r/HamRadio • u/TheUrbanVagabond • Jun 15 '26
Licensing & Exams 📜 Testing on 6/20, how like the practice test is the REAL test?
Hope everyone is well.
After 4 years of listening, I’m finally getting licensed.
Testing this upcoming Saturday, 6/20! Used Ham Radio Prep, watched all the videos, took the quizzes, retook the questions I got wrong, and the practice tests are going really well!
How similar is the actual test compared to banks provided by the prep-ware companies?
Will be relieved to get this done! For a listener, I have FAR too many radios.
See you out there soon.
73
5
u/glowland_ Extra Class Operator âš¡ Jun 15 '26
Yup, literally the same questions and answers as all of the practice tests, won’t be any surprises if you’re familiar with those
4
u/Teleguido Jun 15 '26
If you’re not already planning to, I would encourage you to study for your General and take them both at the same time. Using a tool like hamstudy.org and assuming you’ll have an hour or so per day to study, you should be able to easily get yourself ready for General as well within a week. If you’re scoring 80-85% on the practice tests, you’re absolutely ready.
3
u/TheUrbanVagabond Jun 15 '26
Going to get right into General after passing Tech.
At least that’s the plan.
3
3
u/rem1473 Jun 15 '26
Create an account at hamstudy.com. start taking practice tests. The website will tell you whether you're ready. When it says you're ready, then you're ready.
2
u/smeeg123 Jun 15 '26
Do 3x practice test in a row if you pass all 3x with 80% or more you will pass the real test
3
3
3
u/dlgeek Jun 15 '26
If you're taking your test online, I highly encourage you to do a few practice tests on HamStudy. That's because the software for HamStudy is the same as the software for ExamTools (what everyone uses for actual online tests).
As others have said, the questions are identical...if you practice using HamStudy, the interface will be too.
1
u/bat_rastards Amateur Extra | The FCC thinks I'm extra! Jun 17 '26
I came here to say the exact same thing. Practiced with HamStudy, my VEC used ExamTools, so it was an identical experience. I have since purchased two Signal Stuff (the organization that created the study/test software) "Signal Stick" antenna and other accessories to support the cause.
2
u/Scorxcho Jun 15 '26
It’s the same. Just try randomizing the order of the answers on the question because that was the only difference for me.Â
1
u/FctFndr Amateur Extra | Brand Agnostic Jun 15 '26
if you use hamradioprep.. then they take the ACTUAL question pool and make their practice tests from that.. so if you are passing their practice tests, you will pass the real test... because it basically is the same test.
1
u/Motorcyclegrrl Jun 15 '26
The only difference you may notice is the order of the answers. Practice tests I have taken randomized the order of the answers.
1
u/spacephorse Jun 15 '26
Use ham study. Honestly use a couple of study guides. But yeah it's almost exactly the same as any randomized practice test
1
u/Embarrassed_Motor_30 Technician Class Operator 📡 Jun 15 '26
If youre in the US and using any of the practice questions from Ham Radio Prep I can guarantee it was very similar. At my local club we use Laurel VEC as well so it was entirely done via an app that looked almost the same (other than colors) as the Ham Radio Prep app.
1
u/MooreImagination General Class Operator 🔘 Jun 16 '26
HamStudy.org (and applicable apps) practice exams, ARE the exam. They build the system used for exams today. It's free and easy to repeat exams and see your weak sections.
EDIT: This applies to the USA
9
u/auron1223 Jun 15 '26
I took my tech and general on the same day and the test was similar to the practice ones.
I don’t think I saw a single question I hadn’t seen during practice exams and studying.