Amateur Licence Training Courses and Exams
Although anybody with the correct equipment may listen in to Amateur Radio transmissions, you need a licence in order to operate a transmitter on the Amateur Radio bands. In the United Kingdom, these licences are issued by Ofcom.
Three levels of licence are available, each with its own rules, restrictions and privileges. You can either progress a level at a time or you can go straight for the highest level. If you decide to go the three stage route, there are no time constraints for when you need to move to the next level so you can simply stay at the foundation or intermediate level if that suits your requirements.
Three Stage Route
Foundation Level
This is the entry level and must be passed by everyone who wishes to operate an Amateur Radio transmitter in the UK.
Foundation licence holders can operate commercially designed equipment with a maximum power of 20 Watts (although you can use aerial arrays to boost the effective power of the signal).
The exam consists of a multiple choice theory paper.
The aim of the exam is to ensure that you can install and operate your station safely without causing interference to others.
Intermediate Level
Intermediate Licence holders can operate transmitters with a power of up to 100 watts in the UK and can also use home made equipment.
The aim of the training and exam is to give you enough information that you can start to tackle repairs and build your own equipment using published designs.
(Please note that you must have passed the Foundation exam before you can take the Intermediate exam).
Advanced Level
This is the final step for Intermediate Licence holders. The Full Licence allows you to can operate transmitters with a power of up to 1000 watts, to operate from countries outside the UK and to use additional frequency bands.
The aim of the training and exam is to give you enough information that you can start to understand the principles that will allow you to modify equipment or designs, for example so that a rig operates on a different band or in a different mode.
(Please note that you must have passed the Foundation and Intermediate exams before you can take the Advanced exam).
Single Stage Route
Direct To Full
This is an option if you are competent in both the technology and the licence conditions. Pass two exams in a single 2½ hour session and you can obtain a full licence with all of its privileges.
However, this is a totally different route to the three stage route and there is no credit in this route if you have already passed the foundation exam or in the three stage route if you only pass one of these exams.
The Radio Society of Great Britain (RSGB) run the testing system. Although it is possible to take paper based exams, most students opt for online exams and these can even be taken from home. For more details, please see the RSGB website at https://rsgb.org/main/clubs-training/for-students.
Gloucester Amateur Radio and Electronics Society can no longer offer face-to-face training but we are happy to try to help and mentor candidates in any way that we can.
Please remember that the courses and exams will only give you the minimum level of competence. As with the car driving test, there is a lifetime of experience and additional information to be gained after you have passed your test.
We also have pages on:
Amateur Radio
Amateur Radio frequencies etc.
Repeaters
Low cost radio receiver