Whoever prepares for the radio amateur exam sooner or later comes across the same question: how to find out if you really understand the material? Reading a textbook is one thing, answering dozens of questions in a row is another.
This is exactly what the web application is for Radio amateur tests. In it, you can practice questions for the professional competence exams of the Czech Telecommunications Office (ČTÚ) for free, for levels HAREC aj NOVICE. Aplikácia je v češtine a bola vo verzii 1.4.9.
One note for Slovakian applicants: the part on legislation is based on Czech regulations, so it will only serve as a supplement for the exam in Slovakia. However, the technical and operational part is useful regardless of borders. You can also use prepared answers to radio amateur exams on this portal.
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Three ways to test yourself
The application offers three types of tests:
- Part test - all questions of one selected part. In the HAREC exam, there are 20 parts and a total of 584 questions.
- Section test – random questions from one section, suitable after covering the relevant material.
- Complete Test - 80 random questions from all three sections. It is a simulation of the real exam.
How the exam is divided
The exam has three sections. In the section test, the application indicates how many answers must be correct:
- Radio communication regulations – 20 questions, HAREC 16 correct, NOVICE 14,
- Radio communication operation – 40 questions, HAREC 32 correct, NOVICE 28,
- Electrical engineering and radio engineering – 20 questions, HAREC 16 correct, NOVICE 14.
In the complete HAREC test, you must succeed in each section separately. So a good result in one department does not make up for a bad result in another.
What is hidden in individual sections
The first section, radiocommunication regulations, has three parts: regulations of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU, 16 questions), CEPT recommendations (16 questions) and regulations based on the legislation of the Czech Republic (48 questions).
The second section, radio communication operation, is the most comprehensive. These include the schedule of frequencies and types of operation (41 questions), Czech and international spelling alphabet (26 questions each), operational skills (30), Q codes (21), abbreviations (140) and prefixes in call signs (85). Therefore, it is most worthwhile to pay attention to abbreviations and prefixes.
The third section, electrical engineering and radio engineering, is divided into ten parts:
- electrical, electromagnetic and radio theory,
- components and electrical circuits,
- radio receivers and radio transmitters,
- antennas and power lines,
- propagation of radio waves,
- measurement of electrical quantities,
- interference and immunity to interference,
- safety of electrical equipment.
Progress monitoring and evaluation
At the beginning, you can enter a name under which the results are saved. The Progress page then shows how you're doing. If you don't want to save anything, choose no name.
After evaluating the complete test, you will see the result for each section, the required number of correct answers and a list of questions with correct answers. You can analyze the errors straight away.
How to work with the application
A reasonable procedure is to start with tests of individual parts and divide more comprehensive parts into several days. Then move on to partition tests. Save the complete test for the end, when you want to know how you would fare in the real exam.
You can send comments, found errors and praise to the author via the Feedback link directly in the application.
Conclusion
Free tests do not replace studying in a radio club or working with a mentor, but they can show where knowledge still needs to be improved. Good luck in preparation and then on the air!