If you've never taken an online ham radio exam, here is a list of what is involved and what to expect.

We offer online exams the first and third Thursday nights of each month. For the list of dates, check out https://hamstudy.org/sessions/WB9ZPH. Register on that site to reserve a testing slot for yourself.

After registering for an online exam:

After registering online, just wait. About a week in advance of the exam, you’ll receive an email with instructions on how to pay the $15 ARRL exam fee via Apple Pay, Zelle, Venmo, or PayPal. Contact me, WB9ZPH@gmail.com if you do not hear from me by the Saturday before your Thursday exam.

Then after you pay for your exam, you’ll receive an email with Zoom instructions and date and time of your exam. Because we can only test one person at a time, we'll assign each person who registered (normally up to 4) a time slot so they have undisturbed time to take their test. Please note that the test times are all given in Central time as we're based in Rockwall, Texas, but people from all over the country (and indeed, all over the world) can register to take their tests with us. Online testing gives us an interesting world (*smile*).

For online exams, you’ll need:

• A government photo id (drivers license preferred).

• You’ll need to have two “computers” that can connect to Zoom and have video so we can see you. Normally this is a laptop, computer, or tablet along with a smartphone. Make sure you have Zoom downloaded and available on each.

• A place to take the test with reliable internet and no distractions.

FYI: If you look there and notice there aren’t many online sessions registered, I’ll let you know a secret: I only set up the exams on hamstudy about a month in advance So in early January, I set up the February sessions on hamstudy.org. Just check closer to the Thursday you want to see if the session is listed so you can register for it.

Remember to contact me, Janet Crenshaw, WB9ZPH at Wb9zph@gmail.com if you want to cancel your pre-registration so you can free up your seat for someone else.