Ham Radio Study Guides: Every Way to Prep for Your License

Getting your amateur radio license comes down to one thing: learn the question pool for the class you want, then pass a multiple-choice exam. There is no shortage of tools to get you there, and most of the good ones are free. Below is a sorted list by type, with the cost noted on each. Pick the format that matches how you learn.

Heads up on the Technician pool. The Technician question pool changed on July 1, 2026. The new pool runs through June 2030. The General pool runs through June 2027, and the Extra pool runs through June 2028. Please make sure you are studying the new Technician material. The major sites and apps below already have both pools loaded, so you are covered either way.

Practice Test and Quiz Sites

These let you take random practice exams pulled from the real pools. Best used after you have read the material, to find your weak spots.

• HamStudy.org Free – The one most new hams land on. Its study mode tracks what you have seen and pushes the questions you keep missing, plus unlimited practice exams and flashcards. Works in any browser.
• HamExam.org Free – Practice exams and flash cards running since 2003. Make an account, and it keeps a list of the questions you need to review.
• QRZ.com Practice Exams Free – Random practice tests from the current pools, built into the site most hams already use for callsign lookups. Needs a free QRZ account.
• ARRL Exam Review Free – From the national association. Review by chapter of the ARRL manual or by topic, with short explanations on the answers. No membership required, just a separate site login.
• Ham Radio Prep Free Practice Tests Free – Unlimited practice tests with a per-section score report so you can see exactly where to focus. No signup needed.

Free Study Guides and Reading

If you would rather read than watch, start here. These walk through the concepts and group the questions by topic.

• KB6NU No-Nonsense Study Guides Free/Paid – Dan Romanchik’s plain language guides. The Technician PDF is free and already updated for the 2026 pool. The General and Extra versions are a few dollars in PDF, Kindle, or ePub.
• HamBook Free – Full online study guides from the HamStudy team that pair well with their practice site. Free to read online, with an optional paid PDF for offline use.
• NCVEC Question Pools Free – The official source. Every exam question comes from these documents. Not a study course, but worth bookmarking as the authority on what is current.

YouTube Channels

Good for visual learners and for the math-heavy sections of General and Extra. All free.

• Ham Radio Crash Course Free – Josh Nass, KI6NAZ, runs a Technician crash course playlist that walks through each sub-element and explains the answers, plus a huge library of beginner-friendly hobby content.
• Dave Casler, KE0OG Free – Guided walkthroughs of the ARRL license manuals for all three classes. Steady, accurate, and clear on the theory. A common recommendation for the harder exams.
• W4EEY Free – Gary’s full recorded license classes covering the entire pool for Technician, General, and Extra. Closest thing to sitting in a real classroom for free.

Paid Courses, One-Time Purchase

Structured video and reading courses you buy once and keep. Worth it if you want the material organized and explained start to finish.

• Ham Radio Prep Paid – Video lessons, quizzes, and practice exams you can run on a phone. The technician is $35, the Technician plus General bundle is $55, and the All Access pass for all three is $79 on the current sale. One-time fee with lifetime access and a pass-or-refund guarantee. Prices shift with their sales, so check before you buy.
• Ham Radio School Paid – Concept-first courses and full-color print books for all three classes. The format reads a lesson, shows a video, then quizzes you on the section. Free preview lessons let you try before paying.

Subscription Courses

Time-limited access rather than a one-time buy. The model fits people who plan to study hard and test within a few months.

• HamTestOnline Subscription – An adaptive course that drills you on the exact areas you are weakest in, sold as a three-month subscription per class. During the current sale, running through June 30, 2026, Technician is $19.95, General is $24.95, and Extra is $29.95. If a pool changes mid-subscription, the new one is included. Long-running favorite for the General and Extra exams.

iPhone Apps

For studying online, on a break, or anywhere offline.

• HamStudy.org for iOS Paid – The same study engine as the website, built for offline use. A one-time $3.99 buys all current pools, and pool updates are free when they change. The best-paid study app for most people.
• Ham Radio Prep for iOS Free/Paid – Free to download with practice tests and video lessons. The full course content unlocks with a paid Ham Radio Prep account.

Android Apps

• HamStudy.org for Android Paid – Same as the iOS version. A one-time $3.99, offline study mode and practice exams, with free pool updates.
• Ham Radio Prep for Android Free/Paid – Free download with practice tests and video lessons. Full course features are tied to a paid account.

How to Actually Use This List

Most people who pass on the first try do two things: read or watch the material once to understand the concepts, then drill practice exams until they are scoring above 85 percent on the full pool. A free site like HamStudy.org plus one reading source is enough for the Technician exam. General and Extra get more technical, so a paid course or the YouTube walkthroughs earn their keep there. When you are ready, search for a nearby exam session or an online session through the same sites above. Then get on the air.