• Classes And Exams (F)

    From Daryl Stout@618:250/33 to All on Mon Sep 13 00:04:05 2021
    NCVEC Form 605 Information Requirements:
    ========================================

    The National Council Of Volunteer Examiner Coordinators (NCVEC) has
    prepared a form, the NCVEC Form 605, for use ONLY at an amateur radio
    license exam session. If you submit the form to the FCC, it will be
    RETURNED WITHOUT ACTION. Also, the FCC Form 605 is NOT used at an
    amateur radio license exam session...one MUST use the NCVEC Form 605.

    The following information is REQUIRED on the form, with the appropriate details -- applicants should PRINT CLEARLY. The top part of the form
    (Section 1) is to be completed by the applicant. The bottom part of the
    form is to be completed by the administering VE Team.

    Make sure that the form is dated September, 2017 or later. If you
    submit an earlier version, your application will be RETURNED without
    action.

    SECTION 1 (to be completed by applicant):

    1) Applicant Name: Last Name, Suffix (Jr., Sr., etc.), First Name, and
    Middle Initial(s) (i.e. J or J.D.).

    2) Station Callsign: If applicant is a current amateur radio licensee,
    where their license is unexpired or expired less than 2 years. In this
    case, their amateur radio callsign goes here. If they have never had an
    amateur radio license, or if their license is expired more than 2 years,
    they write NONE in the box.

    3) Mailing Address. This is where the applicant can receive mail from
    the U.S. Postal Service. It can be a street address, street address
    with an apartment number, or a Post Office Box.

    4) City, State, and Zip Code. The Zip Code can be 5 or 9 numbers.

    5) Daytime Telephone Number (include area code), in case the VE Team,
    the VEC, or the FCC needs to contact you. A Fax number is no longer
    needed.

    6) Email Address. This is MANDATORY to receive a license notification
    email from the FCC. The FCC does NOT mail out printed copies of the
    amateur radio license. You MUST logon to the FCC ULS website, at
    http://wireless.fcc.gov/uls with the logon credentials provided in
    the email, to print either an OFFICIAL or REFERENCE copy (or both)
    of your license. Without the email, the license application will be
    DISMISSED as DEFECTIVE. If you don't have an email, it's suggested
    that you provide the email of a friend or family member.

    7) Federal Registration Number (FRN). You can no longer provide your
    Social Security Number (SSN) at the exam session. Instead, you MUST
    go to the FCC ULS (noted above), and provide your SSN. Note that the
    SSN is PROTECTED by the Privacy Act of 1974, and REQUIRED by the Debt
    Collection Act of 1996. If you have an outstanding federal debt, such
    as a student loan, a repayment plan must be submitted, before your
    license application will be processed.

    The FRN becomes a PERMANENT part of your record. So, if your amateur
    radio license were to lapse (expired over 2 years), if you decide to
    get back into the hobby, you will provide your FRN.

    Without the FRN, the license application will be DISMISSED as
    DEFECTIVE.

    8) Basic Qualification Question. The applicant MUST answer TRUTHFULLY
    to whether or not they have ever been CONVICTED of a FELONY, by any
    State or Federal Court. More information is elsewhere in this bulletin/
    message thread.

    If the VE Team can NOT verify or validate your identity...if you do NOT provide your FRN at the test session, if you don't have proper payment
    prepared (noted below), or if you don't answer "The Felony Question" (noted above)...you will NOT be allowed to take the license exam(s). In this case,
    if you have signed up and pre-paid, your test fee will be refunded.

    Next, on the NCVEC Form 605, you will check the following boxes -- note
    that sometime in 2021, except for options C, D, G, and H below, there will
    also be a $35 fee, payable to the FCC, as well as whatever fee you pay to
    the VE Team.

    A) Examination for a new license grant. This is if you have NEVER had
    an amateur radio license...OR if your previous amateur radio license
    expired more than 2 years ago. You will start with the Technician
    License Exam (Element 2).

    B) Examination for upgrade of my license class. This is if you have a
    current, valid amateur radio license (Novice, Technician, General, or
    Advanced), and you are upgrading to either Technician (from Novice),
    General (from Technician), or Amateur Extra (from General or Advanced).

    C) Change my name on the license to the new name. This is mainly for
    those who change their name via marriage, divorce, becoming widowed,
    or for other issues. The applicant must provide their former name.

    D) Change my mailing address to the new address at the top of the form.
    You are REQUIRED to keep your mailing address with the FCC *CURRENT*.
    If mail sent from them to you goes back as UNDELIVERABLE, they will
    REVOKE your amateur radio license. Transmitting on a revoked license
    can result in fines of $7500 to $10,000 or more, FOR EACH OFFENSE. An
    email address is still required.

    E) Change my callsign systematically. This is mainly useful ONLY for
    those hams upgrading to Amateur Extra, and want a callsign for that
    class of license...usually 2 letters, a number, and 2 more letters.
    The prefix's first letter will be an "A". The applicant MUST initial
    the form to confirm this. Otherwise, you will get a new callsign with
    the same syntax (2 letters, a number, and 3 letters) as your current
    callsign. You can NOT apply for a Vanity Callsign with this form...
    that must be done at the FCC ULS website.

    F) Renewal of my license grant. If your amateur radio license is
    within 90 days of expiration, or within 2 years after expiration,
    check this box.

    G) Additional license application before the FCC. If you already have
    a license application on file with the FCC, that has not been acted
    on, enter the purpose of the other application. The VEC will enter
    the pending file number.

    H) Certification. You will then have to certify by your signature and
    date, that:

    a) You waive any claim to the use of any particular frequency,
    regardless of prior use by license or otherwise.

    b) All statements and attachments are true, complete, and correct, to
    the best of your knowledge and belief, and are made in good faith.
    Failing to do so is basically "committing perjury".

    c) You are NOT a representative of a foreign government.

    d) You are not subject to denial of Federal Benefits persuant to
    Section 5310 of the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988, Title 21, United
    States Code, § 862

    e) The construction of your station will NOT be an action which is
    likely to have a significant environment effect (See Title 47 of the
    Code Of Federal Regulations (CFR) Sections 1.1301 to 1.1319, and
    Section 97.13 (a) of the FCC Rules (these are in the Part 97 Rules
    door on the BBS).

    f) You have read and WILL COMPLY with section 97.13(c) of the FCC
    Rules, regarding Radio Frequency (RF) safety, and the amateur service
    section of OST/OET, bulletin #65.

    Part 97 lists the maximum permissible RF Safety limits per band,
    before an RF Safety evaluation is required.

    SECTION 2 (to be completed by the adminstering VE Team):

    Each administering VE is to PRINT their first name, middle initial(s),
    last name, and suffix, PRINT their callsign, then sign and date the
    form. The signature must match the name.

    As noted above, the VE's basically are putting their own licenses on
    the line. According to Part 97 of the FCC Rules...if a VE team, or
    individual VE, administers or certifies an exam by fraudulent means,
    they could lose BOTH their VE accreditation, and their ham radio licenses
    FOR LIFE.

    (CONTINUED NEXT MESSAGE)
    --- SBBSecho 3.14-Win32
    * Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (618:250/33)
  • From Daryl Stout@618:250/33 to All on Mon Jun 13 00:06:05 2022
    (CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS MESSAGE)

    WARNING!! Cheating in ANY form, will NOT be tolerated. This includes
    bringing a calculator without the formulas cleared, crib notes, using electronic devices (cellphone, iPhone, iPad, Smartphone, Android, etc.).

    The exams are different colors for each license class (noted below),
    and each exam booklet has at least five different sets of questions.

    Some ARRL/VEC VE Teams use the "Exam Maker" (which is being replaced
    by "Exam Tools") software to create a large number, and wide range of
    tests with possible questions, for even more questions. At MINIMUM,
    there could be 36 different exams for each license class...with or
    without graphics/schematic diagrams.

    So, trying to "copy answers" off of someone elses answer sheet will do
    you no good.

    In fact, if it is determined that an examinee is cheating, their exam
    will be TERMINATED, marked as FAILED, and the examinee will be ordered
    to leave the premises immediately! Please do NOT put yourself, or the VE
    Team into an embarassing situation. Cheating on a test could affect your ability to test at a future exam.

    Again, if it takes you a dozen or more tries to pass an exam...even if
    just barely...you have as much right to be on the air as someone who made
    a perfect score the first time. In short, you might as well "take the
    test legally". If you pass the test "just barely", it's the same as if
    you made a perfect score. If you fail the test "just barely", it's the
    same as if you missed every question on the test.

    You are basically ready to take the test, or you are not. Besides, the
    man or woman who graduates DEAD LAST in Medical School...is STILL...a
    DOCTOR. However, I might be leery of them doing a pelvic exam (females)
    or a prostate check (males) <GRIN!>.

    NCVEC Form 605 Information Requirements:
    ========================================

    The National Council Of Volunteer Examiner Coordinators (NCVEC) has
    prepared a form, the NCVEC Form 605, for use ONLY at an amateur radio
    license exam session. If you submit the form to the FCC, it will be
    RETURNED WITHOUT ACTION. Also, the FCC Form 605 is NOT used at an
    amateur radio license exam session...one MUST use the NCVEC Form 605.
    The form used MUST be dated September, 2017 or later...anything before
    that will NOT be accepted by the FCC.

    The following information is REQUIRED on the form, with the appropriate details -- applicants should PRINT CLEARLY. The top part of the form
    (Section 1) is to be completed by the applicant. The bottom part of the
    form is to be completed by the administering VE Team.

    SECTION 1 (to be completed by applicant):

    1) Applicant Name: Last Name, Suffix (Jr., Sr., etc.), First Name, and
    Middle Initial(s) (i.e. J or J.D.).

    2) Station Callsign: If applicant is a current amateur radio licensee,
    where their license is unexpired or expired less than 2 years. In this
    case, their amateur radio callsign goes here. If they have never had an
    amateur radio license, or if their license is expired more than 2 years,
    they write NONE in the box.

    3) Mailing Address. This is where the applicant can receive mail from
    the U.S. Postal Service. It can be a street address, street address
    with an apartment number, or a Post Office Box.

    4) City, State, and Zip Code. The Zip Code can be 5 or 9 numbers.

    5) Daytime Telephone Number (include area code), in case the VE Team,
    the VEC, or the FCC needs to contact you. A Fax number is no longer
    needed.

    6) Email Address. This is MANDATORY to receive a license notification
    email from the FCC. The FCC does NOT mail out printed copies of the
    amateur radio license. You MUST logon to the FCC ULS website, at
    http://wireless.fcc.gov/uls with the logon credentials provided in
    the email, to print either an OFFICIAL or REFERENCE copy (or both)
    of your license. Without the email, the license application will be
    DISMISSED as DEFECTIVE. If you don't have an email, it's suggested
    that you provide the email of a friend or family member.

    7) Federal Registration Number (FRN). You can no longer provide your
    Social Security Number (SSN) at the exam session. Instead, you MUST
    go to the FCC ULS (noted above), and provide your SSN. Note that the
    SSN is PROTECTED by the Privacy Act of 1974, and REQUIRED by the Debt
    Collection Act of 1996. If you have an outstanding federal debt, such
    as a student loan, a repayment plan must be submitted, before your
    license application will be processed.

    The FRN becomes a PERMANENT part of your record. So, if your amateur
    radio license were to lapse (expired over 2 years), if you decide to
    get back into the hobby, you will provide your FRN.

    Without the FRN, the license application will be DISMISSED as
    DEFECTIVE.

    8) Basic Qualification Question. The applicant MUST answer TRUTHFULLY
    to whether or not they have ever been CONVICTED of a FELONY, by any
    State or Federal Court. More information is elsewhere in this bulletin/
    message thread.

    (CONTINUED NEXT MESSAGE)
    --- SBBSecho 3.15-Win32
    * Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (618:250/33)
  • From Daryl Stout@618:250/33 to All on Tue Dec 27 03:09:58 2022
    (CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS MESSAGE)

    What To Bring To A License Exam Session:
    ========================================

    NOTE: VE Teams may NOT have the means to make photocopies of items at
    a license exam session.

    1) The ORIGINAL and a PHOTOCOPY of your license, if you are already
    licensed, or if the licensed is expired (even if more than 2 years).
    The PHOTOCOPY of your license will be sent off with your exam
    materials. As noted earlier, if you previously held a General,
    Advanced, or Amateur Extra Class license, you're eligible for
    partial exam credit...but still have to pass the Technician Class
    exam to get back on the air with a new callsign.

    2) A Photo ID, such as a Drivers License, Passport, State ID, etc.
    Lacking a photo ID REQUIRES two (2) forms of identification, such
    as a Birth Certificate, with the appropriate seal affixed, a utility
    bill, bank statement, or other piece of mail addressed to you, are
    are alternate forms of ID. Students can bring a library card, or a
    minors work permit, if under 18 years of age. These may also bring
    the ORIGINAL Birth Certificate. Once verified by the VE Team, ALL
    ID DOCUMENTS WILL BE RETURNED to the examinee.

    3) Appropriate information for the NCVEC Form 605, detailed elsewhere
    in this bulletin/message thread.

    4) The ORIGINAL and a PHOTOCOPY of any applicable Certificate Of any
    Successful Completion Of Examination (CSCE), which are valid for 365
    days after initial issuance for upgrading. If you take a test on
    July 1 of a non-leap year, the CSCE expires at midnight on June 30
    of the following year. However, if you take a test on July 1, of a
    leap year, the CSCE expires at midnight on June 29 of the following
    year.

    An amateur radio operator who had previously passed the 5 words per
    minute (wpm) Morse Code test does NOT need to keep the CSCE showing
    that they passed Element 1, since the FCC removed the Morse Code
    requirement for any U.S. amateur radio licensee as of Feb. 23, 2007.
    Further details on CSCE's are later in this bulletin/message thread.

    Once you have a current license that matches what is on the CSCE, you
    can either keep the CSCE as a "novelty", or you may discard it. The
    photocopy of the CSCE will be sent off with the exam materials, but
    you MUST bring the ORIGINAL of the CSCE to obtain proper exam credit.
    This applies if you have taken, and passed another amateur radio
    license exam in the time before the current exam session...yet, the
    results of that previous session have not yet shown up in the FCC ULS
    database. It normally takes 1 to 2 weeks for the data to be posted.
    However, during a U.S. Government Shutdown, it may take quite awhile
    longer.

    Note that if the VE Team uploads the exam session data electronically
    to the VEC, you can have your license in as little as 72 hours after
    the exam session, and paying the appropriate license exam fees, noted
    below.

    4) Cash, or a check payable to the appropriate Volunteer Examination
    team for the appropriate amount. It's currently $15 for ARRL VE Test
    Sessions (payable to ARRL/VEC), and it'll remain that way through
    2023. The fee may increase in future years, and the exam fee may be
    different for VEC groups other than the ARRL/VEC.

    As of April 19, 2022, there's also a $35 fee...so depending on what the
    VEC charges, you may have to pay as much as $50 for the exam, if not
    more. The VE Team will collect its regular fee, and the $35 fee will
    be payable on the FCC's website. A link to such is available on the
    new CSCE's from ARRL/VEC, and other VEC's may soon provide similar
    items. Without payment of the fees, the license application will be
    DISMISSED as DEFECTIVE, and applicants will NOT be eligible for a
    refund.

    5) A calculator, with ALL MEMORY FORMULAS CLEARED. You will be REQUIRED
    to prove to the VE Team that this is the case...and the VE Team will
    personally inspect the calculator to verify such!!

    WARNING!! Cheating in ANY form, will NOT be tolerated. This includes
    bringing a calculator without the formulas cleared, crib notes, using electronic devices (cellphone, iPhone, iPad, Smartphone, Android, etc.).

    The exams are different colors for each license class (noted below),
    and each exam booklet has at least five different sets of questions.

    Some ARRL/VEC VE Teams use the "Exam Tools" software to create a large number, and wide range of tests with possible questions, for even more questions. At MINIMUM, there could be 36 different exams (if not more)
    for each license class...with or without graphics/schematic diagrams.

    So, trying to "copy answers" off of someone elses answer sheet will do
    you no good.

    In fact, if it is determined that an examinee is cheating, their exam
    will be TERMINATED, marked as FAILED, and the examinee will be ordered
    to leave the premises immediately! Please do NOT put yourself, or the VE
    Team into an embarassing situation. Cheating on a test could affect your ability to test at a future exam.

    Again, if it takes you a dozen or more tries to pass an exam...even if
    just barely...you have as much right to be on the air as someone who made
    a perfect score the first time. In short, you might as well "take the
    test legally". If you pass the test "just barely", it's the same as if
    you made a perfect score. If you fail the test "just barely", it's the
    same as if you missed every question on the test.

    You are basically ready to take the test, or you are not. Besides, the
    man or woman who graduates DEAD LAST in Medical School...is STILL...a
    DOCTOR. However, I might be leery of them doing a pelvic exam (females)
    or a prostate check (males) <GRIN!>.

    (CONTINUED NEXT MESSAGE)
    --- SBBSecho 3.15-Win32
    * Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (618:250/33)