About Your Exam

 

Provided to you by Amateur Radio Station N7HKK

           

The Amateur Radio testing programs, are coordinated and managed by a VEC, which stands for Volunteer Exam Coordinator. There are currently 14 VEC organizations recognized by the FCC to administer amateur exams in the United States. The VEC's themselves,  accredit their Volunteer Examiner's, known as VE's. The VE test team must be composed of at least THREE accredited VE's, and they themselves are licensed and active amateur radio operators. The examinations are composed of the questions from the appropriate license class question pools that are maintained by the NCVEC Question Pool Committee.

 

 An amateur General Class licensee who is an accredited VE, may administer elements 1 and 2, an Advanced Class licensee who is an accredited VE may administer elements 1, 2, and 3, and an amateur Extra Class who is an accredited VE may administer all elements 1 through 4. Some VE teams however, will restrict the use of any VE less than Extra class, so that all elements may be administered at any test session. However, don't be alarmed if you are going to a test session to test for Technician for example, and a General Class VE administers your test element. It is OK, remember an accredited General Class VE can administer both elements 1 and 2! The VE's by signing a CSCE are putting their very own license on the line, so they are very careful to be sure that all FCC regulations are complied with. If they have been properly trained, they know (or should know) what elements they can and cannot administer. To become a VE with the ARRL/VEC, you must pass a review of questions that ensure that you, the examinee are served courteously, efficiently, and with regard to all current FCC rules and regulations governing amateur radio examinations.

 

Below is a table of the exam elements you must pass for each license class;

q     Technician: Element 2 (no morse-code)

q     General: Elements 1,2,3

q     Amateur Extra: Elements 1,2,3,4

 

Your test will consist of the multiple-choice question quantities as shown by this table…

 

Element Key

Element 1, Morse Code

Element 2, Technician

Element 3, General

Element 4,  Amateur Extra

Questions

10

35

35

50

Minimum Right

7

26

26

37

Maximum Wrong

3

9

9

13

 

For "non-handicapped" individuals, the morse-code test consists of listening to a one-minute morse-code practice message, to allow you to adapt to the particular tone. Then you will listen to a five-minute "typical message". You will then be asked 10 multiple-choice questions about the message you have just listened to. You must correctly answer 7 out of the 10 questions to achieve a "pass". Alternately, if you should miss more than 3 questions, the VE Team can also issue a "passing grade" if they can find one-minute of solid copy, which is 25 consecutive characters of copy. For handicapped individuals, special arrangements can be made with your VE team to accommodate your test session. Please be sure to contact your VE team prior to testing so they can be ready to meet your particular needs. This same rule applies to your written elements. Your VE team can usually find a way to accommodate any special needs, so that the tests can be administered fairly to all applicants, handicapped as well!

 

Additionally, you may be given "element credit" for a license previously held. In some cases, this may pre-qualify you for a license upgrade. If you've held a license previously and it isn't active, be sure to bring the original license with you and mention it to the VE team. They will verify what element credits you are eligible for. To obtain these credits, you must go to a regularly scheduled VE Test Session. The test fee below will also apply, as some of the same paperwork must be completed and submitted, just as for an examination. To find out what credits you might be eligible for, click this link to go to the element credit table.

 

By using the following link to the ARRL (American Radio Relay League) exam location page, you can find a test date and location that can accommodate your schedule! Click this link to find an exam session near you

 

Test Fee and What To Bring

The test fee for 2005 as set by the FCC is $14.00.  If you are already licensed and are going for an "upgrade", you will need to take along the original of your current license and a copy. Everyone, be sure to bring the exact fee (most VE Teams aren't set up to make change, (if it's an ARRL/VEC session, they will take a check payable to: "ARRL/VEC"),) any original CSCE's you plan to use for credits and a copy, and a photo-id such as your drivers license. If you do not have a photo-id (a student etc.), you can bring along a school report card, or mail that is addressed to you, your social-security card, anything that can be used to identify YOU. Also everyone, know your SSN because it has to be put on the application form for your test. This is also known as your TIN, or Taxpayer Information Number.

 

You are licensed:                                                         Not licensed:

1: The $14.00 Fee                                                          1: The $14.00 Fee                                             

2: Original License                                                         2: Original CSCE's you plan to present for credit

3: Copy of your License                                                  3: A Copy of those CSCE's

4: Original CSCE's you plan to present for credit               4: A photo-ID (student ID, letter etc. if no photo-id)

5: A Copy of those CSCE's                                             5: Remember your SSN/TIN

6: A photo-ID (student ID, letter etc. if no photo-id)

7: Remember your SSN/TIN

 

If you have any questions, contact the VE Team Liason listed on the information you've found for your test session. If you have any trouble finding the information, you can e-mail me at: n7hkk@arrl.net and I will try to give you some direction (I am proud to be an ARRL/VEC VE).

 

If you don't pass your examination, you may re-take the exam at any time, there is no mandatory waiting limit. You may even choose to re-take it the same day at the same exam session. If you wish to, it's up to the VE team to decide if there is enough time to re-take the exam. If you do, you must pay another test fee of $14.00. Your examination will be a different test number than the one you've previously taken. The VE's cannot tell you which questions you've missed if you failed, only your score.

 

 

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Downloads

Click the correct link below to download the NCVEC Form 605 in PDF format. Once you have clicked on the link it will open Adobe Acrobat Reader if it is installed on your computer. Use your back button to return to my page, or click on the frame to the left. If you need to download the latest Acrobat Reader, click the link below. Once you enter the Cnet Download page scroll to the bottom and enter "adobe acrobat reader" in the search field, pick the version you want and follow their directions.

 

Download Adobe Acrobat Reader            NCVEC Form 605 PDF Format

 

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