United Kingdom · Licence exam
Start with the RSGB: its syllabus, mock papers and reference booklet are free, and its Foundation manual is £7.99. A course isn’t required, but most people take one, and several clubs run Foundation courses online for free. Below are the courses, apps and videos people use, with what each costs. We checked them in October 2026.
This is the source the exams are written from. The syllabus, version 1.6b, applies to exams from 1 April 2025 and shows exactly what each level covers. Print the EX307 booklet before a Foundation exam, because you’ll use it during the test.
Checked October 2026
The RSGB’s own course book for Foundation, 2025 edition, by Alan Betts G0HIQ. It’s 54 pages and most courses ask you to read it.
Checked October 2026
Pays for the Foundation exam if you’re under 21 and in full-time education. Apply before you book.
Checked October 2026
Nine modules over about three weeks, with videos, quizzes and a mock test at the end. There are no live lessons and no webcam is needed. You can ask the tutor questions in an online classroom. Free courses start every month. Its study guide and mock-test books are sold separately.
Checked October 2026
Five live sessions with quizzes and recaps, over one weekend or two weeks, plus an optional exam-prep session. You sign up through OARC’s Discord. It also runs courses for Intermediate and Full.
Checked October 2026
A distance-learning course listed by the RSGB for the Intermediate and Full levels. Useful once you’ve passed Foundation.
Checked October 2026
Builds random practice papers for Foundation, Intermediate and Full. The developer last updated the UK questions in August 2024, so some may not match the current syllabus. 3.7 stars from 6 ratings on the UK App Store.
Checked October 2026
Short RSGB videos on setting up a station, making your first contacts, adjusting an antenna and trying other modes. Good for seeing what the syllabus means in practice.
Checked October 2026
Finds clubs near you that run courses and exams, both face to face and online. Some clubs charge and some don’t, so check before you sign up. A local club is also the easiest place to get on air for the first time.
Checked October 2026
Rules and fees can change, so check the official site before your test.