The minimum number of required VEs is the same regardless of which amateur radio license exam is being administered. You always need 3 qualified Volunteer Examiners.

When administering a General or Amateur Extra exam the VEs must be Extra Class operators as well as being VEs. A General class operator that is a VE can assist in administering Technician license exams.

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The questions (and answers) that are used on all US amateur license exams are maintained by the National Conference of Volunteer Examiner Coordinators. This conference is made up of members of the various VECs around the country.

You can find the question pools in their raw form on the NCVEC website. This is where websites such as HamStudy.org get the question pools.

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One important distinction to understand is the difference between a VEC and a VE. A VEC is an organization that has an agreement with the FCC to coordinate amateur radio operator exams, whereas a VE is a Volunteer Examiner, which is a ham radio operator who has been certified by a VEC to give exams in conjunction with that VEC.

VEC is an often-misused term -- it does not refer to the people who administered the exam, only to the FCC-approved organization (w5yi-vec, arrl, laurel, glaarg, etc) which coordinates exam teams.

You can find a full list of all of the VECs on the FCC website.

Hint: Both the question and the only the correct answer have a form of the word "coordinate" - KN4OJN

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This question is in regards to the process itself, NOT the individual applying for a VE. After applying, the VEC will then confirm that the applicant is qualified to be a VE.

This is the process of accreditation.

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There are three exam elements in the Amateur Radio service, elements 2, 3, and 4. The reason for the numbering is that until Feb 2007 there was an Element 1 which was a morse code test.

• Element 2: There are 35 questions on the Technician class license exam with a minimum passing score of 26 questions answered correctly. \(\frac{26}{35} ~= 0.742..\) or \(74\%\)

• Element 3: There are 35 questions on the General class license exam with a minimum passing score of 26 questions answered correctly. \(\frac{26}{35} ~= 0.743\) or \(74\%\)

• Element 4: There are 50 questions on the Extra class license exam with a minimum passing score of 37 questions answered correctly. \(\frac{26}{35} ~= 0.74\) or \(74\%\)

\[\frac{26} {35} = 74.3\%\] \[\frac{37} {50} = 74.0\%\]

Memory aid: If you get less than 74% you get a "73" from your exam.

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Part 97.509 Administering VE (Volunteer Examiner) requirements (C):

"Each administering VE must be present and observing the examinee throughout the entire examination. The administering VEs are responsible for the proper conduct and necessary supervision of each examination. The administering VEs must immediately terminate the examination upon failure of the examinee to comply with their instructions."

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Part 97.509 Administering VE requirements (C):

"Each administering VE must be present and observing the examinee throughout the entire examination. The administering VEs are responsible for the proper conduct and necessary supervision of each examination. The administering VEs must immediately terminate the examination upon failure of the examinee to comply with their instructions."

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Part 97.509 Administering VE requirements (D):

"No VE may administer an examination to his or her spouse, children, grandchildren, stepchildren, parents, grandparents, stepparents, brothers, sisters, stepbrothers, stepsisters, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, and in-laws."

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Part 97.509 Administering VE requirements (E):

"No VE may administer or certify any examination by fraudulent means or for monetary or other consideration including reimbursement in any amount in excess of that permitted. Violation of this provision may result in the revocation of the grant of the VE's amateur station license and the suspension of the grant of the VE's amateur operator license."

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Part 97.509 Administering VE requirements (M):

"After the administration of a successful examination for an amateur operator license, the administering VEs must submit the application document to the coordinating VEC according to the coordinating VEC's instructions."

Note that grading happens on-site during the exam session. This eliminates two of the distractors. The FCC doesn't have anything to do with the exams—which eliminates the third distractor.

Silly Mnemonic: VEs don't collect anything after the exam, eliminating 3 choices. They only submit application documents, the last remaining, and correct, choice.

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The key here is understanding the role of the VE team in the process. VE's work as a team to certify that the testing process and test results are valid.

The VEC organization is responsible for communicating with the FCC and the FCC is responsible for issuing new or upgraded licenses, not the VE team.

Part 97.509 Administering VE requirements (I):

"When the examinee is credited for all examination elements required for the operator license sought, 3 VEs must certify that the examinee is qualified for the license grant and that the VEs have complied with these administering VE requirements. The certifying VEs are jointly and individually accountable for the proper administration of each examination element reported. The certifying VEs may delegate to other qualified VEs their authority, but not their accountability, to administer individual elements of an examination."

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Part 97.509 Administering VE requirements (J):

"When the examinee does not score a passing grade on an examination element, the administering VEs must return the application document to the examinee and inform the examinee of the grade."

In other words, they don’t have to record anywhere that we failed the exam.

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Part 97.519 Coordinating examination sessions (D):

"The FCC may:

(1) Administer any examination element itself;

(2) Readminister any examination element previously administered by VEs, either itself or under the supervision of a VEC or VEs designated by the FCC; or

(3) Cancel the operator/primary station license of any licensee who fails to appear for readministration of an examination when directed by the FCC, or who does not successfully complete any required element that is readministered. In an instancce of such cancellation, the person will be granted an operator/primary station license consistent with completed examination elements that have not been invalidated by not appearing for, or by failing, the examination upon readministration."

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Part 97.527 Reimbursement for expenses:

"VEs and VECs may be reimbursed by examinees for out-of-pocket expenses incurred in preparing, processing, administering, or coordinating an examination for an amateur operator license."

Silly Hint: PPAC, PrePaid Accounting Costs associated. (P)rep(P)rocessing(A)dministering(C)oordinating

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