Training.

Once you have gained your Foundation amateur radio licence and have gained experience operating, it may be time for you to move on to an Intermediate Licence. The Intermediate Licence carries with it more privileges and also more responsibilities on you as a radio amateur. The main advantage of stepping up to the Intermediate Licence is the increase in permitted operating power.

You will be able to go from the 25 watts of the Foundation Licence, up to 100 watts as an Intermediate Licence holder.

It’s actually not necessary to take a course to sit the Intermediate exam, but we would strongly recommend doing so. All our RSGB affiliated trainers have a wealth of knowledge and years of experience to impart to their students.

Understandably the Intermediate course is longer and more challenging than the Foundation. It aims to teach many of the fundamentals of radio in a stimulating way by actually undertaking practical tasks such as soldering, building a small project and a variety of other exercises, building on the experience you have gained as a Foundation Licence holder.

The Exam

The exam is in written form formed by an examination of 45 multiple-choice questions each with four possible responses, which covers the remainder of the syllabus.

The examination lasts one hour and 25 minutes.

Your exam paper is marked by the invigilator straight after the exam so, as with the Foundation, you have a good idea whether you passed or not.

For the Intermediate licence course exam there is a fee of £32.50. There will be a course fee of £25.00 to cover the cost of the course tuition fees, venue etc.

What happens after the exam?

If your pass is confirmed you will receive an official result sheet from the RSGB Examinations Department within six days of receipt of your exam paper.

You will also receive a certificate a few days later.

The Examinations Department will upload your pass to the UK communications regulator Ofcom, who are responsible for issuing amateur radio licences.

You may then log on to the Ofcom licensing system to apply for your licence. If you apply for your Intermediate licence on the Ofcom website, your licence is free of charge.