Amateur Radio Testing
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American Radio Relay League (ARRL-VEC)
The next Amateur Radio (Ham Radio) VE Examination testing will be held Monday, April 13, 2026 at 6:00 PM local time. The test will be at the WKCTC Emerging Technology Center, Room 140, 4810 Alben Barkley Drive in Paducah, KY.
The ARRL testing fee to take the test, for anyone 18 years old, and older, is $15 – Cash.
The ARRL testing fee to take the test, for anyone younger than 18 years old is $5 – Cash.
It is mandatory that you have an FCC Registration Number (FRN) before taking the exam. If you do not currently have an FRN, you can register for free at the FCC website (https://apps.fcc.gov/cores/userLogin.do), and click on REGISTER in the middle of the page. You cannot take an exam without having a valid FRN number issued by the FCC, before attending the test session. We will not have a way to request one at the exam session.
Please have one legal photo ID (identification) before taking the exam. Examples are:
State Driver’s License or Government issued Passport or Student School Photo ID
If you are upgrading your current license class, bring a printed copy of your current Amateur Radio license. These photocopies will not be returned, and will be submitted to the ARRL with your test paperwork. You will also need your FRN number from the FCC.
If you do not currently have an amateur license, after successfully passing your initial examination, the FCC charges a $35 fee to issue your initial license as well as for other FCC services. The FCC fee must be paid directly to the FCC, not to the exam team. Information on the FCC fee, and application instructions can be found at (https://www.arrl.org/fcc-application-fee).
If you are under 18 years of age. The ARRL will cover the one-time $35 FCC application fee for new license candidates younger than 18-years old for tests administered under the ARRL VEC program. The $35 FCC application fee will be reimbursed after the ARRL VEC receives the completed reimbursement form and the new license has been issued by the FCC. The reimbursement check will be mailed to the fee payer. Be sure to get an “ARRL Youth Licensing Grant Program” form from the VE team after passing your test.
