Finding the resources to study for an Amateur license has never been easier. There are in-person classes offered in co-operation with many First Response organizations such as Fire Departments, Police Departments, Hospitals, and Ambulance Services as part of their emergency preparedness plans. Some high schools and colleges even offer classes as part of their science courses.
If you are more comfortable in a stay-at-home situation, Zoom classes are sponsored by some clubs as well as educational institutions and even individuals. Resources are also available for a complete do-it-yourself course of study if you are highly self-motivated and prefer that style of learning.
Regardless of the path you choose, there are several online tests that draw their questions from the official FCC question pool to enable you to practice taking the test until you feel comfortable with it before sitting for the actual exam.
There are two types of training sessions to consider. The traditional path requires a commitment of an hour or two on a regular schedule with as much individual study between sessions as you need. These sessions usually go into more theory and practical information behind the questions and are usually targeted for the General and Extra class licenses.
There are also Get Your License in a Weekend classes that are designed to get your license quickly. The first hour or two gets the basic information to you, followed by a series of practice tests with questions from the actual question pool, followed by a critique. There are 100 questions, but the actual test is only 35 questions.
This test-critique-test cycle is repeated for the first and second day. The final test on the second day is the actual exam for your license. This is typically the type of test offered for First Responders and results in them getting a Technician class license.
At present, NARS does not offer a scheduled class, though we have provided classes to First Responders and even NASA Astronauts by special arrangements. NARS does offer testing each month, however. See License Exams on this website.
Regardless of where you get your training, the questions and standards for a successful test session are the same. The questions are all drawn from the same question pool for each exam and the grading standards are the same.
Of course, we would welcome you to join NARS, either before you get your license or after.
Resources
Some of the following resources are free, while others require a small fee. The ones that charge for the services typically offer some support. The free ones do not usually offer much in the way of support.