• Classes And Exams (C)

    From Daryl Stout@618:250/33 to All on Mon Sep 13 00:03:53 2021
    Volunteer Examiners
    ===================

    Years ago, to take an amateur radio license exam, you had to usually
    travel a long distance to an FCC Field Office. The Volunteer Examiner Coordinator (VEC) program and groups were created in 1982. Volunteer
    Examiners (VE's), accredited by the respective VEC, began testing in 1984,
    and have been administering ham radio license exams ever since. Now, in
    most cases, there is a license exam available in your area...or nearby...
    on either a weekly, monthly, bi-monthly, quarterly, or even an "on demand" basis.

    The amount of advance notice required will vary with each VE Team, but
    for teams that I work with in central Arkansas, please give at least 24
    to 48 hours notice, so a VE Team, and a location can be obtained, that
    will be suitable to the examinee, and the VE Team. The best time to do an
    exam is on evenings or most likely on weekends...usually on a Saturday;
    but some teams will test on a Sunday afternoon.

    Note that with COVID-19, many teams have switched to remote testing,
    or are doing "low contact, in person testing". All attendees (both the examinees and examiners) MUST wear masks, and are asked questions related
    to COVID-19 prior to the session. If they have a fever (99.0 degrees or higher), have been exposed to someone with COVID-19 in the last 14 days,
    or have a lack of smell or taste, they are requested to NOT come to the
    exam session.

    Any Amateur Radio Operator holding a valid General, Advanced, or
    Amateur Extra Class license, is eligible to apply to be a VE...as long
    as they are at least 18 years of age, their license has never been
    suspended or revoked, and there is not a question about the amateur
    radio operators "integrity" as a Volunteer Examiner.

    Speaking of which, integrity of the exam sessions is a huge part, as
    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...and the examinee
    may have to re-take the exam elements in question...either before another
    VE Team, or before the FCC itself, as noted later in this bulletin.

    The VE team is to TERMINATE the test session of any examinee, who is
    caught CHEATING, or if they fail to comply with the instructions of the
    VE team. Should this occur, the exam will be marked as FAILED, and the
    cheater will be ordered to leave the premises. This could also affect
    their ability in the future to attempt to test at another license exam.

    A prospective VE must go through the accreditation process. For the
    ARRL/VEC, it's an OPEN BOOK TEST, that you take at your leisure. When
    done, you return the test sheet to the ARRL for processing...which
    takes 3 to 6 weeks. The prospective VE *MUST* have either a valid
    General, Advanced, or Amateur Extra Class license *IN HAND*, or in the
    FCC database (such as on www.qrz.com) BEFORE applying to become a VE.
    ARRL VE Accreditation is free. There are other VEC groups, and their accreditation processes may be different.

    Once accredited, the following tests may be administered:

    VE/Ham License Class: Amateur Radio Exam That May Be Given:

    Novice NONE -- not eligible to become a VE.

    Technician NONE -- not eligible to become a VE.

    General Technican Class Exam ONLY.

    Advanced Technician or General Class Exam ONLY.

    Amateur Extra ANY exam (Technician, General, or Amateur Extra).

    Note: It is REQUIRED that 3 VE's be at an exam session...preferably 4
    or more...in case the team has to test in one room, and grade in
    another...or if a VE has to step out of the room for a short time. It
    is also preferred that the MAJORITY of the team include a MINIMUM of
    3 Amateur Extra Class licensees. That way, all exams can be given, as
    noted below.

    On June 9, 2014, the FCC issued a "Report And Order" (R&O) in response to
    a previously issued Notice Of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM), which sought
    comments on revising the exam procedures. The following changes to exam sessions took effect on July 21, 2014:

    1) A holder of a General, Advanced, or Amateur Extra Class license which
    is EXPIRED MORE THAN 2 YEARS, can get back into the hobby, by passing
    Element 2 (the Technician Class exam) at a license exam session.

    The examinee will still have to provide proper identification (listed
    elsewhere in this bulletin/message thread), provide proof of the prior
    amateur radio license, provide their Social Social Security Number (if
    a Federal Registration Number is not on the expired license), and pay
    the appropriate test fee.

    Upon passing the Technician Exam, they will be granted a Certificate Of Successful Completion Of Examination (CSCE) for the license they held,
    if it was a General or Extra Class license. However, Advanced Class
    licensees are DOWNGRADED to General, since those licenses are no longer
    issued. In any case, these licensees will be issued a NEW CALLSIGN about
    10 to 14 days after the exam session.

    Once they have their new callsign, they can apply for their old callsign
    under the Vanity Callsign system, but there is a possibility that their
    former callsign will have since been re-assigned to another amateur radio operator, once the original license had lapsed (it had been more than 2
    years since its expiration).

    2) The valid time on a CSCE REMAINS at 365 calender days. The FCC
    DECLINED a proposal for "lifetime CSCE credit". If one receives a CSCE
    on July 1 in a non-leap year, that CSCE expires at 12 midnight local
    time on June 30 of the following year. If the CSCE is issued on July 1
    of a leap year, the CSCE expires at 12 midnight on June 29 of the
    following year. One does NOT need a CSCE to prove they took and passed
    a Morse Code Test...as the Morse Code requirement was ELIMINATED from
    the U.S. Amateur Radio License Requirements as of Feb. 23, 2007.

    3) The number of VE's required to proctor a session REMAINS at 3. The FCC
    noted that the ARRL, the W5YI-VEC, and a large number of commenters were AGAINST reducing the number from 3 to 2...because with 3 examiners, it "increases the rate of accuracy and integrity, and reduces the chances
    of fraud".

    4) Created the capability for "remote exam sessions", with at least
    one certified VE present, with the capability of monitoring, grading,
    and certifying the exams through the internet. This is especially true
    in remote locations, such as Alaska, Anarctica, etc. In these areas,
    examinees are lucky to have an exam session either twice a year, or
    even quarterly. The actual mechanics of the session "will vary from
    session to session, and from location to location"...noting that setting
    such could limit the flexibility of VE's and VEC's. However, the rule for "administering exams responsibility" is in force, whether for remote tests
    or not. With COVID-19, many groups are now doing "remote testing".

    (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 00:05:43 2022
    (CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS MESSAGE)

    A prospective VE must go through the accreditation process. For the
    ARRL/VEC, it's an OPEN BOOK TEST, that you take at your leisure. When
    done, you return the test sheet to the ARRL for processing...which
    takes 3 to 6 weeks. The prospective VE *MUST* have either a valid
    General, Advanced, or Amateur Extra Class license *IN HAND*, or in the
    FCC database (such as on www.qrz.com) BEFORE applying to become a VE.
    ARRL VE Accreditation is free. There are other VEC groups, and their accreditation processes may be different.

    Once accredited, the following tests may be administered:

    VE/Ham License Class: Amateur Radio Exam That May Be Given:

    Novice NONE -- not eligible to become a VE.

    Technician NONE -- not eligible to become a VE.

    General Technican Class Exam ONLY.

    Advanced Technician or General Class Exam ONLY.

    Amateur Extra ANY exam (Technician, General, or Amateur Extra).

    Note: It is REQUIRED that 3 VE's be at an exam session...preferably 4
    or more...in case the team has to test in one room, and grade in
    another...or if a VE has to step out of the room for a short time. It
    is also preferred that the MAJORITY of the team include a MINIMUM of
    3 Amateur Extra Class licensees. That way, all exams can be given, as
    noted below.

    On June 9, 2014, the FCC issued a "Report And Order" (R&O) in response to
    a previously issued Notice Of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM), which sought
    comments on revising the exam procedures. The following changes to exam sessions took effect on July 21, 2014:

    1) A holder of a General, Advanced, or Amateur Extra Class license which
    is EXPIRED MORE THAN 2 YEARS, can get back into the hobby, by passing
    Element 2 (the Technician Class exam) at a license exam session.

    The examinee will still have to provide proper identification (listed
    elsewhere in this bulletin/message thread), provide proof of the prior
    amateur radio license, provide their Social Social Security Number (if
    a Federal Registration Number is not on the expired license), and pay
    the appropriate test fee...and effective April 19, 2022...a $35 fee to
    the FCC.

    Upon passing the Technician Exam, they will be granted a Certificate Of Successful Completion Of Examination (CSCE) for the license they held,
    if it was a General or Extra Class license. However, Advanced Class
    licensees are DOWNGRADED to General, since those licenses are no longer
    issued. In any case, these licensees will be issued a NEW CALLSIGN about
    10 to 14 days after the exam session.

    Once they have their new callsign, they can apply for their old callsign
    under the Vanity Callsign system, but there is a possibility that their
    former callsign will have since been re-assigned to another amateur radio operator, once the original license had lapsed (it had been more than 2
    years since its expiration).

    2) The valid time on a CSCE REMAINS at 365 calender days. The FCC
    DECLINED a proposal for "lifetime CSCE credit". If one receives a CSCE
    on July 1 in a non-leap year, that CSCE expires at 12 midnight local
    time on June 30 of the following year. If the CSCE is issued on July 1
    of a leap year, the CSCE expires at 12 midnight on June 29 of the
    following year. One does NOT need a CSCE to prove they took and passed
    a Morse Code Test...as the Morse Code requirement was ELIMINATED from
    the U.S. Amateur Radio License Requirements as of Feb. 23, 2007.

    3) The number of VE's required to proctor a session REMAINS at 3. The FCC
    noted that the ARRL, the W5YI-VEC, and a large number of commenters were AGAINST reducing the number from 3 to 2...because with 3 examiners, it "increases the rate of accuracy and integrity, and reduces the chances
    of fraud".

    4) Created the capability for "remote exam sessions", with at least
    one certified VE present, with the capability of monitoring, grading,
    and certifying the exams through the internet. This is especially true
    in remote locations, such as Alaska, Anarctica, etc. In these areas,
    examinees are lucky to have an exam session either twice a year, or
    even quarterly. The actual mechanics of the session "will vary from
    session to session, and from location to location"...noting that setting
    such could limit the flexibility of VE's and VEC's. However, the rule for "administering exams responsibility" is in force, whether for remote tests
    or not. With COVID-19, many groups are now doing "remote testing".

    (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 03:09:29 2022
    (CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS MESSAGE)

    Once accredited, the following tests may be administered:

    VE/Ham License Class: Amateur Radio Exam That May Be Given:

    Novice NONE -- not eligible to become a VE.

    Technician NONE -- not eligible to become a VE.

    General Technican Class Exam ONLY.

    Advanced Technician or General Class Exam ONLY.

    Amateur Extra ANY exam (Technician, General, or Amateur Extra).

    Note: It is REQUIRED that 3 VE's be at an exam session...preferably 4
    or more...in case the team has to test in one room, and grade in
    another...or if a VE has to step out of the room for a short time. It
    is also preferred that the MAJORITY of the team include a MINIMUM of
    3 Amateur Extra Class licensees. That way, all exams can be given, as
    noted below.

    On June 9, 2014, the FCC issued a "Report And Order" (R&O) in response to
    a previously issued Notice Of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM), which sought
    comments on revising the exam procedures. The following changes to exam sessions took effect on July 21, 2014:

    1) A holder of a General, Advanced, or Amateur Extra Class license which
    is EXPIRED MORE THAN 2 YEARS, can get back into the hobby, by passing
    Element 2 (the Technician Class exam) at a license exam session.

    The examinee will still have to provide proper identification (listed
    elsewhere in this bulletin/message thread), provide proof of the prior
    amateur radio license, provide their Social Social Security Number (if
    a Federal Registration Number is not on the expired license), and pay
    the appropriate test fee...and as of April 19, 2022...a $35 fee to the
    FCC.

    Upon passing the Technician Exam, they will be granted a Certificate Of Successful Completion Of Examination (CSCE) for the license they held,
    if it was a General or Extra Class license. However, Advanced Class
    licensees are DOWNGRADED to General, since those licenses are no longer
    issued. In any case, these licensees will be issued a NEW CALLSIGN about
    10 to 14 days after the exam session.

    Once they have their new callsign, they can apply for their old callsign
    under the Vanity Callsign system, but there is a possibility that their
    former callsign will have since been re-assigned to another amateur radio operator, once the original license had lapsed (it had been more than 2
    years since its expiration).

    2) The valid time on a CSCE REMAINS at 365 calender days. The FCC
    DECLINED a proposal for "lifetime CSCE credit". If one receives a CSCE
    on July 1 in a non-leap year, that CSCE expires at 12 midnight local
    time on June 30 of the following year. If the CSCE is issued on July 1
    of a leap year, the CSCE expires at 12 midnight on June 29 of the
    following year. One does NOT need a CSCE to prove they took and passed
    a Morse Code Test...as the Morse Code requirement was ELIMINATED from
    the U.S. Amateur Radio License Requirements as of Feb. 23, 2007.

    3) The number of VE's required to proctor a session REMAINS at 3. The FCC
    noted that the ARRL, the W5YI-VEC, and a large number of commenters were AGAINST reducing the number from 3 to 2...because with 3 examiners, it "increases the rate of accuracy and integrity, and reduces the chances
    of fraud".

    4) Created the capability for "remote exam sessions", with at least
    one certified VE present, with the capability of monitoring, grading,
    and certifying the exams through the internet. This is especially true
    in remote locations, such as Alaska, Anarctica, etc. In these areas,
    examinees are lucky to have an exam session either twice a year, or
    even quarterly. The actual mechanics of the session "will vary from
    session to session, and from location to location"...noting that setting
    such could limit the flexibility of VE's and VEC's. However, the rule for "administering exams responsibility" is in force, whether for remote tests
    or not. With COVID-19, many groups are now doing "remote testing".

    Preparing For An Exam:
    ======================

    Normally, you can't just "walk in off the street" to take a license exam without some preparation. You will be tested on the FCC Part 97 rules,
    as they relate to amateur radio, privileges per the appropriate license
    class, RF safety, propagation, "good amateur practice", various operating modes, electronic theory, formulas, and calculations; and this is the case
    for EACH license exam...Technician, General, and Amateur Extra.

    Each of these is in more detail, as you progress up the amateur radio
    license ladder...going from Technician, to General, to Amateur Extra.
    Passing the more difficult exams gets you more amateur radio privileges. Whether or not you stay with one license class, or upgrade, is totally
    up to you. After all, amateur radio is a HOBBY...although some would
    consider it an OBSESSION (grin!).

    Like it or not, studying is NOT fun. But, you can study with a local
    ham radio club study group, or do it on your own. The American Radio
    Relay League (ARRL) website (www.arrl.org) has links to classes. Choose
    your state (if it's not listed, then no classes are currently scheduled),
    and look for a group in your area. It's wise to check with the contact
    person to verify details, and check for any last minute changes.

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