How to Get Your FCC General Radiotelephone Operator License at Home

Understanding the License

Read about who needs the license. The FCC Website offers a good explanation of what types of positions require the license. The General Radiotelephone Operators (PG or GROL) license is required for jobs such as operating and maintaining radio equipment on a vessel or aircraft.

Understand the general qualifications. In addition to passing the licensing exam, individuals need to be able to receive and send spoken messages in English. Additionally, they must be a legal resident of the United States or legally eligible for employment in the country. Once the license is obtained, it is good for life and does not need to be renewed.

Learn the exam specifics. To obtain a PG or GROL license, you must first pass a written exam comprising two elements. Element 1 of the exam includes questions about basic radio law and operating practice for maritime radio operators. The exam comprises 24 questions, and passing requires answering at least 18 of them correctly. Element 3 of the written exam contains 100 questions, of which at least 75 must be answered correctly. This exam focuses on general radiotelephone information, such as the electronic fundamentals of the equipment and techniques for adjusting, repairing and maintaining it. Some of the categories for this exam include operating procedures, radio wave propagation, radio practice, electrical principles, circuit components, practical circuits, signals and emissions, and antennas and feed lines. If you have decided to also obtain the radar endorsement for working on marine vessels, you will have to pass Element 8, Ship Radar Techniques. Element 8 contains 50 questions, of which 38 must be answered correctly in order to pass. The questions focus on theory and practice of using radar for marine navigation purposes.

Preparing for and Passing the Exam

Download the study materials. The FCC offers everything you need to prepare for the exam. The FCC uses only the questions present in the question pools on its exams. On the Examinations page of the FCC Website, scroll down to the bottom of the page and click on "Examination Questions Pool." Download the materials for Element 1 and Element 3. (Include Element 8 if you've decided to pursue the radar endorsement as well.)

Study the questions carefully until you've mastered all aspects. If possible, have someone quiz you verbally on the questions. It is not recommended that you look for additional outside information for studying purposes. Only questions from the Question Pool will be used on the exam.

Locate an authorized COLEM to administer your test. While the FCC administers and awards the PG licenses, it does not administer the exams required to obtain them. Rather, the FCC authorizes several Commercial Operator License Examination Managers (COLEMs) to conduct the exams nationwide. The FCC offers a list of authorized COLEMS on its Website, along with their respective fees. To access this, go to the Examinations page and select "Testing Managers, Locations, Schedules, and Fees." Once you have decided which COLEM you will use for your exam, contact them to check when the next scheduled exam is and how to register. Many COLEMs offer online testing, in addition to in person exams. This may be beneficial to you if there are no testing facilities in your area. In some cases, if you pass the exam, the COLEM will electronically file your application for you. Otherwise, they will give you a Proof of Passing Certificate (PPC) that needs to be included with your license application.