The Anchorage Amateur Radio Club (Anchorage ARC) Volunteer Examiner Coordinator (VEC) achieved multiple milestones today, April 15, 2020 when it administered a series of remote license examinations. First, two examinees were administered examinations simultaneously with our remote testing platform. Second, we administered two examinations simultaneously to two examinees from separate testing venues. Third, we scored our first “Zero to Hero” examinee via remote testing (walk in with no license and walk out as an Extra).
The AARC VEC has been running the only fully operational remote examination program in the country for several years. But most recently we ramped up operations to help deal with the COVID-19 crisis. As nearly all group examination sessions have been suspended around the country by the various VECs (including the Anchorage ARC VEC), the Anchorage ARC VEC opened up the opportunity to take remote examinations to virtually anyone that suffered the shutdown of other testing opportunities. To date, the Anchorage ARC VEC has had test requests in 33 states!
Today’s first-ever multisite examination session involved one examinee in Massachusetts and one examinee in Texas. The six Volunteer Examiners (VEs) administering the session were located in Anchorage, AK (KL5T and KL7MM); Kill Devil Hills, NC (KN4EWI); Sealy, TX (W5AD), and Homer, AK (KL2T and AE7ES). There was a volunteer and vetted proctor at each test site. The session went off without a hitch with two new proud licensees when it was all said and done (one Technician and one General). We believe this testing session, that is, two separate examination sites simultaneously administered, to be a first for amateur radio examination administration.
Our new Extra Class amateur was happy to let us share his story for the day. Matthew Loschiavo of Houston, Texas was confident and had every intention of taking and passing all three examinations today. And sure enough, Matt sat down and plowed through his Technician, General, and Extra exams in one sitting (with no failures or reattempts) and walked out with an Extra class license. We had Matt’s callsign within a half hour of finishing the examination session. We welcome newly licensed Amateur Extra Class licensee, Matthew Loschiavo, AG5YR, to our ranks!
For those unable to take their amateur radio examination due to the COVID-19 crisis, you may submit your application for remote testing with the Anchorage ARC VEC at: https://kl7aa.org/vec/remote-testing/ [1]
73,
Kent Petty, KL5T
Anchorage ARC VEC
