ARRL - US Volunteer Examiner Group instructions

US-Volunteer Examiner Group
for Amateur Radio License Testing

WELCOME TO THE PRIVACY ORIENTED AND TRUSTED EXAMINATION PROCESS NOW AVAILABLE FOR AMATEUR RADIO LICENSING!

Tom (N4FWD) and the US Volunteer Examiner (VE) Group, administer completely online video-supervised testing in a friendly positive environment. Our process employs strict rules and protocols for maintaining integrity of the testing environment while respecting your privacy. Following these instructions closely will ensure that your test will be efficient and successful.

To respect your privacy, we will not gather private information. Instead, your volunteer examiner team will:

Verify that you are who you say you are.
Verify that your testing environment is appropriate to insure the integrity of your exam
Verify that you pass your exam with full integrity
Upon you passing your exam, we digitally certify that you passed your exam
Most importantly, the only personal information is the information which you provided during registration for the FCC to issue you a callsign or upgrade your license.

If you have not registered for an exam, do not pay a session fee!

Exam Session Fee Payment: Use the PayPal link below and promptly pay your $15 exam fee. **Payment must be received WITH your registration. In the PayPal notes field, please enter your (or the applicant's) name so payment is applied to correct applicant.

PayPal.me/N4FWD

***If you register without paying the session fee, your test position in the session will be cancelled***

You will receive an email with Zoom meeting information and embedded link approximately 10-20 minutes before your exam. You do not have to wait once you get the emailed Zoom invite.

Please be courteous and let me know if you will not be at your scheduled exam. If you cannot make the scheduled exam session, your session fee will be refunded minus any transfer fees incurred from PayPal.

Hamstudy.org will give you a current list of sessions. Look for a testing session with seating still available.

The length of time for your exam session can be as little as 10 minutes. Some sessions can take longer if technology issues arise or your preparation is not sufficient.

If exam applicant is under the age of 13, additional documentation is required. Please download and complete this COPPA form, and email it to [email protected]. Please COPY the same email to [email protected]. This procedure is necessary for complying with the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act.

If an exam applicant is under the age of 18, the parent of the applicant will need to be present with the applicant. The VE team will give instructions at the time of the exam. Also, the parent should read the information concerning the ARRL Youth Licensing Grant Program.

❏ PHOTO ID: Your photo ID must be shown to your VE Team. A Military ID or Home Land Security ID are not acceptable due to government security requirements. Other than those IDs, the VE Team will accept a driver’s license, passport or Student ID shown on camera. Under-18 students may display a school ID or report card with a legal guardian presenting a photo ID.
❏ Federal Registration Number (FRN): This must be submitted on the exam application.

Notice: An existing FRN which starts with '213' instead of '00' is an organizational 'limited' FRN and is not eligible for getting an Amateur Radio license grant. You need to apply for an individual FRN at the CORES website.
Current license holders have an FRN. Amateur Radio licenses issued since 2010 have your FRN printed on your license. New applicants need to get their FRN from CORES. The instructions are available here: Getting Started Guide.
Social Security numbers are never accepted. You must have a FRN.
❏ Exam Application: When registering for an exam, a NCVEC 605 application is generated. Once your exam is successful, you will view and digitally sign this document. Your registration also generates a 4-digit PIN code which will identifies you at your test session.
❏ License Upgrading: The rules for upgrading your current license have changed. A PDF of your license needs to be submitted only if it has expired prior to the taking of your exam. A CSCE PDF is still required if you have not been issued a new or updated license. REMINDER: Your CSCE must be dated within the last year.

If you have applied for a vanity callsign, please advise by email to [email protected]. Put your current callsign and exam date in the subject line. In the body of the email, please list callsigns which you have applied for. This is necessary in the case where your callsign changes between the time when you register and the time when you take your exam. (upgrades only).

Prior to your online exam date, please email a copy of your previous CSCE PDF or official license PDF to [email protected]. Put your current callsign and exam date in the subject line.

If you passed your Technician license exam and have a paper CSCE, please wait until the FCC issues your new license. Exam Tools will find the new / upgraded license when you register for a session.
❏ For upgrading your current license, your name on the registration must exactly match the name on your FCC license. Name changes requires your separate documentation to be submitted to the FCC.
❏ Prepare your computer and cell phone camera: Your VE Team will ensure the integrity of the testing system. Be sure your computer and phone can handle the following:

***Note: You may optionally use a computer calculator application on your screen during the exam***

Two video devices are required for the exam. A typical set up can be a laptop computer and a cell phone.
You must have a computer with a webcam, microphone, and speakers. Occasionally, another video device may be needed if technology issues prevent your computer from being used. MacOS requires that you unlock a security and privacy setting giving Zoom permission to share before your screen can be shared.
Your computer and phone must be connected with reliable service. Interrupted internet service can void your exam session.
To expedite your session, you're asked to download and test-run Zoom on computer and phone well in advance of your test session. You will receive your Zoom meeting invitation by email just prior to your exam. Watch for your email invitation minutes before your test!
On your computer, Terminate/Close non-essential applications or extra browser tabs. These include but are not limited to: Mail, Chat, Alerts, Bluetooth Devices, Virtual Screens, Team Viewer, Steam, Remote Desktops, Discord, or Messaging. Only your web browser, Zoom, and calculator may be active. Your VE team may ask to view the “Show Hidden Icons” caret on your taskbar to see other running applications in your System Tray.
Verify your computer and phone are plugged in or fully charged.
No Virtual Backgrounds or blurring may be applied on your Zoom video feed.
You are allowed only one screen or monitor on the computer. Remove/Cover/Unplug any additional monitors within your view, or take both video devices into a different room.

❏ Prepare your exam room: The VE Team must protect the integrity of the test environment. Be sure you can take the exam uninterrupted.

Clear your room of all non-exam materials, notes, books, posters, computer screens, or items that might aid you during testing.
Clear your exam table and floor of ALL items within reach or view that would raise suspicion, such as papers,sticky notes, electronic items, headphones, baseball cap or items unnecessary for your exam. Please remove any wearable technology, Google glasses, Smart Watches, etc.
Inform other family members to not enter the room during the exam. Normally, no additional people are allowed in the exam room. If an applicant is under 18 years old, an adult is required to be present with the applicant. The adult must situate themself behind the applicant at a distance where they cannot touch the applicant but still able to observe the exam process. The adult must be visible in one of the two zoom video devices (or both).
Have a fully charged cell phone ready to link to the same Zoom meeting. This device might be used to scan your test environment at the request of your VE team. Following the 360 degree view, place the device nearby to observe you and the keyboard during the exam.
Ensure phone audio is off and computer speaker audio is on.
Your examination team may end your exam immediately for non-compliance.

❏ Concerning pets in your exam room: In general, well behaved pets in your exam room are not an issue. For a pet which insist on having your attention - we recommend that you place them outside of your exam room as you are required to concentrate on taking your exam.

❏ Your responsibility as the examinee: It is your responsibility to be fully prepared. The time of three or more volunteers have been reserved for you. Use an online practice site to practice all topics. Try to take 8 or more randomly selected practice exams. Make sure you are consistently scoring well above the passing grade before you schedule an exam. Some recommended sites:

–– ARRL Exam Review for Ham Radio™, a free site from the national group that you may want to join and use for referencing a wealth of information.
–– HamStudy.org, a free site with lots of tips. Use the Study Mode instead of the Practice Test Mode. It has an inexpensive companion phone app you can use on the go.

A Couple of Points about the ONLINE Exams:

❏ Exam Sessions: If an exam element is failed and you wish to re-test, another $15 exam session fee will be asked of you. Typically, you will reenter our queue in the Online Waiting Room and then retest once others have completed their exams.
❏ Certificate of Successful Completion of Exam (CSCE): When an exam element is passed, your VE team will email you your CSCE. (typically a few minutes after the exam) Consider this your Diploma, or Receipt for your exam. Retain this document for your records. The signed CSCE document is the only officially accepted proof that you have passed the exam.
❏ Protocol for Online Exams:

Test must be completed without any interruptions that would raise suspicion about the integrity of the your testing environment.
You agree to keep attention on your computer screen at all times. Eyes may not wander to other parts of the room. You may not leave the view of your webcam during the exam session nor mute your audio.
You agree to use a single-screen computer or laptop. No other screens may to be attached or near your computer.
You may not have visitors in the room.
You will use your cell phone camera connected to Zoom to scan the entire room and exam area to show that there are no materials or people that could aid in taking the exam.
You will place your cell phone per the exam team's instructions. (typically to display the keyboard and your hands)
You may load a calculator application on your device. Stand-alone handheld calculators are not permissible.
You may use blank scrap paper, and a writing utensil. If scrap paper is used, please display both sides of the paper to your test team prior to the start of the exam.
You must agree to share your entire screen with the VE team, not just the browser.
If your VE team suspects a possibility of cheating, your exam will be terminated, your exam fee forfeited and your privilege’s of online testing will end system-wide.

With successful passing of your exam, your VE team will explain how to use your new privileges.
Your examination is now complete. Congratulations and thank you for testing with the US Volunteer Examiner Group! Remember to come back and test again for your next upgrade. We look forward to hearing you on the air soon!