There are many ways to study and prepare for an Amateur Radio license exam and different methods are successful with different people. Of late, one of the most successful programs has been the online study course available from HAMSTUDY.ORG This is basically free of charge (we believe there is a nominal fee if you opt to add the smart phone app). This is a great way to prepare for the exam at any license level. Don’t feel too badly about memorizing answers, it is the our experience that (whatever study method you use) candidates generally end up learning a LOT more about Amateur Radio after they are successfully licensed, and far more than they learned from any study method, however rigorous. So get the license, GET ON THE AIR and begin the journey.
There are also some excellent books and other software programs. Links to many of these are found in the links to outside resources elsewhere on this site.
Many candidates use both an online learning system such as the one from Ham Study.org along with a book appropriate to the test license class. Some excellent books are those from the Gordon West/W5YI series as well as those from the ARRL. And of course, learning morse code is no longer a prerequisite to being licensed.
In the case of hamstudy.org, the web based software tool actually includes links that will simplify the task of scheduling an online test. Or, of course, you can use in-person testing such as that at Brackett Field in La Verne.