Multiple Choice Questions with Answers for Ham Radio (Amateur Radio) Examination

| October 4, 2026 | Amateur Radio (Ham Radio) | No Comments

Part I: Radio Theory and Practice

1. What is the relationship between wavelength (λ), frequency (f), and the speed of light (c)? A) λ = f x c B) λ = c / f C) λ = f / c D) λ = c + f

2. Which component is used to block Direct Current (DC) while allowing Alternating Current (AC) to pass? A) Inductor B) Resistor C) Capacitor D) Diode

3. What is the typical feedpoint impedance of a standard half-wave dipole antenna in free space? A) 50 Ohms B) 73 Ohms C) 300 Ohms D) 600 Ohms

4. In a superheterodyne receiver, what is the primary purpose of the Automatic Gain Control (AGC) circuit? A) To keep the audio output volume relatively constant despite variations in RF signal strength B) To automatically tune the receiver to the strongest signal C) To increase the transmit power automatically D) To filter out adjacent channel interference

5. Which layer of the ionosphere is most responsible for long-distance HF radio wave propagation during the night? A) D layer B) E layer C) F layer (combined F1 and F2) D) Troposphere

6. What does a Standing Wave Ratio (SWR) of 1:1 indicate? A) Complete mismatch between the transmitter and the antenna B) A perfect impedance match between the transmission line and the antenna C) The antenna is short-circuited D) Maximum power is being reflected back to the transmitter

7. In standard Single Sideband (SSB) transmission, what components of the amplitude modulated signal are suppressed? A) The carrier and one sideband B) Both sidebands C) The carrier only D) The upper sideband only

8. What is the purpose of a “Balun” in an antenna system? A) To increase the overall gain of the antenna B) To connect a balanced antenna to an unbalanced transmission line (like coaxial cable) C) To filter out harmonic frequencies D) To convert a dipole into a directional beam

9. Which of the following regulates voltage in a power supply circuit? A) Zener diode B) Light Emitting Diode (LED) C) Variable capacitor D) RF choke

10. What is the approximate bandwidth required for a standard SSB voice transmission? A) 500 Hz B) 3 kHz C) 6 kHz D) 15 kHz

Part I Answers

  1. B (λ = c /f) Speed or velocity is the product of frequency and wavelength. It is the same for light and radio waves which are part of electromagnetic spectrum.
  2. C (Capacitor) Capacitor blocks DC and allows AC to pass through. Inductor opposes flow of AC. Resistor opposes both. Diode passes one half of AC cycle.
  3. B (73 Ohms) Standard horizontal dipole in free space has around 73 ohms feedpoint impedance. It is lower for inverted V depending on the angle at the apex and approaches 50 ohms.
  4. A (Keep audio output volume relatively constant) Otherwise you will have to constantly adjust volume control between strong and weak stations!
  5. C (F layer). D layer disappears at night. F1 and F2 layers fuse at night. Being at higher altitude, they reflect signals to a longer distance. The F layer retains enough residual ionization and high electron density at night to refract or reflect HF radio waves (3 MHz to 30 MHz) back toward Earth.
  6. B (Perfect impedance match) In all other instances, SWR will be high. When there is a mismatch between antenna and radio, antenna tuner (also called transmatch) can provide a match. Impedance transformers are also used to match antenna impedance to that of the radio like 49:1, 4:1 etc for different types of antennas.
  7. A (The carrier and one sideband) When carrier alone is suppressed, we get DSB (Double Side Band). In SSB, below 10 MHz usual amateur radio operations are on Lower Side Band (LSB) while USB is used above 10 MHz. Usual digital modes operate on USB on all bands.
  8. B (Connect balanced antenna to unbalanced line) Unun connects an unbalanced antenna to unbalanced transmission line. Center fed dipole antennas are balanced antennas. Ladder line is a balanced transmission line.
  9. A (Zener diode) Voltage regulator ICs are another option used in regulated power supplies. Variable capacitor is used for tuning RF circuits. RF choke can block RF entering the power supply circuit from a transmitter.
  10. B (3 kHz) AM uses about 6 kHz bandwidth. Amateur narrow band FM may use about 12.5 (10-16) kHz while wide band FM music broadcast has around 200 kHz. TV uses 6-8 MHz bandwidth depending on the region.

Part II: Radio Regulations and Operating Procedures

11. Which authority is responsible for conducting the ASOC examination and issuing Amateur Radio licenses in India? A) Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) B) Wireless Planning and Coordination (WPC) Wing C) Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) D) Ministry of Information and Broadcasting

12. According to the Indian Wireless Telegraphs (Amateur Service) Rules, what is the maximum RF output power permitted for a Restricted Grade license holder? A) 10 Watts B) 50 Watts C) 100 Watts D) 400 Watts

13. In which International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Region is India located? A) Region 1 B) Region 2 C) Region 3 D) Region 4

14. What does the Q-code “QTH” mean? A) What is your exact location? / My exact location is… B) Who is calling me? C) Are you busy? D) Stop transmitting.

15. If another station sends “QRM”, what does it indicate? A) They are experiencing atmospheric static B) They are closing down their station C) They are experiencing man-made interference from other stations D) Their signal is fading

16. What is the international standard distress call used in voice (radiotelephony) communications? A) EMERGENCY B) HELP HELP C) MAYDAY D) PAN PAN

17. What is the standard phonetic alphabet representation for the letter “Q”? A) Queen B) Quebec C) Quarter D) Question

18. In the RST signal reporting system, what does the “S” stand for? A) Signal B) Strength C) System D) Static

19. What does the Q-code “QSY” mean? A) Shall I decrease transmitter power? B) I am changing frequency to… / Change transmission to another frequency. C) Your signals are fading. D) I am ready to receive your message.

20. Under ITU emission designators, what does “J3E” represent? A) Continuous Wave (CW) Morse Code B) Frequency Modulation (FM) voice C) Amplitude Modulation (AM) voice D) Single Sideband (SSB) suppressed carrier voice

Part II Answers

  1. B (Wireless Planning and Coordination Wing) The Wireless Planning & Coordination (WPC) Wing is under the Ministry of Communications, specifically functioning within the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) in India.
  2. B (50 Watts) Maximum RF output power for General Grade is 400 Watts on HF bands. It is lower for VHF/UHF.
  3. C (Region 3) Region 1: Covers Europe, Africa, the Middle East west of the Persian Gulf, Mongolia, and the former Soviet Union regions. Region 2: Covers North and South America, Greenland, and the eastern Pacific Islands. Region 3: Covers non-former Soviet Union Asia (including Iran and India), Australia, New Zealand, and most of the Pacific Ocean.
  4. A (Location) Who is calling me?: QRZ? Are you busy?: QRL? Stop transmitting: QRT
  5. C (Man-made interference) They are closing down their station: CL (in Morse Code/CW) or QRT. Their signal is fading: QSB
  6. C (MAYDAY – Repeated three times) Distress (Highest priority) Immediate danger to a life, vessel, or aircraft. Pan: Urgency (Second highest priority) Very urgent problem, like engine failure while safely anchored, but no immediate danger to life or the vessel.
  7. B (Quebec)
  8. B (Strength) R: Readability T: Tone in case of CW or Morse Code
  9. B (Change frequency) Shall I decrease transmitter power? QRP? Your signals are fading: QSB. I am ready to receive your message: QRV
  10. D (Single Sideband suppressed carrier voice). A1A: Morse Code with unmodulated continuous wave. F3E: Frequency Modulation (FM) voice. A3E: Amplitude Modulation (AM) voice