Contents
Contents for Subpart F
97.501 Qualifying for an amateur operator license.
97.503 Element standards.
97.505 Element credit.
97.507 Preparing an examination.
97.509 Administering VE requirements.
97.511 Examinee conduct.
97.513 [Removed and Reserved]
97.515 [Reserved]
97.517 [Reserved]
97.519 Coordinating examination sessions.
97.521 VEC qualifications.
97.523 Question pools.
97.525 Accrediting VEs.
97.527 Reimbursement for expenses.
Subpart F--Qualifying Examinations Systems
Each applicant for the grant of a new amateur operator license or for
the grant of a modified license to show a higher operator class, must pass
or otherwise receive credit for the examination elements specified for the
class of operator license sought:
(a) Amateur Extra Class operator: Elements 1(C) , 2, 3(A) , 3(B) , 4(A)
and 4(B);
(b) Advanced Class operator: Elements 1(B) or 1(C) , 2, 3(A) , 3(B) and
4(A);
(c) General Class operator: Elements 1(B) or 1(C) , 2, 3(A) and 3(B);
(d) Technician Plus Class operator: Elements 1(A) or 1(B) or 1(C), 2,
and 3(A).
(e) Technician Class operator: Elements 2 and 3(A).
(f) Novice class operator: Elements 1(A) or 1(B) or 1(C), and 2.
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(a) A telegraphy examination must be sufficient to prove that the
examinee has the ability to send correctly by hand and to receive correctly
by ear texts in the international Morse code at not less than the
prescribed speed, using all the letters of the alphabet, numerals 0-9,
period, comma, question mark, slant mark and prosigns AR, BT and SK.
- (1) Element 1(A): 5 words per minute;
- (2) Element 1(B): 13 words per minute;
- (3) Element 1(C): 20 words per minute.
(b) A written examination must be such as to prove that the examinee
possesses the operational and technical qualifications required to perform
properly the duties of an amateur service licensee. Each written
examination must be comprised of a question set as follows:
- (1) Element 2: 30 questions concerning the privileges of a Novice
Class operator license. The minimum passing score is 22 questions answered
correctly.
- (2) Element 3(A): 25 questions concerning the additional privileges of
a Technician Class operator license. The minimum passing score is 19
questions answered correctly.
- (3) Element 3(B): 25 questions concerning the additional privileges of
a General Class operator license. The minimum passing score is 19
questions answered correctly.
- (4) Element 4(A): 50 questions concerning the additional privileges of
an Advanced Class operator license. The minimum passing score is 37
questions answered correctly.
- (5) Element 4(B): 40 questions concerning the additional privileges of
an Amateur Extra Class operator license. The minimum passing score is 30
questions answered correctly.
(c) The topics and number of questions required in each question set are
listed below for the appropriate examination element:
Topics Element:
2 3(A) 3(B) 4(A) 4(B)
(1) FCC Rules for the amateur radio services 10 5 4 6 8
(2) Amateur station operating procedures 2 3 3 1 4
(3) Radio wave propagation characteristics of
amateur service frequency bands 1 3 3 2 2
(4) Amateur radio practices 4 4 5 4 4
(5) Electrical principles as applied to amateur
station equipment 4 2 2 10 6
(6) Amateur station equipment circuit
components 2 2 1 6 4
(7) Practical circuits employed in amateur
station equipment 2 1 1 10 4
(8) Signals and emissions transmitted by
amateur stations 2 2 2 6 4
(9) Amateur station antennas and feed lines 3 3 4 5 4
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(a) The administering VEs must give credit as specified below to an
examinee holding any of the following documents:
- (1) An unexpired (or expired but within the grace period for renewal)
FCC-granted Advanced Class operator license document: Elements 1(B), 2,
3(A), 3(B), and 4(A).
- (2) An unexpired (or expired but within the grace period for renewal)
FCC-granted General Class operator license document: Elements 1(B), 2,
3(A), and 3(B).
- (3) An unexpired (or expired but within the grace period for renewal)
FCC-granted Technician Plus Class operator (including a Technician Class
operator license granted before February 14, 1991) license document:
Elements 1(A), 2, and 3(A).
- (4) An unexpired (or expired but within the grace period for renewal)
FCC-granted Technician Class operator license document: Elements 2 and
3(A).
- (5) An unexpired (or expired but within the grace period for renewal)
FCC-granted Novice Class operator license document: Elements 1(A) and 2.
- (6) A CSCE: Each element the CSCE indicates the examinee passed within
the previous 365 days.
- (7) An unexpired (or expired for less than 5 years) FCC-issued
commercial radiotelegraph operator license document or permit: Element
1(C).
- (8) An expired or unexpired FCC-issued Technician Class operator
license document granted before March 21 1987: Element 3(B).
- (9) An expired or unexpired FCC-issued Technician Class license
document granted before February 14, 1991: Element 1(A).
- (10) An unexpired (or expired but within the grace period for
renewal), FCC-granted Novice, Technician Plus (including a Technician Class
operator license granted before February 14, 1991), General, or Advanced
Class operator license document, and a FCC Form 610 containing:
- (i) A physician's certification stating that because the person is
an individual with a severe handicap, the duration of which will extend for
more than 365 days beyond the date of the certification, the person is
unable to pass a 13 or 20 words per minute telegraphy examination; and
- (ii) A release signed by the person permitting the disclosure to the
FCC of medical information pertaining to the person's handicap: Element
1(C).
(b) No examination credit, except as herein provided, shall be allowed
on the basis of holding or having held any other license grant or document.
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(a) Each telegraphy message and each written question set administered
to an examinee must be prepared by a VE who has been granted an Amateur
Extra Class operator license. A telegraphy message or written question set,
however, may also be prepared for the following elements by a VE who has
been granted an FCC operator license of the class indicated:
- (1) Element 3(B): Advanced Class operator.
- (2) Elements 1(A) and 3(A): Advanced or General Class operator.
- (3) Element 2: Advanced, General, Technician, or Technician Plus Class
operator.
(b) Each question set administered to an examinee must utilize questions
taken from the applicable question pool.
(c) Each telegraphy message and each written question set administered
to an examinee for an amateur operator license must be prepared, or
obtained from a supplier, by the administering VEs according to
instructions from the coordinating VEC.
(d) A telegraphy examination must consist of a message sent in the
international Morse code at no less than the prescribed speed for a minimum
of 5 minutes. The message must contain each required telegraphy character
at least once. No message known to the examinee may be administered in a
telegraphy examination. Each 5 letters of the alphabet must be counted as
1 word. Each numeral, punctuation mark and prosign must be counted as 2
letters of the alphabet.
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(a) Each examination for an amateur operator license must be administered by 3 administering
VEs at an examination session coordinated by a VEC. Before the session, the administering VEs must
make a public announcement stating the location and time of the session. The number of examinees
at the session may be limited.
(b) Each administering VE must:
- (1) Be accredited by the coordinating VEC;
- (2) Be at least 18 years of age;
- (3) Be a person who has been granted an FCC amateur operator license
document of the class specified below:
- (i) Amateur Extra, Advanced, or General Class in order to administer
a Novice, Technician, or Technician Plus Class operator license
examination;
- (ii) Amateur Extra Class in order to administer a General, Advanced,
or Amateur Extra Class operator license examination.
- (4) Not be a person whose grant of an amateur station license or
amateur operator license has ever been revoked or suspended.
- (5) Deleted! See Editorial Note
(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.
(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.
(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.
(f) No examination that has been compromised shall be administered to
any examinee. Neither the same telegraphy message nor the same question set
may be re-administered to the same examinee.
(g) Passing a telegraphy receiving examination is adequate proof of an
examinee's ability to both send and receive telegraphy. The administering
VEs, however, may also include a sending segment in a telegraphy
examination.
(h) Upon completion of each examination element, the administering VEs
must immediately grade the examinee's answers. The administering VEs are
responsible for determining the correctness of the examinee's answers.
(i) When the examinee is credited for all examination elements required
for the operator license sought, the administering VEs must certify on the
examinee's application document that the applicant is qualified for the
license.
(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.
(k) The administering VEs must accommodate an examinee whose physical
disabilities require a special examination procedure. The administering VEs
may require a physician's certification indicating the nature of the
disability before determining which, if any, special procedures must be
used.
(l) The administering VEs must issue a CSCE to an examinee who scores a
passing grade on an examination element.
(m) Within 10 days of the administration of a successful examination for
an amateur operator license, the administering VEs must submit the
application document to the coordinating VEC.
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Each examinee must comply with the instructions given by the
administering VEs.
97.513 [Removed and Reserved]
97.515 [Reserved]
97.517 [Reserved]
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(a) A VEC must coordinate the efforts of VEs in preparing and
administering examinations.
(b) At the completion of each examination session, the coordinating VEC
must collect the FCC Forms 610 documents and test results from the
administering VEs. Within 10 days of collecting the FCC Forms 610
documents, the coordinating VEC must screen and, for qualified examinees,
forward electronically or on diskette the data contained on the FCC Forms
610 documents, or forward the FCC Form 610 documents to: FCC, 1270
Fairfield Road, Gettysburg, PA 17325-7245. When the data is forwarded
electronically, the coordinating VEC must retain the FCC Forms 610
documents for at least fifteen months and make them available to the FCC
upon request.
(c) Each VEC must make any examination records available to the FCC, upon
request.
(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 instance 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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No organization may serve as a VEC unless it has entered into a written
agreement with the FCC. The VEC must abide by the terms of the agreement.
In order to be eligible to be a VEC, the entity must:
(a) Be an organization that exists for the purpose of furthering the
amateur service;
(b) Be capable of serving as a VEC in at least the VEC region (see
Appendix 2) proposed;
(c) Agree to coordinate examinations for any class of amateur operator
license;
(d) Agree to assure that, for any examination, every examinee qualified
under these rules is registered without regard to race, sex, religion,
national origin or membership (or lack thereof) in any amateur service
organization;
(e) Deleted! See Editorial Note
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All VECs must cooperate in maintaining one question pool for each
written examination element. Each question pool must contain at least 10
times the number of questions required for a single examination. Each
question pool must be published and made available to the public prior to
its use for making a question set. Each question on each VEC question pool
must be prepared by a VE holding the required FCC-issued operator license.
See 97.507(a) of this Part.
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(a) No VEC may accredit a person as a VE if:
- (1) The person does not meet minimum VE statutory qualifications or
minimum qualifications as prescribed by this Part;
- (2) The FCC does not accept the voluntary and uncompensated services
of the person;
- (3) The VEC determines that the person is not competent to perform the
VE functions; or
- (4) The VEC determines that questions of the person's integrity or
honesty could compromise the examinations.
(b) Each VEC must seek a broad representation of amateur operators to be
VEs. No VEC may discriminate in accrediting VEs on the basis of race, sex,
religion or national origin; nor on the basis of membership (or lack thereof)
in an amateur service organization; nor on the basis of the person accepting
or declining to accept reimbursement.
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(a) 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.
(b) The maximum amount of reimbursement from any one examinee for any
one examination at a particular session regardless of the number of
examination elements taken must not exceed that announced by the FCC in a
Public Notice. (The basis for the maximum fee is $4.00 for 1984, adjusted
annually each January 1 thereafter for changes in the Department of Labor
Consumer Price Index.)
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