Essex Ham Foundation courses & online exams 2022

Essex Ham continue to run their excellent online courses for Foundation level with the next starting on the 5th of June and I wish all their candidates the very best of luck.

Their next course starts on the 3rd of July and usually every month for those interested in booking a course with them.

Details can be found on the Essex Ham website here :-

https://www.essexham.co.uk/train/foundation-online/


Examinations can still be taken online in the comfort of your home with a PC/Laptop equipped with a webcam. Details as follows :-

https://www.essexham.co.uk/train/online-exams/

RSGB examination booking here :-

https://rsgb.org/main/rsgb-examination-booking/


This is an excellent continuation of the system put in place and especially helpful during the Covid crisis for those that are unable to attend a club for whatever reason. (Time, distance to clubs, club membership fees, disability etc.)


Pete and the gang at Essex Ham come highly recommended from many candidates and current licence holders (myself included) for their awesome contribution to Amateur Radio.

I hope this information comes in useful for those wishing to expand their radio interests.


All the best,
Victor

I would highly recommend Essex Ham's Foundation Online course.

Pete and his team must have put a huge amount of work into preparing the course material.

As a complete newbie to ham radio with their help I have recently passed the Foundation Licence exam, just awaiting my M7... callsign.

73 Derek

Derek
You should get it in the week normally takes around 3 to 4 day's to come through the post.
Well it was like that a while back.

Congratulations on your Foundation pass Derek!  

Always pleases me no end to hear the news of someone gaining their 'ticket'. 


Shouldn't take too long to get your certificate (it'll feel like forever though!) and then you can get on the Ofcom site and choose your call sign.

All the best,
Victor

Just applied online, will wait to see when the course starts. Being stuck inside due to health problems, it gives me something to do with my time. I did do an online practice test with no training and scored about 60% just by reasonably guessing the answers, I don't see it being too hard to pass the foundation course.

Hi Mark,

As previously mentioned elsewhere I wish you the very best of luck with the Foundation.


Pete and everyone at Essex Ham are excellent and have helped many with their Amateur Radio aspirations including myself and many here at Charlie Tango via their online system. They are sure to give you all the information you require for the Foundation exam but the rest will be up to you.

Odd subject material such as how far away is the ionosphere in kilometres (?), ladder safety, the Charing Cross 100km limit, etc. are things that you might not initially think about but could very well be questions in the exam.

Then with an online exam you will need to find out about booking your exam, your computer capabilities and webcam options that allow the exam invigilator the opportunity to peruse your home environment for things like 'cheat/crib' notes or if anyone else is in the room who could be prompting you to answers.

Prepare yourself well for your best chances to pass and don't let the "too easy" comments from others make you slip up over something simple.

You'll need 19 questions correct from 26 (73%) which could come from a big choice of questions available.

No point in complaining you missed it by 'one question' when you actually answered 8 questions incorrectly.


The pass rate for Foundation in recent years has been 85% - 90% but remember from the thousands that have taken it that means hundreds of applicants have unfortunately failed. Don't let yourself be one of them.

Let none of that put you off, that was not my intention but rather making sure you prepare yourself well with the best advice I can give.


Let us know how you eventually get on and I look forward to congratulating you when you pass.

All the best,
Victor

Just to echo what Victor said.
When i did the exam i got some questions that i had not seen before as well.
I also found an app with endless mock tests on it uk amateur radio mock tests i think it was that was helpful.
There is also a book on the foundation test.
Tip when you do the exam online read the questions 2 or 3 times before you answer.
You can flag the ones your not sure about and go back to them.
You will have plenty of tome so don't rush.

I recently took the exam and similar to Alan I looked at numerous mock exams beforehand but still had some questions I had not seen before.

My PC is an "all in one" PC so not an easy thing to pick up and turn around to scan the room before the exam began. I was able to connect to the Webex call using my mobile phone and used this to scan the room. My phone stayed connected throughout the exam so that the RSGB invigilator could see and hear me until the exam was finished.

Good luck with the course and the RSGB examination.

Good point above.
My pc is a 27" Dell all in one and weights a tone so i bought an external web-cam only a low cost thing but it did the job.
They do like to see every inch of the room or shed in my case.

I now have a start date of 20th of Nov and when I bought my 6900N it came with a Foundation Licence Now book, so am off to a good start. Am now itching to get started with the course and then on to passing the exam.

Hope you enjoy the the course and good luck with the exam.