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If I start with no current license, can I take all the exams in one sitting to get to Amateur Extra?

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Yes, you can take all three exams in sequence at the same session and obtain an Extra class license. (I did and had no trouble.)

Doing this, rather than getting a lower license class and upgrading later, has the small advantage that you will be assigned a shorter sequential call sign (without having to request one when you upgrade), as well as not paying additional exam session fees.

However, I would recommend that you arrive early, and inform the VEs that you are planning to do this. I've heard that in some exam sessions, the examiners qualified to administer the General and Extra exams (that is, ones who themselves hold Extra class licenses) may leave after everyone who came to upgrade their licenses has taken their single exam, whereas you will be starting only after you finish your Technician exam.

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  • $\begingroup$ Or just start with the extra examination. I don't think there's any requirement that you need to take them in order, just that you have to pass them all. $\endgroup$
    – Phil Frost - W8II
    Apr 1, 2016 at 21:46
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    $\begingroup$ There is no FCC requirement to pass the exams in order, but I know at least our local VE team frowns upon this. (I'm assuming their reasons are just to keep the process simple and avoid any confusion.) $\endgroup$
    – natevw - AF7TB
    Dec 15, 2016 at 17:02
  • $\begingroup$ Most VE teams will require you take the lower level tests first and will only give you the next test after you pass the previous one. Technically you could take and pass part 3 and 4 for general and extra, but you will not get any license until you also pass element 2 for tech. You would get a certificate that you had passed 3 and 4 and would have 1 year to pass element 2. Our team has never had anyone present such a certificate. $\endgroup$
    – Jim
    Mar 1, 2019 at 19:29
  • $\begingroup$ I've seen a VE group intentionally give the elements in reverse order to a foreigner who held a license from another country — holding a US license invalidates any reciprocal privileges, getting Tech or General would be a downgrade, and 97.509 (l) and (m) say "must issue" and "must submit" — technically, they don't have any discretion to just throw the papers away if the examinee doesn't make Extra. But as long as the examinee don't pass Element 2 then they haven't qualified for any license class. $\endgroup$
    – hobbs - KC2G
    Oct 26, 2020 at 8:03
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After you pass an amateur exam, you will receive an CSCE (Certificate of Successful Completion of Examination). This proves that you have passed the exam. This ticket also allows you to take the next exam. In recursion, a new ham can go from having no license to obtaining an Extra in one sitting... for the same price as your original technician exam.

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In 1995, I was living in the US for three months. I bought some study books, read all the question pools and booked myself in to the local test centre. I had planned to take the 20wpm Morse test, and if I failed that then the 13wpm test, and if for some reason I failed that then the 5wpm test. Then I had planned to sit the five exams for Novice, Technician, General, Advanced and Extra classes of licence. As it happened, I scraped a pass in the 20wpm Morse test and passed all of the other exams (the Advanced test was the hardest! The pool was enormous), and came out with pass slips to allow me to apply for an Amateur Extra licence, the highest there is.

All in all, it was a good morning's work! The guys at the test centre said I was the first person to manage that at their centre, although they had heard of people doing it before.

I did also at that time hold a UK class A licence, otherwise I would have been extremely nervous at the prospect of taking between 6 and 9 tests for a radio licence!

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  • $\begingroup$ I did something similar in '94. Though in my case, I knew I'd only be able to handle the 5wpm CW. I passed all 5 written tests so got my Tech+ at that session. Then did the 13wpm CW a few weeks later and went straight to advanced. 73! $\endgroup$
    – Lance
    Mar 28, 2017 at 16:58
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You'd have to take all three "written elements." From the FCC Licensing Examinations page:

In the amateur radio license examination system, there are three written examination elements [Elements 2, 3, and 4]. For each operator class, you must pass the elements indicated:

Operator Class     Required Elements

Amateur Extra      Written Elements 2, 3, 4
General            Written Elements 2, 3
Technician         Written Element 2

The written elements are:

Element   Operation Privileges    Questions   Minimum Passing Score

2         Technician Class        35          26
3         General Class           35          26
4         Amateur Extra Class     50          37
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In point of fact, I took two elements in one sitting in the fall of 2020, and I got my General ticket. I was too exhausted to try the extra test but I could have.

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