Amateur Radio Basic Qualification Practice Test 2026: Practice test 3

1. Question 1 of 25

   A radio draws 10 amperes from a 13.8 volt supply. How much power does it use?

   • A1.38 watts
   • B23.8 watts
   • C1380 watts
   • D138 watts
   Show answer

   Answer: D. 138 watts

   Power equals voltage times current. 13.8 volts times 10 amperes is 138 watts.

2. Question 2 of 25

   What is the total resistance of two 100 ohm resistors connected in series?

   • A10 000 ohms
   • B50 ohms
   • C200 ohms
   • D100 ohms
   Show answer

   Answer: C. 200 ohms

   Resistances in series add together. 100 ohms plus 100 ohms gives a total of 200 ohms.

3. Question 3 of 25

   What is the total resistance of two 100 ohm resistors connected in parallel?

   • A100 ohms
   • B25 ohms
   • C200 ohms
   • D50 ohms
   Show answer

   Answer: D. 50 ohms

   Two equal resistors in parallel give half the value of one. Two 100 ohm resistors in parallel give 50 ohms.

4. Question 4 of 25

   Your transmitter power goes up by 3 dB. What has happened to the power?

   • AIt has doubled
   • BIt has gone up ten times
   • CIt has tripled
   • DIt has dropped by half
   Show answer

   Answer: A. It has doubled

   A gain of 3 dB is about double the power. A gain of 10 dB is ten times the power.

5. Question 5 of 25

   What is the unit of capacitance?

   • AThe ohm
   • BThe henry
   • CThe farad
   • DThe watt
   Show answer

   Answer: C. The farad

   Capacitance is measured in farads. Inductance is measured in henries and resistance in ohms.

6. Question 6 of 25

   What is true at the resonant frequency of a tuned circuit made of an inductor and a capacitor?

   • AThe resistance becomes infinite in every circuit
   • BInductive reactance equals capacitive reactance
   • CThe capacitor stops working
   • DNo current can flow
   Show answer

   Answer: B. Inductive reactance equals capacitive reactance

   A tuned circuit is resonant at the frequency where the inductive and capacitive reactances are equal. This lets it select one frequency.

7. Question 7 of 25

   What is the usual characteristic impedance of coaxial cable used by amateurs?

   • AAbout 5 ohms
   • BAbout 50 ohms
   • CAbout 300 ohms
   • DAbout 600 ohms
   Show answer

   Answer: B. About 50 ohms

   Most amateur transceivers and coaxial cables are designed for about 50 ohms, so they match each other.

8. Question 8 of 25

   What does an SWR reading of 1:1 mean?

   • AThe antenna is far too long for the band
   • BThe feed line is open at the far end
   • CThe load is perfectly matched to the line
   • DHalf the power is being reflected back
   Show answer

   Answer: C. The load is perfectly matched to the line

   A standing wave ratio of 1:1 means no power is reflected back, so the load matches the feed line exactly.

9. Question 9 of 25

   Why would you use a balun?

   • ATo filter out audio hum
   • BTo raise the transmitter frequency
   • CTo measure output power
   • DTo connect a balanced antenna to an unbalanced coaxial feed line
   Show answer

   Answer: D. To connect a balanced antenna to an unbalanced coaxial feed line

   A balun (balanced to unbalanced) joins a balanced antenna such as a dipole to unbalanced coax and reduces current on the outside of the shield.

10. Question 10 of 25

    How does feed line loss change?

    • AIt decreases as frequency goes up
    • BIt increases with longer lines but falls at higher frequencies
    • CIt does not depend on length
    • DIt increases with longer lines and higher frequencies
    Show answer

    Answer: D. It increases with longer lines and higher frequencies

    Feed line loss grows with length and with frequency. Low-loss cable matters most at VHF and UHF.

11. Question 11 of 25

    About how long is one wavelength at 146 MHz?

    • AAbout 20 metres
    • BAbout 2 metres
    • CAbout 146 metres
    • DAbout 0.5 metres
    Show answer

    Answer: B. About 2 metres

    Wavelength in metres is about 300 divided by the frequency in MHz. 300 divided by 146 is about 2 metres.

12. Question 12 of 25

    About how long is a half-wave dipole for 14.2 MHz?

    • AAbout 40 metres
    • BAbout 5 metres
    • CAbout 10 metres
    • DAbout 20 metres
    Show answer

    Answer: C. About 10 metres

    A full wavelength at 14.2 MHz is about 21 metres, so a half-wave dipole is about 10 metres after a small end-effect correction.

13. Question 13 of 25

    In a three-element Yagi antenna, which element is the longest?

    • AThe reflector
    • BThe driven element
    • CAll three are the same length
    • DThe director
    Show answer

    Answer: A. The reflector

    The reflector is slightly longer than the driven element and the director is slightly shorter. Together they make the antenna directional.

14. Question 14 of 25

    What polarization does a vertical antenna produce?

    • ANo polarization
    • BVertical polarization
    • CHorizontal polarization
    • DCircular polarization only
    Show answer

    Answer: B. Vertical polarization

    The polarization of a radio wave follows the direction of the antenna element, so a vertical antenna gives vertical polarization.

15. Question 15 of 25

    What is an isotropic radiator?

    • AA dummy load
    • BAn antenna used only for receiving
    • CAn imaginary antenna radiating equally in all directions
    • DA ten-element Yagi that sends all its power in one direction
    Show answer

    Answer: C. An imaginary antenna radiating equally in all directions

    An isotropic radiator is an imaginary reference antenna that radiates equally in all directions. Antenna gain is often compared with it.

16. Question 16 of 25

    What normally limits the range of VHF and UHF signals?

    • AThe length of the day
    • BLine of sight between the antennas
    • CThe D region of the ionosphere
    • DThe sunspot cycle only
    Show answer

    Answer: B. Line of sight between the antennas

    VHF and UHF signals usually pass through the ionosphere instead of returning, so their normal range is close to line of sight.

17. Question 17 of 25

    What is the skip zone?

    • AThe area right next to the antenna
    • BThe area where signals are not heard, between the end of the ground wave and where the sky wave returns
    • CThe band edge of the 2 metre band
    • DA zone where repeaters are not allowed
    Show answer

    Answer: B. The area where signals are not heard, between the end of the ground wave and where the sky wave returns

    In the skip zone the ground wave has faded but the sky wave has not yet come back to Earth, so the signal is not heard.

18. Question 18 of 25

    Which ionospheric region absorbs lower HF signals during the day and fades away at night?

    • AThe troposphere
    • BThe D region
    • CThe F2 region
    • DThe E region only at midnight
    Show answer

    Answer: B. The D region

    The D region forms in daylight and absorbs lower HF frequencies. It disappears after sunset, so bands like 80 m open up at night.

19. Question 19 of 25

    About how long is the sunspot cycle?

    • AAbout 1 year
    • BAbout 50 years
    • CAbout 28 days
    • DAbout 11 years
    Show answer

    Answer: D. About 11 years

    Sunspot numbers rise and fall over a cycle of about 11 years. More sunspots usually mean better propagation on the higher HF bands.

20. Question 20 of 25

    Which type of propagation can suddenly carry 6 metre (50 MHz) signals over long distances in summer?

    • ALine of sight
    • BAbsorption
    • CGround wave
    • DSporadic-E
    Show answer

    Answer: D. Sporadic-E

    Sporadic-E forms patchy, dense clouds of ionization in the E region. It can bounce VHF signals such as 6 metres over long distances.

21. Question 21 of 25

    What is the maximum usable frequency (MUF)?

    • AThe frequency used by repeaters
    • BThe highest frequency your radio can tune
    • CThe highest frequency the ionosphere will return between two points
    • DThe top edge of the 70 cm band
    Show answer

    Answer: C. The highest frequency the ionosphere will return between two points

    The MUF is the highest frequency that will be refracted back to Earth over a given path. Higher frequencies pass through into space.

22. Question 22 of 25

    A very strong signal from a nearby transmitter makes a receiver hear many unwanted signals. What is this called?

    • AGround wave
    • BSporadic-E
    • CResonance
    • DFront-end overload
    Show answer

    Answer: D. Front-end overload

    Front-end overload happens when a strong signal overwhelms the first stages of a receiver, causing desensing and cross-modulation.

23. Question 23 of 25

    What is the second harmonic of a 7.1 MHz signal?

    • A7.2 MHz
    • B14.2 MHz
    • C21.3 MHz
    • D3.55 MHz
    Show answer

    Answer: B. 14.2 MHz

    A harmonic is a whole-number multiple of the fundamental frequency. The second harmonic of 7.1 MHz is 2 times 7.1, or 14.2 MHz.

24. Question 24 of 25

    Which filter, placed at the output of an HF transmitter, helps stop harmonics from reaching TV and FM receivers?

    • AAn audio filter on the microphone
    • BA band-reject filter tuned to the HF band
    • CA low-pass filter
    • DA high-pass filter
    Show answer

    Answer: C. A low-pass filter

    A low-pass filter passes the HF signal and blocks the higher harmonic frequencies that could interfere with VHF and UHF services.

25. Question 25 of 25

    A neighbour hears your voice through their stereo speakers while they play music. What is a common fix?

    • AChange to a different call sign
    • BRaise your transmitter power
    • CUse a longer antenna mounted on the stereo side of the house
    • DPut ferrite chokes on the stereo's speaker and power leads
    Show answer

    Answer: D. Put ferrite chokes on the stereo's speaker and power leads

    This is audio rectification. Ferrite chokes (and bypass capacitors) on the affected device's wires stop RF from entering it.

Keyboard: 1–4 to answer, Enter for the next question.

The real test: 70% to pass. 80% or more earns Basic with Honours.