Radio Tutor Mock Tests – Use with caution!

A warning to students using mock tests from the RadioTutor website. This follows numerous reports from people relying on mocks from this site.

What the’s problem?

Until 2018, a website called Hamtests offered excellent mock tests. When they closed down, their made their question database available for others to use, and the website Radio Tutor launched offering access to these mock questions.

The problem is that there was a major syllabus update in 2019, and since then further updates to the syllabus and the amateur radio licence. In many cases, some of the questions are very out-of-date, and we’ve had reports of people failing exams due to relying on mock tests from Radio Tutor

 

What’s not covered

Following reports from our students, we’ve tried multiple mocks from Radio Tutor, and have found that they don’t cover material from the last 3 syllabus revisions:

1. 2019 Update: Added digital radios, SDRs, resistors in series/parallel, DV, sidebands and other topics – none of these topics appear in the Radio Tutor mocks
2. 2022 Update: Syllabus update to cover the EMF assessment changes – no mention in the Radio Tutor mocks
3. 2024 Update: Ofcom updated the licence in a major overhaul, and the exam syllabus was updated – again, not covered by Radio Tutor

Mock Examples

Here are some examples from sample Radio Tutor Foundation mocks taken in January 2025:

A Foundation Licensee callsign M6QRZ travels from Dover to Calais by ferry. While on board: A. They are authorised to use their Radio Equipment during the voyage, providing that the ship is registered in a port of the United Kingdom, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man. B. They are authorised to use their Radio Equipment upon seeking the permission of the ship’s master. C. They are not authorised to use their Radio Equipment until they return to Dover, and have disembarked. — Correct Answer D. They are authorised to operate their Radio Equipment upon seeking permission from Ofcom and the Ferry operators

Rules about Maritime Mobile have changed, meaning that none of the 4 options is correct.

 

Your callsign is M6QRZ. You are holidaying on the Isle of Wight, which of the following callsigns would you use? A. MV6QRZ B. MW6QRZ C. ME6QRZ D. M6QRZ

“E” was added as a Regional Secondary Locator in 2024, so C and D are both correct

 

Foundation Licensees are only permitted to use A. Equipment which is not commercially available but still satisfies IR 2028 B. Equipment which is of personal design C. Equipment which is commercially available either as pre-assembled or in kit form and satisfies IR 2028 D. Equipment which has been bought by an Advanced Class Licensee

The rules on construction changed in 2024, so again, no correct answer

The maximum permitted power on 145.300MHz is A. 10dBW B. 7dBW C. 5dBW D. 1dBW

The above is also wrong, as power was increased by Ofcom to 25 watts in February 2024

Alternative Mocks

There are several sources of up-to-date mocks available, including free mocks from the RSGB, the Essex Ham Hamtrain mocks, and the Exam Secrets book.

See our page: Amateur Radio Mock Exams

Disclaimer

This page is posted in good faith to help our students who are studying for an exam. Using outdated mocks is not helpful, and whilst many of the mock questions on RadioTutor may still be helpful and accurate, there’s much that is missing or out of date. We’re publishing this warning to help students. We intend no disrespect to those behind HamTests or RadioTutor – we just wish the site carried a warning of the outdated content.

 

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