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Amateur radio exam sample questions

26 free questions, one from each section of the RSGB syllabus for Foundation, Intermediate and Full. Choose your answer, then open the question to check it.

Foundation

Section 1: Licensing and station identification
Which call sign could belong to a Foundation licensee?
  1. M0XYZ
  2. G4XYZ
  3. M7XYZ
  4. M9XYZ
Answer: C. Foundation call signs currently issued start M3, M6 or M7. M0 and G4 are Full, M9 is Intermediate.
Section 2: Technical basics
A transceiver draws 2 A from a 12 V supply. What power does it use?
  1. 6 W
  2. 14 W
  3. 24 W
  4. 0.17 W
Answer: C. P = V × I = 12 × 2 = 24 W.
Section 3: Transmitters and receivers
Which stage sets the frequency a simple transmitter operates on?
  1. The microphone amplifier
  2. The RF power amplifier
  3. The oscillator
  4. The antenna
Answer: C. The oscillator (frequency generator) sets the operating frequency.
Section 4: Feeders and antennas
What happens to feeder loss as frequency rises?
  1. It decreases
  2. It stays the same
  3. It increases
  4. It disappears on receive
Answer: C. Use low-loss cable at VHF and UHF.
Section 5: Propagation
What normally happens to VHF signals that reach the ionosphere?
  1. They are refracted back to Earth
  2. They are absorbed completely at night
  3. They pass through it
  4. They are doubled in strength
Answer: C. VHF and UHF usually travel in the troposphere.
Section 6: Electromagnetic compatibility
How does interference most often reach a television?
  1. Through the screen
  2. Only through the loudspeaker
  3. Through its antenna down-lead or mains wiring
  4. Through the infrared receiver for its remote control
Answer: C. Wiring acts as an accidental antenna.
Section 7: Operating practices
In the RST code, what range does readability use?
  1. 1 to 9
  2. 0 to 10
  3. 1 to 5
  4. 1 to 3
Answer: C. Readability 1–5; strength and tone 1–9.
Section 8: Safety
Why does an RCBO give better protection against shock than a fuse?
  1. It blows faster on a short circuit
  2. It stops all current flowing
  3. It trips at about 30 mA to earth
  4. It works without any earth
Answer: C. A fuse needs several amps; an RCBO detects small earth leakage.

Intermediate

Section 1: Licensing and station identification
What is the maximum power for airborne amateur operation?
  1. 100 W PEP on any band
  2. 25 W on VHF only
  3. 500 mW EIRP, on primary bands only
  4. Airborne operation is never allowed
Answer: C. Schedule 1 limits airborne use to 500 mW EIRP on primary allocations.
Section 2: Technical aspects
A 12 V supply feeds a potential divider of 3 kΩ (top) and 1 kΩ (bottom). What is the output across the 1 kΩ resistor?
  1. 9 V
  2. 4 V
  3. 3 V
  4. 12 V
Answer: C. Vout = 12 × 1 ÷ (3 + 1) = 3 V.
Section 3: Transmitters and receivers
What is meant by peak deviation in FM?
  1. The highest audio frequency the microphone passes
  2. The peak power delivered by the transmitter
  3. The largest frequency shift from the carrier
  4. The carrier's maximum amplitude on voice peaks
Answer: C. Peak deviation measures the frequency swing.
Section 4: Feeders and antennas
What is the usual characteristic impedance of amateur coaxial cable?
  1. 75 Ω
  2. 300 Ω
  3. 50 Ω
  4. 600 Ω
Answer: C. Amateur coax is 50 Ω; TV and satellite coax is 75 Ω.
Section 5: Propagation
Which layer gives the longest single hops, about 4000 km?
  1. D
  2. E
  3. F2
  4. F1
Answer: C. The F2 layer is the highest and gives the furthest refraction.
Section 6: Electromagnetic compatibility
What does a ferrite ring on a coax downlead reduce?
  1. The wanted differential signal
  2. The antenna's gain
  3. Common mode currents on the braid
  4. Mains voltage
Answer: C. Ferrite chokes attenuate common mode currents.
Section 7: Operating practices
What does QRP mean?
  1. High power
  2. Stop transmitting
  3. Low power
  4. Change frequency
Answer: C. QRO is high power; QRT is stop transmitting; QSY is change frequency.
Section 8: Safety
Why must a vehicle battery be charged with good ventilation?
  1. It needs oxygen from the air to charge
  2. The acid evaporates, but harmlessly
  3. Charging can release explosive hydrogen
  4. To keep the battery charger cool only
Answer: C. Hydrogen and a spark can explode.
Section 9: Measurements and construction
What is the value of a resistor banded yellow, violet, red, gold?
  1. 47 Ω ±5%
  2. 472 Ω ±10%
  3. 4.7 kΩ ±5%
  4. 4.7 MΩ ±5%
Answer: C. 4, 7, × 100 = 4700 Ω; gold = 5%.

Full

Section 1: Licensing
What limit applies on the 5 MHz band?
  1. 1000 W PEP, like the other HF bands
  2. 5 W EIRP
  3. 100 W, but no more than 200 W EIRP
  4. 25 W ERP
Answer: C. 5 MHz is Full-only and secondary, with a 20 m antenna height limit.
Section 2: Technical aspects
A 47 Ω resistor is in series with two 94 Ω resistors in parallel. What is the total?
  1. 141 Ω
  2. 235 Ω
  3. 94 Ω
  4. 47 Ω
Answer: C. 94 ∥ 94 = 47 Ω; 47 + 47 = 94 Ω.
Section 3: Transmitters and receivers
A 9 MHz oscillator with 1 kHz deviation is multiplied by 16. What is the output deviation?
  1. 1 kHz
  2. 9 kHz
  3. 16 kHz
  4. 144 kHz
Answer: C. Multipliers multiply the deviation too.
Section 4: Feeders and antennas
100 W forward and 1 W reflected. What is the return loss?
  1. 10 dB
  2. 1 dB
  3. 20 dB
  4. 99 dB
Answer: C. 10 log(100 ÷ 1).
Section 5: Propagation
What is NVIS used for?
  1. Moonbounce
  2. Worldwide contacts on 28 MHz during the sunspot maximum
  3. Short-range contacts with no skip zone
  4. Satellite uplinks
Answer: C. Signals go nearly straight up and back down.
Section 6: Electromagnetic compatibility
What can cause passive intermodulation?
  1. A well-matched antenna
  2. A low pass filter
  3. Corroded metal joints
  4. A new coaxial cable
Answer: C. The rusty bolt effect.
Section 7: Operating practices
What is the power limit on 472 kHz?
  1. 400 W PEP
  2. 100 W PEP
  3. 5 W EIRP
  4. 1 W ERP
Answer: C. Full licensees only, secondary.
Section 8: Safety
What reduces the risk from static build-up on antennas during storms?
  1. A higher mast
  2. A longer feeder
  3. A good static discharge system
  4. More transmitter power
Answer: C. Nothing reliably protects against a direct strike.
Section 9: Measurements and construction
One cycle spans 5 divisions at 0.2 ms per division. What is the frequency?
  1. 5 kHz
  2. 200 Hz
  3. 1 kHz
  4. 10 kHz
Answer: C. Period 1 ms, so 1 kHz.

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