CommStudy vs FCC GROL & GMDSS Prep
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
CommStudy
Prepare for your FCC Commercial License exam with this comprehensive study tool. Practice with sample questions and full elements, review figures, and track your proficiency across all topics. Take realistic practice exams and get immediate feedback to identify areas needing more study.
- Practice with sample and full FCC license exam elements
- Review associated figures for questions
- Track proficiency by subelement/topic
- Realistic practice exams
- Immediate feedback option
- Resume in-progress tests
- Configurable test settings
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CommStudy is THE app for studying for the written portion of your FCC Commercial License exam! Download this FREE app and try out the sample Elements! Each sample contains only 20% of the questions contained in the full Element. If you decide you want to purchase the full Element, this is done via an in-app purchase. All seven elements are included: 1, 3, 6, 7, 7R, 8, and 9. FCC Commercial License exams are composed of questions from a pool. Use this application prior to taking your exam to review and practice all possible questions. Then, test your knowledge with practice exams! Some questions require you to review associated Figures. On the iPad, the figures appear below the question. These figures may be zoomed and panned on the iPhone/iPod touch. After completing your first practice exam, the question pool screen will display your proficiency in each question subelement/topic for all practice exams you have completed. This will help you determine what areas need further study! You may choose to receive immediate feedback on right and wrong answers when taking a practice test or you can wait until the test is completed and review the questions in the Test History section. On practice tests, no question will be repeated until all of the questions have been used in a particular subelement/topic. The practice tests do adhere to the requirements of the actual tests. They are each composed of the proper number of questions from each section of the corresponding question pool. An in-progress practice test can be resumed if you exit the test or the application. This app has these additional features: • Portrait and Landscape support on iPad • Swipe gestures to navigate between questions • Tap on answer to select it • Buttons to skip to next/previous wrong answer in test history • Configurable Test Settings • Optional randomizing of test answers • Optional auto-advance during test
FCC GROL & GMDSS Prep
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Study for five FCC commercial radio operator licences in one app: the General Radiotelephone Operator License (GROL), the GMDSS Radio Operator's and Restricted GMDSS licences, the Ship Radar Endorsement and the GMDSS Radio Maintainer's License. Pick your licence and the app draws the right exam elements. Every question is the real, word for word FCC pool question with the official answer, plus a plain-English explanation written by us, so what you study is exactly what the exam tests. WHAT YOU GET - 2,224 real FCC pool questions from Elements 1, 3, 7, 7R, 8 and 9, each one explained - 2,224 flashcards for the rules, formulas and GMDSS procedures you need cold - A licence picker: choose GROL, GMDSS Operator, Restricted GMDSS, Ship Radar or GMDSS Maintainer - Timed mock exams that gate each element at its official pass mark - Weak-area review that resurfaces what you get wrong - A readiness score for every exam topic PASS MARKS Each element is passed on its own at about 75 percent. Element 1 needs 18 of 24; Elements 3 and 7 need 75 of 100; Elements 7R, 8 and 9 need 38 of 50. TOPICS Radio law and operating practice, electronics and radio theory, GMDSS distress, urgency and safety, DSC and MMSI, Inmarsat, MF/HF and VHF-DSC, maritime safety information, survival craft and SAR, ship radar, and GMDSS equipment maintenance. STUDY YOUR WAY - Works fully offline, no account, no sign-up - Progress stays on your device - One-time purchase, no subscription ABOUT This is an independent study aid and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or an official product of the Federal Communications Commission or any government body. Questions are reproduced from the FCC commercial operator license question pools, which are works of the U.S. federal government in the public domain (17 U.S.C. 105). Official source: https://www.fcc.gov/wireless/bureau-divisions/mobility-division/commercial-radio-operator-license-program
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: FCC GROL & GMDSS Prep at fortnightly against CommStudy's every 20 months. CommStudy's advantage is iOS requirement (9.3 vs 15.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. CommStudy sells 7 one-off in-app purchases and FCC GROL & GMDSS Prep sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
CommStudy ships an update every 20 months, FCC GROL & GMDSS Prep fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 8, 2026 and October 12, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | CommStudy | FCC GROL & GMDSS Prep |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.5 (49 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 91.3% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 49 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 20 months | Fortnightly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 9.3 — better | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 42 MB | 17 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Patrick J Maloney LLC | Rivermap Ai Solutions Ltd |
In-app purchases
CommStudy
- Element 1$2.99
- Element 8$3.99
- Element 7R$3.99
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- Element 9$3.99
- Element 3$4.99
- Element 6$4.99
- Element 7$4.99
FCC GROL & GMDSS Prep
- GROL Exam Full Unlock$14.99
Questions
Is CommStudy free?
Is FCC GROL & GMDSS Prep free?
Do CommStudy or FCC GROL & GMDSS Prep have ads?
Which is updated more often, CommStudy or FCC GROL & GMDSS Prep?
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