Updated to reflect the new licence conditions as of 21/02/24

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To transmit on the Amateur Radio Bands you require a licence permitting you to.

The UK Amateur Radio licence is separated into 3 separate licences (Foundation, Intermediate and Advanced/Full). Each licence builds on your knowledge and experience and therefore your license limitations change accordingly as you progress.

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Foundation

The foundation licence is the very basics of amateur radio. You will learn how to setup and operate both HF and VHF/UHF transceivers. You will also learn the basic principal of how a transceiver and antenna work plus propagation (how amateur radio operators communicate around the world). You will also learn the required structure of a QSO (contact). This is simply how you call CQ and respond to a CQ.

The Exam consists of 2 parts:

• Practical: **Since 2020 when online exams started the practical section was removed**

• Exam: The Foundation exam is very straightforward and consists of 26 multiple choice questions which you have 55 minutes to answer. The exam paper is then marked straight away by the examiner and you will know if you have passed before you’ve even left the building. The paper is then sent off to the RSGB for confirmation. You will subsequently receive a letter back confirming this with your details for getting registered with OFCOM and receiving your callsign. (This process usually takes around 6-10 working days so be patient).

• For the Foundation licence exam there is a fee of £32.50.

That’s it. You are then on the air. You will have some limitations in place that are outlined in the band plans provided by OFCOM and RSGB (e.g. power limit of 25W on most bands) but you are on the air. Even with these limitations there are still loads of possibilities and even at 25W you can have great fun and communicate around the world in the right conditions (This is explained in the Foundation training).

 

Intermediate

The intermediate licence is where things start to getting more technical. You will learn a lot more about the electronics of transceivers and antennas.

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The Exam again consists of 2 parts:

• Practical: **Since 2020 when online exams started the practical section was removed**

• Exam: The Intermediate exam consists of 45 multiple-choice questions each with four possible responses, which covers the remainder of the syllabus. The examination lasts one hour and 25 minutes. Same as the Foundation Exam the examiner will mark the exam on completion and send the results to RSGB for confirmation.

• For the Intermediate licence exam there is a fee of £36.00 and you must have passed the Foundation Exam first.

As I said at the top, your limitations change as you progress. You will now have access to more bands and your power limitation also increases to 100W.

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Advanced (Full)

The advanced licence is where your knowledge and skills will increase substantially. Many privileges and responsibilities come with a Full Licence, including a higher power limit and operating in many other Countries without further formal application.

The Exam consists of only 1 part and that is the exam. The exam consists of 62 multiple choice questions with four possible responses which you have 2 hours to answer.

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For the Advanced Radio Communications exam there is a fee of £42.00. You must have passed the Intermediate exam before taking the Advanced.

Once you have passed the Advanced Exam you are a full licensed amateur radio operator with access to all the allocated bands and power limit of 1000W.

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