Exams: candidates
The fee for each exam is as follows—
- Foundation £35.50
- Intermediate £39.00
- Full Licence £45.00
- Direct to Full £95.00
Use Club Finder to find amateur radio clubs in your area.
Use Course and Exam Finder to find courses and examinations in your area.
A combined amateur radio examination syllabus came into effect on 1 September 2019 and can be found at rsgb.org/syllabus2019.
Sample exam papers for Foundation, Intermediate and Full examinations can be found under Resources for Trainers and Students.
Yes, but please note that if you do not pass any lower exam you will not be able to take any higher exams and you will forfeit the higher exam fees. Online exams give you your mark immediately; whereas with paper exams you need to wait for the indicative mark. There is a two mark leeway with indicative marking in case of a local marking error.
We now have a Direct to Full exam that is compatible with the requirements of Ofcom and HAREC. This is a two part exam with both parts to be passed in a single sitting. The exam is aimed at candidates who already have a strong technical background.
We do, the Foundation level exam. The idea appliance operators sit a different exam to gain Full Licence privileges is unlikely to find favour with Ofcom who are keen to see more people progress to the Full Licence. We are required to meet all aspects of the Harmonised Amateur Radio Education Certificate (HAREC) and have detected no demand for removing the technical content from within the international amateur radio community.
A number of exam centres are against local marking for the Full level on the grounds that the time taken for the exam, plus marking, would take them over their room hire time limits. Turnaround time for HQ marking of paper exams is about seven days from the exam. Results for the online Full exam are available immediately.
The time allows for appeals or irregularities to be reported. It would be unfair to issue results before a candidate had had time to register an appeal as, once issued, exam results cannot be changed. Appeals have to be registered within five days of the exam, and so papers are not processed until the sixth working day after being received at HQ.
The RSGB processes examination papers six working days after receiving them and the result is sent to Ofcom. You then receive a pass certificate in the post containing your candidate number that you will need when you apply to Ofcom for a call sign. Ofcom work to ensure that you can apply for a licence as soon as possible after they receive notification from the RSGB, but this can take up to five working days.
Your call sign will be issued with your amateur radio licence. To apply for your licence go to Ofcom Online Services and create a user account. Login to your new account and follow the Apply for a Licence link. You will need your RSGB candidate number which can be found on your pass certificate. Alternatively, download Ofcom form OFW346 (PDF) to apply for an amateur radio licence. Note that applying for a licence online is free but if you send in a paper application a processing fee is incurred. If you apply online you can print your licence and start using your Foundation call sign straight away. If you send in a paper application, you need to wait for your licence to be delivered through the mail.
Yes. Please contact the RSGB Examinations Department on 01234 832 717 before your examination secretary applies for the exam. Contact us at least three weeks before the exam so we have time to find out how best we can help you.
No. Existing qualifications cannot be used to gain an amateur radio licence, even if they are in a related subject. However, the Air Cadet Foundation examination is an alternative route for cadets.
You can request feedback from the RSGB Examinations Department. The feedback report shows you where did well, not so well, and how far off the pass mark you were. Based on this you can decide whether to book a quick resit after some targeted revision, or whether to consider a resit after a longer period of further study. If you sit an online exam your results are immediately available and can be saved to the computer you used for the examination.
An allegation of an irregularity in the examination process must be made in writing to the RSGB Examinations Department within five working days of the examination, and signed by the person making the allegation. The process that will be followed can be found in The Handling of Irregularities and Appeals (PDF).
