Preparing for the amateur-radio exam

The amateur-radio exam (in France, run by the ANFR) checks that you master three areas: regulations, technical knowledge (electricity, radio, propagation, antennas) and operating (traffic, callsigns, codes). Passing it earns you a callsign and the right to transmit on the amateur bands — a big step beyond the passive listening you practise with the SDR.

This academy helps by bridging theory (this library) and practice (the live, receive-only missions). Many exam notions are things you can see on screen.

The exam track

Regulations & operating:

• Réglementation du service amateur · Les bandes radioamateur · Indicatifs, trafic et journal · Alphabet phonétique, code Q et report RST

Technical:

• Électricité : les bases de l'examen · Composants électroniques · Circuits résonants et filtres · Émetteur et récepteur · Propagation des ondes · Lignes, ROS et adaptation · Sécurité et compatibilité électromagnétique

And everything you've already seen on the SDR side applies directly: Les ondes radio, Les décibels (dB et dBm), Bruit de fond, SNR et sensibilité, Modulations : graver l'information sur une onde, Antennes.

The exam in practice (France)

• Registration with the ANFR (online), sat at an exam centre; a fee applies (around €30 — check the current amount on the ANFR website, which is authoritative).
• Format: computer-based multiple choice, two domains — regulations and technical — with a pass mark required in each (a brilliant technical score doesn't rescue the regulations part).
• Passing: operator certificate (the European HAREC standard, recognised across CEPT countries) and then your callsign.

Suggested revision plan (4 weeks)

1. Week 1 — fundamentals: Les ondes radio, Les décibels (dB et dBm), Électricité : les bases de l'examen + 10 min/day of Practise mode.
2. Week 2 — technical: Composants électroniques, Circuits résonants et filtres, Émetteur et récepteur, Antennes, Lignes, ROS et adaptation.
3. Week 3 — regulations and operating: Réglementation du service amateur, Les bandes radioamateur, Alphabet phonétique, code Q et report RST, Indicatifs, trafic et journal, Sécurité et compatibilité électromagnétique.
4. Week 4 — timed mock exams (🎓 Exam tab) until you clear the pass mark comfortably in both domains.

Spaced repetition does the sorting for you: missed questions come back quickly, mastered ones spread out. Ten minutes a day beats two hours on Sunday.

⚠️ Receiving ≠ transmitting. The exam licenses you to transmit; the academy stays listen-only. See Légal & sécurité.