The table below lists practical tests and written exams to be undertaken to obtain a Certificate of Proficiency at one of three available levels.
Possession of the Certificate of Proficiency then permits a licence to be granted for an amateur station of that type.
It is common to speak of the Foundation Licence exam etc., so that terminology will be used below.
| REQUIREMENTS FOR VARIOUS AMATEUR LICENCES | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Practical Test | Foundation Exam | Standard Technical Exam | Advanced Technical Exam | Regulations Exam | |
| Foundation Licence | X | X | |||
| Standard Licence | X | X | X | ||
| Advanced Licence | X | X | X | ||
It is possible to enter at any level, but the Foundation Licence is the common entry point.
It is only necessary to pass any exam or test once, when upgrading. For example the Practical Test taken for the Foundation exam remains valid for the Standard and Advanced levels.
The Regulation exam, taken at the Standard level is valid when upgrading to Advanced.
The theory and Regulations exams may be taken at separate sittings.
FOUNDATION LICENCE EXAM
Courses
Foundation licence courses have been run by the club from time to time, depending on demand. Approach a committee member to indicate interest.
The Radio and Electronics School presently offers a DVD of practical drills and video tutorials for $12.
Books
Your entry into amateur radio. is the title of the WIA's foundation manual and covers both operating and technical topics at an entry level. Price is presently $24.50.Syllabus
Syllabus for Foundation Licence is given here.Reference this if necessary, but this will generally be handled in the classroom.
Trial exam papers
The trial exam comes from the WIA web site.
Other resources
STANDARD LICENCE EXAM
Courses
There have been proposals for the club to provide an upgrade course from Foundation to Standard level. Are there enough of you out there to hold a course? Contact a committee member.
The Radio and Electronics School provide a multimedia course on DVD. Present cost is $30.Books
Standard Licence Theory Book and Study Guide (total $40 for blue and green books plus postage). These were originally written for an earlier licence structure, but are claimed to be appropriate for the Standard Exam.Syllabus
The Syllabus for the Standard licence is on the WIA web site.Trial examination questions
- Trial technical exams for standard licence are available as two exams (taken online) from Amateur Radio Victoria.
- A written question bank is available as part of the Radio and Electronics School course. It is not readily available otherwise. However this printed question bank comes from New Zealand. It is largely pitched at the Standard level, but some sections tend to be a little advanced. Ignore any Regulations questions as these refer specifically to the NZ situation.
Other resources
REGULATIONS EXAM
Trial examination questions
- Trial examinations (taken online) are available from the web site of Amateur Radio Victoria. Try this exam and
- a second trial exam here.
- Regulations Sample Questions are available here (in a printed form).
Other Resources
- The WIA Call Book is not intended as an aid to the exam, but contains much relevant information such as the call sign structure and frequency allocations. It is available from the WIA web site at $30 for non-members. There are some left over 2014 call books available at the club. Make an offer.
- The amateur call sign structure is given here
- The Licence Condition Determination is the legislative document covering amateur radio operation and is examinable. Obtain a copy from this site.
ADVANCED LICENCE EXAM
Courses
The Radio and Electronics School provide a on-line theory course. Present cost is $50.Books
- Advanced Licence theory Book and Study Guide (total $40 for red and yellow "books" on USB stick plus postage). These were originally written for an earlier licence structure, but are claimed to be appropriate for the Advanced Exam.
- "Radio Theory handbook for Amateurs" is a book, which teaches the theory and includes question banks (but is expensive at $132 for non-WIA members.)