ARRL Technician Practice Exam

How soon after passing the examination for your first amateur radio license may you operate a transmitter on an amateur service frequency?

1. As soon as you receive your physical license

2. As soon as your operator/station license grant appears in the FCC's license database

3. After waiting for the next FCC meeting

4. Only during certain hours on the weekends

The correct answer is: As soon as your operator/station license grant appears in the FCC's license database

The correct choice is that you may operate a transmitter on an amateur service frequency as soon as your operator/station license grant appears in the FCC's license database. This reflects the process by which amateur radio operators are granted the privilege to use their licenses immediately after passing the exam. Once you successfully complete the test, the results are typically submitted to the FCC by the Volunteer Examiner (VE) team. The license is then officially granted once it appears in the FCC's database, which informs everyone that you are authorized to operate. This means you do not have to wait for a physical copy of your license or for any specific scheduling by the FCC to begin operating. The other options are not accurate regarding the operational timeline. The assertion regarding needing a physical license is misleading, because the database grant suffices for operational purposes. Also, the idea of waiting for the next FCC meeting or operating only during specified hours on weekends does not align with the immediate operating privileges granted after passing the examination and receiving your license grant.