Study Guides????

Is there a good study guide or study program available for me to pass my General exam? I am getting a little older and my memory isn't all that swell, and I would like to find something that is explanatory at a reasonable price. I recall seeing pass-or-full refund someplace awhile back, but I want to at least accomplish my General ticket....thanks for any help!

 

There are several good resources for exam practice. When I was working my way up the ladder, I used the exam practice available on QRZ.com. Since I already had a good engineering background, I didn't need a lot of explanation. I simply used the tests on QRZ.com. If I came across something that I was hazy on, I looked it up. But once I was scoring regularly over 90 percent, I went to take the test. There were a few more required tests when I upgraded, but the sample exams worked great. I was always ready for the written exams long before I was ready for the code exams.

If you prefer a book, you might try the ARRL General Class License Manual. I don't know about a money back guarantee, but it's a good information source.

If you go to the ARRL Exam Practice page there are links to some free material. At the bottom of the page is a link for study Flash Cards. To get there you need to click on the "README.txt" link, which then contains a link to the Flash Cards and a Desktop Study App.

While your at it, why don't you get the Extra Study guide?

 

Good advice! Thanks. I didn't know about the desktop study app!

 

Thanks for posting it. I'm browsing this site after a recommendation on another forum. I want to get a HAM radio and get a license for it.

 

I used the Powerpoint for Technician that is available here. I also answered the questions that followed each section, which I believe are all the questions in the pool. When I had completed all of that, I came here and used the practice tests here too. I just tested and retested the day before until I knew the answers for the questions and was getting consistently 90% or better. I DIDN'T learn how to put most of this into practice, just learned ANSWERS well enough to pass.

My goal was to pass the test. I am now out trying to get the right reference material so as to learn the material that is important to me and my use of my equipment. As with anything, YMMV. Good luck on the test !!!

 

I'm a very active ARRL VE. I make it a practice to ask every applicant, after they have taken their test, what did they use as a study guide.

After doing this for the past 6 years, I've come to the conclusion that the very best way to learn (and not simply try to memorize the question pool) is Ham Test On Line. http://www.hamradiolicenseexam.com/index.html

This seems to be particularly true for old geezers such as myself with failing memory, due in part to age, and in part to years of youthful indiscretion (brain memory cell damage). I wish I had known that earlier and saved much pain beating my head against the wall studying the ARRL Study Guides.

That's my take on it, for what it's worth.

 

I used a combination of the ARRL study guide, QRZ, and Hamtestonline for my general and extra exams.
Hamtestonline offers a money back guarantee, and is a great way to track your progress.

 

Amen to Ham Test Online, studied both Tech and General over the course of about a month and passed both with flying colors in one sitting. Studying for my extra now there as well.

-KK6BPH (Cat)

 

I too am working on studying for my Technician license. I have some radio knowledge and dabbled a bit in electronics, and without doing any studying or reading, I was scoring in the 50's on the practice tests. Downloaded a study manual, and after one read-thru, got my scores in the upper 60's. I've been reading the ARRL study guide (found it to be a lot more technical than the practice questions), and now after taking practice test after practice test the last couple of weeks - on multiple sites (hamradiolicenseexam.com is one of them) and via the ARRL CD, I'm now scoring 90-100.

BUT I'm concerned as I DO feel as tho I am just memorizing the test questions, without really learning what the ARRL guide has to offer. Are all the practice test questions taken from the actual exams? They all have the same questions.

AM I ready to take the Technician test? Next test in my area isn't until March 16, I plan to keep "practicing" until I can score 100% on all 394 questions.

Thanks.

 

Yes, the practice tests are using the actual test questions. If you're scoring in the 85% range on each test, you're probably ready for the real thing. I teach the class, and I don't always get 100% (I disagree with a few of the questions, and usually say so when they open the test pool up for comment).