Licensing and Operating Rules
Who may do what
Every Foundation question about rules starts from the licence class. A Foundation licence authorises operation on the amateur bands listed in your national conditions, with power limits and approved equipment. Know the difference between your licence, your callsign, and your station: the licence is personal and not transferable, the callsign identifies the station, and the station must operate under the supervision of the licensee when an unlicensed person is present.
Identification and control
You must identify on air with your callsign at the start and end of a contact and at intervals during it. A common trap is a question about a third party using your station: the licensee must be present and in control, and the third party uses your callsign with your supervision. Another trap is the reciprocal idea - your Foundation privileges do not automatically travel; check the rules of the country you visit.
Interference, power and content
Operate at the minimum power needed, never on a frequency you are not authorised to use, and stop transmitting if you cause interference. Questions often test that you may listen widely but may only transmit where licensed. Never transmit music, commercial traffic, or unidentified content.
Worked example
You hear a station calling CQ on a band your licence does not cover. The correct answer is to listen only; tuning your transmitter there is a breach even at low power. Rule of thumb: if you cannot name the band, the power limit, and your callsign for the contact, you are not ready to transmit.
Traps to expect
Distinguish "may" from "must"; distinguish the licensee's responsibilities from those of a club; and remember that emergency use of any frequency is permitted only when life is at risk.