Amateur Radio Technician Exam: Questions, Score, and Sessions

Know the length and passing rule

Element 2 is the Technician written exam. It has 35 questions. You need 26 correct answers to pass. The rule sets the question count and passing score. The exam is not passed by reaching a percentage that changes from session to session. Use 26 as the target when you review a full practice exam.

Source: FCC

Keep the exam count separate from the practice bank size. The exam is 35 questions. The question pool contains the material from which the administered set is drawn. A practice session may show more questions while you study, but that larger study set is not the exam length.

Source: FCC, FCC, NCVEC

Use the published question pool

The FCC rule says each question set must use the applicable question pool. The current Technician pool is identified for the 2026–2030 period. Check that the material you study matches the pool in effect for your session. A pool changes over time, so an old printout or saved list may not match the current exam material.

Source: FCC, NCVEC

The question pool is a useful study map. Work through each group, then mix questions from different groups. When you miss an item, explain why the right answer fits. Do not rely only on recognizing a familiar line. A good review also asks whether you can explain the idea without seeing the choices.

Understand who runs a session

Federal rules assign the exam to a team of at least three Volunteer Examiners at a session coordinated by a Volunteer Examiner Coordinator. The examiners supervise the session. Contact the coordinator named in the session notice if you need the instructions for that appointment.

Source: FCC

Read the session listing before you register. Ask the coordinator to confirm the format, identification, and any information to bring. Keep the contact details with your appointment time so you can ask a question before the session.

Prepare for an exam appointment

Choose a session before you set a final study date. Then count backward from that appointment and divide the groups across your available study time. Leave room for a full-length practice exam and for a second review of missed topics. Short, repeated study blocks make it easier to notice which groups still need attention.

Before you leave, confirm the session address or online instructions with its coordinator. Put the time, contact details, and any requested documents in one place. If your plans change, contact the coordinator early. These simple steps help prevent an avoidable missed appointment.

Use a pass mark as a checkpoint

A practice score is a measure of what you know now. It is not a promise about the official result. Compare your result with the 26-of-35 requirement. Review the missed questions and the groups behind them. Then take another mixed practice set after you have studied those topics.

Source: FCC

Do not stop at a single score. One set can overrepresent topics you already know or miss topics that matter. Use more than one review cycle. Keep the exam-day goal simple: read each question, compare all answer choices, and select the one that best answers the question.

Try a final round with a blank page. Write down the topics you still confuse, then make one question for each in your own words. This makes the next review active. Ask a study partner to listen if explaining a rule aloud helps you find a gap. Return to the published pool when you check the answer.