Becoming a Volunteer Examiner
Updated: February 25, 2024
If you would like to become a Volunteer Examiner (VE) with the Anchorage ARC VEC, either as a “remote” VE only, or as part of an in-person VE team, here is how to go about becoming accredited.
Requirements
If you meet the following list of requirements, then you can submit an application to become a VE:
- You must be at least 18 years of age;
- You must hold a valid FCC-issued Amateur Radio license of General, Advanced, or Extra class;
- Your license must have never been revoked or suspended for cause;
- If you intend to be part of our Remote VE team, you’ll need to have a suitable computer with camera, microphone, and internet bandwidth to particpate in “remote” exam sessions.
- If you intend to be part of an existing in-person VE team, you MUST be sponsored and approved by the Lead VE from an established team you will be serving with prior to applying (i.e. sponsorship) which means the existing team must be established and approved by the Anchorage ARC VEC Chairman
- You must provide a copy of a current Government-issued photo ID (U.S. Federal, state, tribal, territorial, etc., OR an International Passport (written in English). Send to vec@kl7aa.org.
- You must provide a photo (head shot) suitable for a VE identification badge. Send to vec@kl7aa.org.
- You must provide a signed copy of your current FCC official amateur radio license. Send to vec@kl7aa.org.
- You must agree to abide by the policies and procedures set forth by the Anchorage ARC VEC
Testing privileges by license class
- EXTRA class license holders can give tests for everything (Elements 2, 3, and 4)
- ADVANCED class licensees can give tests for Technician and General class only (Elements 2 and 3)
- GENERAL class licensees can give tests for Technician class only (Element 2)
- TECHNICIAN, NOVICE, and CONDITIONAL class licensees are NOT permitted to be Volunteer Examiners with the Anchorage ARC VEC
- Note: As of April 15, 2000, no new tests are being administered for ADVANCED or NOVICE class licenses. Individuals holding such licenses may renew them as long as they wish. Also, testing for Morse Code is no longer required, although we are offering exams. Please click HERE for more information on Morse Code testing offered by the Anchorage ARC VEC.
Applying to become a Volunteer Examiner
You apply to become a volunteer examiner by entering some personal data, such as your name, amateur radio call sign, mailing address, name of your sponsoring team (if applicable) and contact information on an application form. You must certify that certain statements on the form are correct and that you agree with the terms and conditions detailed on the application form. You must also provide us a copy of your identification and a signed copy of your official amateur license (as described above in the “Requirements” section).
If you are applying as a new Lead VE, you must provide information as to how and when you intend to put together a complete team of at least 3 VEs. Click HERE to learn more.
The application for becoming a Volunteer Examiner is available ONLY as a web form. Use the web form provided in the link below to apply to become a VE with the Anchorage ARC VEC. Be sure to read the form and agree to the conditions it contains before submitting it. If you do not agree with these conditions, we cannot accept your application.
Once you have submitted your application, it will be reviewed by the Anchorage ARC VEC Chairman to confirm you are indeed eligible to become a VE. When we approve your application, we will send you a link to take the 30-question, open-book online examination (passing score is 85%). The examination is based on questions derived from our Volunteer Examiner Guide and Part 97.
The examination is intended to make sure new volunteer examiners are familiar with the basic requirements and procedures of the volunteer examiner program. The examination must be completed in a timely manner, otherwise, your application will be discarded. A score of 85% is required to pass. Any missed questions on a “passed” examination will be reviewed with the applicant prior to being accredited. If an applicant “fails” the online examination, the questions missed will NOT be reviewed with the applicant. The reason for this is that a failed exam suggests that all materials need to be thoroughly reviewed.
Maintaining your accreditation with the Anchorage ARC VEC (i.e. “The fine print”)
To maintain your status as an active volunteer examiner in our program, you are required to participate in at least one examination session every 12 months. Alternatively, if you are unable to participate in an examination session for more than 12 months, you will simply need to retake the open-book examination. This will help ensure that our VE cadre is current and qualified to administer examinations.
All VEs will be asked to provide updated contact information on a periodic basis. Typically, this will be requested via e-mail. It is imperative that VEs respond to this request. If they fail to do so, they risk being disacredited from our program.