Getting your license is very straightforward. S.A.R.A. holds one day HAMCRAM licensing classes several times a year. During these classes, students study for the Technician class exam, and then take the exam at the end of the day. Morse code is now an optional part of amateur radio, no morse code tests are required for any class of amateur radio licence these days. For more information on the HAMCRAM classes, contact Dick Decker (K6SUU) .
Additional study resources are available online.
- Downloadable question pools containing every question that may be used on the official tests are available from the ARRL.
- Free online practice tests are available from the qrz.com web site.
- The eham.net web site also offers free practice tests.
- Downloadable HAMCRAM Application.
What is HAMCRAM?
HAMCRAM, as done by the Stanislaus Amateur Radio Association, is a new method to teach people sufficient information to pass an amateur radio license test in one day. The technique was developed by W6NBC, an engineer and ham in the San Francisco bay area. He decided to take the published question pool-about 600 questions and answers that are randomly selected to be on exams---and developed a short term memory technique. Previous to this new revolutionary method, ham clubs held classes over six or more weeks at night. By the time the six week of night classes were over about half to two thirds of the class had been unable to continue attending. Net result—few passing hams.
The Stanislaus Amateur Radio Association has been using the HAMCRAM technique now for 3 years. The pass rate over those three years has averaged 95%. A few times we had a 100% pass rate. This proves that this technique, although relatively new, has been enormously successful.
Although most people can just attend the one day session and pass the test at 4 PM at the end of the class, we do recommend some study time with the question pool before the class to boost your passing probability from 95% to 99%. We especially recommend this to people over 55, or under 18, and also women who might be intimidated by bizarre technical terms. While some gals feel they cannot handle the technical expressions, we have found this to be a false assumption because the gals taking the technician test, with a little study before the class day, have been passing at a 98% rate. Pretty impressive.
So what is the technique? We take the published question pool, which has approximately 600 questions, and divide it up into sections of 10 pages. We take the first 10 pages and we read the question and then underline or high light the correct answer. (The correct answer is the letter in parenthesis after the question) After we read through the first 10 pages, underlining or highlighting the correct answers, we read the same 10 pages two more times-question and correct answer-question and correct answer. Once we get through the first 10 pages three times we take a 10 to 15 minute break and then we next go on to the second group of 10 pages and read them 3 times. Etc. etc.
I can email the question pool to you on request if you want to study before the actual HAMCRAM day.
DO NOT TRY TO UNDERSTAND THE QUESTION OR ANSWERS! Just read them over and over. Your short term memory will program itself just from reading them. When you take the test you will be shocked how the answers jump off the page at you.
That’s it in a nutshell!
Dick K6SUU