Really neat that you’re interested in HAM radio! It’s not only a hobby, but is educational and practical in many situations, as I’m sure you’ve reasearched enough to persue the testing and purchase!
Getting licensed is a breeze, just study as others have mentioned. Best radios, well that’s a whole other realm of debate, but a fun one! Go with a major brand (i-COM, Yaesu, Kenwood) and you’ll be happy, each has their own inherent quirks of course, but there’s a huge following of hose brands with forums all over the place to help you in your journey (use, mods, repairs..etc).
THANK YOU TO EVERYONE...
Who posted comments and advice.
After starting this thread I found the excellent discussion on this topic from 3/28/22.
The comments here were even more helpful.