Not all FCC-issued licenses and permits require an applicant to pass an examination before they are issued. The Marine Radio Operator Permit; General Radiotelephone Operator License; First, Second and Third Class Radiotelegraph Operator's Certificates; Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS) Radio Operator License and GMDSS Radio Maintainer's License all have required examinations that applicants must pass before receiving licenses. Depending upon the license, an applicant may be required to take more than one test or element.
The International Association for Radio, Telecommunications and Electromagnetics (iNARTE) has been the authorized to administer FCC licensure exams since 1993. INARTE offers advice on what test takers should do before, during and after taking an FCC examination. Specifically, the iNARTE website contains information about the registration and study preparation processes that will assist examination takers, giving them the best possible opportunity to pass.
Examination takers can register for an FCC exam on-line or through postal mail. Individual test centers may offer additional registration options such as phone-in or fax registration. The registration fee is $65 for one sitting, but up to three exam elements can be taken per one four-hour sitting. After registering for an exam date at a local iNARTE testing center, the date may be rescheduled without losing the registration fee if the reason for rescheduling can be proved as an extenuating circumstance.
As with any standardized test, certain items are prohibited within the examination room on the day of testing. Programmable calculators, printing calculators, cameras, reference books, study guides, radios are prohibited within the examination room. Permissible or required items include one piece of photo identification, a non-programmable calculator, a No. 2 pencil and scratch paper. Scratch paper is essentially unnecessary for exam takers that will write in their examination books. Writing in the examination booklet is permissible.
The minimum passing score for each written element examination is 75 percent. The amount of correct questions this percentage corresponds to is variable since the elements do not all have the same amount of questions. Examination results are mailed 10 business days after the examination date, but examination takers may call before this time to receive their scores. f more than one element is taken during a sitting but not all exam elements are passed, credit will be given for the passed exam elements, and the remaining may be taken again.