HamTrain Foundation Study Guide

Studying to get your UK amateur radio licence? Then this guide is designed to help you pass your Foundation exam. Updated for the April 2025 exam syllabus, the content for this guide comes from the popular Essex Ham Foundation Online course that has helped over 14,000 to study for their licence.

The guide is split into the main exam sections and covers the basics of the technical side of amateur radio, transmitters and antennas, how radio signals can be sent around the world and how to set up an amateur radio station safely. It also covers the rules and regulations set out by the UK’s radio regulator Ofcom, as well as how to operate on-air and make contact with the worldwide amateur radio community.

To help prepare you for the exam, the guide includes a 26-question mock exam, a handy glossary of common amateur radio terms and acronyms, and several pages of exam FAQs and advice.

The guide uses material from the popular online course, including diagrams, tables and photos to help with revision, as well as various hints and tips on passing the exam.

The UK radio regulator Ofcom updated the amateur radio licence in 2024, and this updated Foundation Study guide covers the changes for v1.6b of the RSGB exam syllabus, so it is suitable for exams from April 2025.