Online amateur radio license testing in U.S.

[ghoward02]

The cellphone "tour" was temporary but I was required to have a front-facing webcam going the entire time. I took the test on a laptop so other than the usual unflattering angle and exposure settings there was nothing extra needed. I also made sure my back was to the only door in the room so they could see if anyone entered, but that wasn't required. They did say in the pre-exam paperwork that you're expected to keep your focus on the screen during the test.

Yes I did need to show a government ID via webcam, that's still an ARRL requirement being enforced. I'll forewarn that holding an ID still and close enough to ready through a cruddy laptop webcam is an art in itself.

 

[needairtime]

That's something I'm very worried about too: poor webcams and zoom's compression algorithms...

Also I actually did need to use a calculator to answer one of my Element 4 questions when I took it on paper (no, I didn't memorize every single answer...) - Is an on-screen calculator provided?

 

[ghoward02]

I was given the choice of loading the Windows calculator before the test started, scrap paper or a physical calculator were not allowed. Since Technician doesn't go past basic electrical calculations and a few wavelength questions I chose not to use it.

 

[needairtime]

Wow, yeah that will be a clear difference in requirements from in-person examination and on-line. I don't think I needed scratch paper but that was one thing you could use the back of one of the sheets as such if needed. The calculator I needed to get one answer right, either I needed to do the long division (scratch paper...) or the calculator. But even wavelength questions I likely would have used a calculator as I couldn't memorize the numbers. Incidentally when was studying, none of the Element 2 or Element 3 questions really required a calculator, the numbers and answers were far enough apart that if you knew what to calculate and knew some arithmetic tricks, you could rule out 3 of the 4 answers.

I also don't do Windows, luckily I don't need to be an examinee anymore, but this would have been an issue for me. Hmm.

I'll need to look into this further, and talk to the local ARRL-VEC liaison to see what his plans are.

Anyway congratulations on passing! Hopefully ARRL-VEC doesn't take the 10-odd days it took for me between getting my CSCE and when I finally got entered into the FCC database - mostly due to the snail mail latency. Made me think I should have tried to go with Laurel, get into the FCC database the next day, and not have to shell out test fees, either...

(Now, when you're ready to get your General license...)

 

[needairtime]

Speaking of licensing, I noticed there seems to be a whole bunch of new license grants (at least according to HRO)... what's going on here?

Locally, testing has completely stopped as far as I know.

 

[AK9R]

The FCC is still operating.

My guesses: Renewals are still being processed. Vanity callsign system is still working. VECs that had a backlog of Form 610s are entering them into the FCC's system.

 

[sloop]

Colleges and universities have been doing on line testing for some time. After you have registered for a class you are issued a number, and then you can access the test site. Once you access the test it is timed and you must complete it in a certain amount of time or the test site shuts down....then you are finished. People that need more time must go to a testing center to take the test with a proctor. The concept is not a bad one if done properly, but considering the extent of the VEC program, I don't think it is needed except in a few special cases. I am skeptical that considering the ARRL's past history in legislating new programs that they will be able to get on line testing with any degree of credibility.

 

[ghoward02]

License showed up in the ULS around 11am EST today. Not bad considering I took the test Wednesday night and received my CSCE at 1am on Friday. Already filed a vanity application since my suffix is a mouth mush if not NATO'd.

 

[AK9R]

FYI:

Fully-Remote Amateur Radio License Exam Administration

Contributing Authors: Marcel Stieber AI6MS, Sterling Mann N0SSC, Nick Booth N1CCK, Lucky225 WA6VPS, Richard Bateman KD7BBC Note 4/23/2020: Thanks for the overwhelming response! A few points before we move onto the press release: Can my VE team get involved doing …

blog.hamstudy.org

 

[needairtime]

Backlog is the only thing that makes sense but it's been a month since most things shut down. I just was a bit confused by a group of sequential call signs.

 

[needairtime]

Well, I heard over the local repeater that there was one local person who got remote tested from another site (forgot where, think it was Washington State perhaps) -- this sort of caught a couple of the local frequent VEs off guard. Also based on his systemically assigned call sign, zone 10 is about to turn over the second character from KE0ZZZ to KF0AAA perhaps during the pandemic ...

But anyway, how many of these test sessions are actually occurring? Any other people hearing new people coming on to their repeaters recently?

 

[ladn]

The Greater Los Angeles Amateur Radio Group VEC (GLAARG VEC | Greater Los Angeles Amateur Radio Group VEC) is doing some remote testing:

GLAARG Exams

Remotely Administered Exam Sessions

GLAARG has authorized a limited number of VE Teams to conduct remote exams. See this page for more info: Remote Exams {Remote Exam FAQs}. For more info, email us: info@glaarg.org

 

[rapidcharger]

And then there's this

FCC is crystal clear: Remote ham radio licensing exams are absolutely permitted

<span style="font-size: 14pt;">In the wake of the Coronavirus pandemic, amateur radio VECs in the US have been</span> <span style="font-size: 14pt;">experimenting

qrznow.com

 

[k6cpo]

I suspect that when all this coronavirus crap is over with, we'll go back to testting the way it was and the demand for online tests will diminish. I can't see people wanting to go through all the rigamarole with clean rooms, cell phone scans and dual cameras when they can take a short drive to an in-person test session, sit down, show their ID, pay their money (if required,) take the exam and get their results immediately.

I would like to see the online option remain for those that can't, for one reason or another, take an exam in person.

 

[needairtime]

Yep, well now there are technologies that weren't available in the past, though I don't think it's completely solved. The identity of the person taking the exam is the toughest part of any remote (and sometimes even in-person) session. Specifically, we don't want people taking the exam for someone else. The real-time video conferencing that's now available to almost anyone helps a lot.

Other than getting someone else to take the exam for someone, I'd think "cheat sheet" or other "lifeline" cheating is only secondary. If someone is having trouble with the exam and want to cheat, they'd need some time to look up the answers and this can be somewhat detected. And if it's only one or two questions that somehow slips through remote monitoring, oh well. Perhaps the passing point needs to be upped a bit higher (like from 75% to 80%) to compensate for cheat slips

Still does not help out the throughput of exams. Spending three VE's time for one person is extremely time inefficient. Instead of burning a few hours at an in-person test session and getting 20 people through, now it all needs to be done serially, and would take several days to get that many people through. I doubt the demand for remote testing will shrink, but rather the patience of the VEs will shrink as people continue to want to get licensed.

Also as an aside, I'm curious about the age of the typical person wanting to get tested through video conference. It would seem that this somewhat exclude the less techno-savvy, especially the elderly who would benefit from staying away from possible contact from virus sources?

 

[AK9R]

New England Amateur Radio Inc. Authorized to Administer Fully Online Video-Supervised Volunteer Exams – Eastern Massachusetts ARRL

ema.arrl.org

 

[n5ims]

A local W5YI Communicating VE has been authorized to do remote testing sessions and despite a few glitches early on has completed over 50 successful sessions during his first week. His biggest issue is that for every test completed he has 5 more folks requesting a session. He expects that he will increase the number of sessions this week now that those glitches have been resolved. I would post a link to his sign-up page but until he's a bit more caught up he's asked for no additional publicity.

 

[needairtime]

I sure hope they don't burn out. Are the session times as bad as the other experiences have been (50 sessions, at least an hour per session or so, that's worse than a typical work week!), and how have the "authentication" (proof they are who they say they are) is going with bad cameras, etc.? And after that much staring at the screen, hope they're not slipping on ensuring the test isn't compromised...

The local ARRL VE regular team is just sitting on their hands right now. Just waiting for passdown from ARRL-VEC I hear.

I wonder how I can prod them to get authorization to do "remote" local testing, but it sounds like they're waiting for things to get back to normal...

BTW, how about VEs wanting to learn about how they do things, in hopes additional VEs can get up to speed and set up their own sessions? I have my ARRL-VE badge, but I suspect remote teams need to authenticate VEs too, though if I'm just watching and not signing CSCEs - as long as I don't give inadvertent cheats to the candidate, it shouldn't matter too much if observers aren't actually VEs?

 

[Hit_Factor]

I sure hope they don't burn out.

Me too.

The whole testing system needs an overhaul. It's far to tedious. In my opinion, it should be proctored online testing. One VE could quickly verify ID, then watch a roomful of people taking the test online.

 

[AK9R]

I wonder how I can prod them to get authorization to do "remote" local testing, but it sounds like they're waiting for things to get back to normal.

The last email I received from the ARRL-VEC was on April 13. It said that a few ARRL VE teams had successfully conducted online exams. The email goes on to say that the ARRL VEC is still looking at procedures for online exams. If your local ARRL VE team wants to conduct online exams, they should contact Maria Somma AB1FM who is the ARRL VEC manager.

Or, your VE team could contact the W5YI-VEC to become accredited with them and get up to speed with the W5YI-VEC online exam procedure.

Or, your VE team can decide to do nothing. It's up to them.