $50.00 USD for a two year subscription and was well worth it. They also have the Canadian question pools.

Unlike studying the books, it was interesting and kind of fun as it introduces a kind of competion that inspired me to spend more time studying.

I can't recommend this product enough for anyone who wants to be motivated to quickly pass their ham tests. I have no connection to them at all, I just think this is a great way to prepare for the tests now that morse code is no longer required for any of the tests.

Since I am now a "General" I expect to be saluted!

[450 DUDE]

I would like to give you a But Im not qualified yet.

Hopefully soon....

Congrats , and thank for the tip

ken

[KLF]

Very timely post. Just decided I wanna get my license, now that all the morse code requirements are gone. I'll give this a look-see. Thanks!!

[pismojim]

Thanks for the link Jon, that's looks like a handy study resource. Getting a radio and license is on my to do list if only so I can talk to all the cool kids.

I took the sample Tech test on the about website just for fun... and passed! I did get lucky on a couple guesses regarding rules. But those phyiscs and basic electricity classes back in college seem to have paid off.

Unfortunately, I still haven't found a test location closer than Bakersfield. It seems like they should have a test in SLO or Santa Maria. I'll keep looking.

[rusty_tlc]

For the cheap SOB's (like myself) http://www.qrz.com/p/testing.pl is free. They do charge for the study guides.

[Kofoed]

Originally Posted by pismojim

Unfortunately, I still haven't found a test location closer than Bakersfield. It seems like they should have a test in SLO or Santa Maria. I'll keep looking.

You try here:

http://www.arrl.org/arrlvec/examsearch.phtml

[KLF]

Originally Posted by rusty_tlc

For the cheap SOB's (like myself) http://www.qrz.com/p/testing.pl is free. They do charge for the study guides.

LOL... there's a Ham Radio Outlet store about 3 blocks from my house, I went in there to chat today about getting licensed. The really nice old guy behind the counter recommended an ARRL book that I ended up buying, it was only $25. Then he told me about the sample tests on the QRZ.com website. He told me to go home tonight, and just for fun to try a sample Tech exam before I do any reading in the book, just to see where I need the most help. Just finished a few minutes ago, son-of-a-gun if I didn't pass with almost 90%!!

I wonder if I should take the book back...

[jonb96150]

Jim, there is a test in Ventura, not sure if it's any closer but the view is nicer!

The free question pool on qrz.com is pretty limited I've been told. The ARRL tests are drawn up from question pools that have hundreds of different questions. The pay site has all the questions, keeps track of what you miss, and keeps hitting you with you with your missed questions until you get them right, all the while it keeps introducing new questions. No doubt you can pass the tests without that service, but I knew that I would procrastinate so the 50.00 was worth it for me. And now I have two years to use that resource to attempt the Extra license.

I would recommend taking the tech and general tests at the same sitting. As you guys have seen, you can pass the tech with little or no studying. The general will take studying, but there is no penalty in trying them both. If you fail the general you still get your tech license. I don't even think you have to pay more for the second test, and you won't have to drive there again.

As far as talking to all the "cool kids", the "pocket protector, allergic to shampoo, stripes with plaid" group made up about 75% of the group I tested with! And we made serious fun of that other 25%!

[ginericLC]

I did the QRZ sample test thing. I went through every question and wrote down the ones I missed to use to study from. When I went in to take the exam it only took 9 minutes. It took them about 30 minutes to get done grading it. 100%. Now as a teacher I can say I did not actually learn anything for the sake of learning but I was able to pass the test. We could debate the whole theory behind testing versus actually learning but what is the point. The technician test is very basic.

Jim,
I'm geographically challenged when it comes to California. Too many cities and it is a big state. http://www.arrl.org/arrlvec/examsearch.phtml?State=CA

[KLF]

Trying to keep this thread alive...

Originally Posted by jonb96150

I would recommend taking the tech and general tests at the same sitting.

This is an interesting idea, never thought of doing that. I've been reading the ARRL Tech book, and I see pictures of 12 YO kids with their Extra licenses, so I hafta think, "well, it can't be THAT hard".

A far as talking to all the "cool kids", the "pocket protector, allergic to shampoo, stripes with plaid" group made up about 75% of the group I tested with! And we made serious fun of that other 25%!

Geez, I wonder which group I'm in..

[w1ai]

This is W1AI, creator of HamTestOnline. jonb96150 suggests taking the Tech and General together. I say, why stop there? I've seen hundreds of people go from "zero to Extra" in a single exam session.

People are afraid that preparing for more than one test will confuse their brain, but that's not what happens. When you use the knowledge from earlier pools to understand the questions in later pools, it deepens your understanding of the earlier material. When you learned to multiply, it didn't confuse your understanding of addition. It reinfroced it. Same with electronics.

[pismojim]

Originally Posted by jonb96150

The free question pool on qrz.com is pretty limited I've been told. The ARRL tests are drawn up from question pools that have hundreds of different questions.

The entire question pool in PDF format:

http://www.ncvec.org/downloads/2006tech.pdf

It seems like cheating.

[FJTex]

Originally Posted by pismojim

The entire question pool in PDF format:

http://www.ncvec.org/downloads/2006tech.pdf

It seems like cheating.

nah its called a study guide, apparently you havent been in public school lateley. we stopped learning there a while ago, now its jsut a place where kids go to take tests and regurgitate factoids.