The Volunteer Examiner program started in the early 1980s, and has been a boon for amateur radio. Exam sessions are now more accessible than when tests were given by the FCC, meaning that it is much easier to obtain an amateur radio license, and that more people can now enjoy our hobby.
Volunteer Examiner Coordinators (VECs) are the organizations that have entered into an agreement with the FCC to coordinate amateur operator license examinations. There are currently 14 VECs in the U.S. Part 97 assigns VECs the task of maintaining the question pools used for U.S. amateur license examinations. VECs also accredit individual Volunteer Examiners (VEs). That is to say that they confirm that a VE applicant meets FCC requirements to serve as an examiner.
QUESTION: What is a Volunteer Examiner Coordinator? (E1E03)
ANSWER: An organization that has entered into an agreement with the FCC to coordinate, prepare, and administer amateur operator license examinations
QUESTION: Which of the following best describes the Volunteer Examiner accreditation process? (E1E04)
ANSWER: The procedure by which a VEC confirms that the VE applicant meets FCC requirements to serve as an examiner
QUESTION: Who does Part 97 task with maintaining the pools of questions for all U.S. amateur license examinations? (E1E02)
ANSWER: The VECs
As the name implies, volunteer examiners (VEs) are volunteers. They may not accept any payment for administering tests, but Part 97 rules state that VEs (and VECs) may be reimbursed for some out-of-pocket expenses, such as preparing, processing, administering and coordinating amateur radio license examinations.
QUESTION: For which types of out-of-pocket expenses do the Part 97 rules state that VEs and VECs may be reimbursed? (E1E01)
ANSWER: Preparing, processing, administering, and coordinating an examination for an amateur radio operator license
The rules and procedures for administering the tests are written so that everything is on the up and up. For example, each administering VE is responsible for the proper conduct and necessary supervision during an amateur operator license examination session. Having three VEs present at a test session, and making them all responsible for how they conduct the test session, leaves very little room for cheating.
VEs are not to show any favoritism. To minimize the chance of this happening, the FCC rules list relatives to whom a VE may not administer an examination. The penalty for a VE who fraudulently administers or certifies an examination can be revocation of the VE’s amateur station license grant and the suspension of the VE’s amateur operator license grant.
Before administering a test, the VEs instruct the candidates of the rules. For example, the candidates are not allowed to consult any books during the test. They may use a calculator, but only if they can demonstrate to a VE that all of the calculator’s memories have been cleared. If a candidate fails to comply with the examiner’s instructions during an amateur operator license examination, a VE must immediately terminate the candidate’s examination.
QUESTION: Who is responsible for the proper conduct and necessary supervision during an amateur operator license examination session? (E1E06)
ANSWER: Each administering VE
QUESTION: To which of the following examinees may a VE not administer an examination? (E1E08)
ANSWER: Relatives of the VE as listed in the FCC rules
QUESTION: What may be the penalty for a VE who fraudulently administers or certifies an examination? (E1E09)
ANSWER: Revocation of the VE’s amateur station license grant and the suspension of the VE’s amateur operator license grant
QUESTION: What should a VE do if a candidate fails to comply with the examiner’s instructions during an amateur operator license examination? (E1E07)
ANSWER: Immediately terminate the candidate’s examination
After the test, three VEs must correct each test sheet. This minimizes the chance for making a scoring mistake. To pass the test, an examinee must achieve a minimum passing score of 74%. If an examinee scores a passing grade on all examination elements needed for an upgrade or new license, the three VEs must certify that the examinee is qualified for the license grant and that they have complied with the administering VE requirements.
After someone has successfully completed an examination for an amateur operator license, the VEs must submit the application document to the coordinating VEC according to the coordinating VEC instructions. If the examinee does not pass the exam, however, the VE team must return the application document to the examinee.
QUESTION: What is the minimum passing score on all amateur operator license examinations? (E1E05)
ANSWER: Minimum passing score of 74%
QUESTION: What must the VE team do if an examinee scores a passing grade on all examination elements needed for an upgrade or new license? (E1E11)
ANSWER: Three VEs must certify that the examinee is qualified for the license grant and that they have complied with the administering VE requirements
QUESTION: What must the administering VEs do after the administration of a successful examination for an amateur operator license? (E1E10)
ANSWER: They must submit the application document to the coordinating VEC according to the coordinating VEC instructions
QUESTION: What must the VE team do with the application form if the examinee does not pass the exam? (E1E12)
ANSWER: Return the application document to the examinee
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