GARS Ham Radio Exams
- Preregistration is REQUIRED
When:
- Third Sunday of every month, including December.
- Exams will start promptly at 3:00pm — Doors open at 2:45pm.
- View the entire list of our upcoming exam sessions and preregister at https://ham.study/sessions/GARS/all.
- ADDITIONAL: We also administer exams at the annual GARS TechFest on the 2nd Saturday of January (go to http://TechFest.info for more details), and at the annual Stone Mountain Hamfest on the 1st full weekend of November on both Saturday and Sunday (go to https://StoneMountainHamfest.com/ for more details) (subject to change).
Where:
Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA), Chapter 690, Hangar #1
Gwinnett County Airport – Briscoe Field
690 Airport Rd
Lawrenceville, GA 30046
https://www.gars.org/gars/location/
(Please view this link after you review the rest of this page — The entrance is not obvious upon arrival)
- PLEASE NOTE: TechFest and Stone Mountain Hamfest exams are held at different locations. Please visit their websites for more details.
Cost:
- Exam Fee: $14.00 – CASH
- FCC Application Fee: $35.00 – Billed and payable directly to the FCC. This fee is in addition to the Exam Fee. This fee is only billed if you pass your license exam and get a new call sign, and it will be billed directly from the FCC to you (the applicant). This fee applies to anyone getting their first call sign (newly licensed), requesting a new sequential call sign as part of a license upgrade, or anyone requesting a new vanity call sign (regardless of whether a new vanity call sign is issued).
Registration:
- Preregistration is REQUIRED.
- Go to https://ham.study/sessions/GARS/all to register for one of our upcoming exam sessions.
- After successfully registering online, you should receive an email with your registration information, including your exam PIN. Please bring your PIN to the exam session.
What to Bring to our Exam Session:
- $14.00 – CASH ONLY – CHECKS, CREDIT CARDS, ETC. ARE NOT ACCEPTED
- Your exam PIN – SEE ABOVE
- A Government Issued Photo ID – Driver’s license, Passport, etc.
- Minors without a Photo ID must bring their Social Security Card and Birth Certificate
- Original CSCE for any outstanding license upgrade(s), plus one copy for us to keep – if any
- Face Mask – Optional (whatever makes you comfortable)
- If you don’t feel well, please be respectful of our volunteers and stay home.
*** As per the W5YI-VE manual:
*** Volunteer examiners are under no obligation to test anyone should they desire not to for any reason.
*** Cell phones, Smart watches, Bluetooth headsets, earbuds, etc. ***
*** MUST BE TURNED OFF AND PUT AWAY DURING THE EXAM SESSION ***
The ARRL has an excellent write-up on What to Bring to an Exam Session Here
What We Provide:
- 8-inch Tablet (for taking the exam) – you are not allowed to use your own device
- Stylus
- Scratch Paper
- Pens, Pencils
- Simple Calculators and Scientific Calculators (TI-30Xa) – you are not allowed to use your own device
Required Preparation:
Get an FRN
Preregister for our Exam Session
Preregistration is required for our exam sessions. Click on the below link, find the exam session you want and click on it, then click on the Register button and fill out the form. You will get an email confirmation with your exam PIN. Please check your SPAM folder if you do not receive your confirmation email. Bring your exam PIN with you to our exam session.
Special Needs Exams
Recommended Preparation:
Online Training
And, don’t forget to search YouTube either!
Find a Class
Unfortunately, not all classes are listed on the ARRL’s website. We also recommend asking at your local Amateur Radio Club(s), and by doing a Google search.
Get a Study Guide
If you are taking a class, it is recommended that you get the Study Guide recommended by the instructor. If you are studying on your own, or if the instructor does not have a preference, here are a few study guides to choose from. Don’t forget to try a Google search. New Technician Study Guides are being added all the time, and some of them are free.
Take Practice Exams
We recommend that you use multiple websites when taking practice exams. Not all websites seem to pick questions as randomly as what appears on the actual exams. All exams should use questions from the official Question Pools as determined by the NCVEC (National Conference of Volunteer Examiner Coordinators). Google search “ham practice exam” for additional websites.
Questions:
Additional Exam Locations and Schedules:
Many other groups offer Ham Radio Exams too. If our schedule does not fit your schedule, or to find a more convenient location, please click on the following link:
- ARRL’s – Find a Ham Radio License Exam Sessions near you
- HamStudy’s – Find a Ham Radio License Exam Session near you
(HamStudy also lists remote online exam sessions that you can take from home)
Additional New Ham Info:
The following site contains a lot of good information about getting started in Ham Radio.
Amateur Radio License Lookup:
The following FCC site allows you to look up Amateur Radio licenses by Call Sign, FRN or Name.
FCC CORES:
Use the FCC CORES site to register and manage your 10 digit FCC Registration Number (FRN). This information (Name, Address, E-mail, etc.) pertains to your FRN, not your Amateur Radio license. It is important to keep your information up to date in both systems, the FCC CORES site and the FCC ULS site. Also use the FCC CORES site to pay any FCC Fees (new license, renewal, etc.).
FCC ULS:
Use the FCC ULS site to manage any information pertaining to your Amateur Radio license (Name, Address, E-mail, etc.). It is important to keep your information up to date in both systems, the FCC CORES site and the FCC ULS site. Also use the FCC ULS site to renewal your license. (You will have to pay an FCC Fee at the FCC CORES site when renewing your license.)