It used to take a bit of work to pass the code and the theory for this top license class. Now people are passing it on the first take (including me). If it really meant anything, shouldn't it be hard enough to require the average ham at least 2 or 3 tries. Or maybe do it like the Master Electrician's license, you have to be a lower class licensee for 5 years before being allowed to take the test.
I don’t think any of the current three tests are “too easy” with regards to the information contained, however I do think the multiple choice format with published question pools containing the exact wording and invariable answers are too easy to memorize. This leads to people studying and answering by rote instead of actually learning some of the information. I am not sure what the right answer is, but a format that actually requires the examinee to demonstrate an understanding of the principals behind the questions, instead of just an ability to memorize the correct answers, would be better in my opinion.
Another problem is the now fairly frequently encountered situation of a person who studies for all three test, learns the answers by rote, passes the exams with flying colors, and a few days later has a license to the highest possible power levels, every mode, and every band, but no idea how to apply this. Once I literally had to explain to a newly minted, one session, Extra why he was not really able to hear anything on 20 meters with his new VX7. He heard signals and such but everything was really weak and he could not understand anything that was being said. But he knew the radio was OK, because he could hear and talk on FRS frequencies just fine with it. DOH!
In the “old” days, when I was first licensed, to make Extra you had to hold a lower class license that allowed voice on HF (meaning no Novice or Tech, only Conditional, General, or Advanced counted) for 2 years before you could take the Extra exam. At that time you also had to keep a log of all communications (this applied to all class licenses), and if I remember right you had to show activity in the log before you could test for Extra. This meant that essentially no Extra ever got his ticket who did not have time on the air, gaining experience. Later the time requirement was reduced to one year, and eventually went away altogether. Today, since logs are no longer required, I am not sure a time requirement would do as much good, however it might reduce the number of clueless first day Extras out there.
Again, back in the day, you did not find as many people getting on the air for the first time with any license who had so little understanding of what ham radio was about or how to do it. You seldom found people testing at any level without having had regular and consistent contact with an Elmer or someone talking with / explaining ham radio to them. Not to beat the CW gong (I am not saying CW should be a requirement today) but when you did have to learn CW it took time, and almost always interaction with someone else, very often someone instructing you. With few exceptions a person did not just go out and get a study guide, read it for two weeks, and walk in and take and pass the written test and CW proficiency. The very few who could pick up 5 WPM that easily almost always had to spend time on the air practicing to make 13 WPM, even more so 20 WPM. This tended to build understanding of practices and principals as you advanced.
Then again, maybe it is just a societal thing today. I know before I started studying for Novice I had already learned Morse Code in the Cub Scouts. When I was building proficiency and code speed towards higher licenses I could do so with friends in the club shack at school. I guess Facebook and Twitter does not build that kind of social interaction…but you get to know what everyone had for breakfast.
Now….all’o you kids get off the lawn!
T!