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HODARS is now offiering amateur radio VE testing. We are registered with the ARRL/VE testing program.
| Test Session Location | Test Session Time | Registration/Testing Fees |
| What to Bring to Session | Current Question Pools | Grandfather Credit |
| W4HOD Testing Dates | FCC Rules Element Credit | Practice Exams |
Test sessions are held at the W4HOD clubhouse. The clubhouse is located at 6401 Stage Road (Alabama Highway 14) in Loachapoka, Alabama. Loachapoka is located 7 miles west of Auburn on Alabama Highway 14. The location will be well marked.
Testing starts promptly at 6:00 PM CT. If possible, please arrive at 5:45 to complete paperwork.
Prior registration is required. This requirement insures enough VEs are available for the testing session and that we have necessary supplies on hand. Notification must be received by Sunday evening prior to the test session on Tuesday. You may use the web form on the Contact Us page or email the VE team for registration. W4HOD will consider accepting walk-ins for Technician class licenses in the future. If we decide to accept walk-ins, it will be posted here and the ARRL VE web site.
Test Fee
The ARRL VEC has set the test fee at $14.00 Test Fee for 2008. Retests of an element failed at the same test session will require payment of an additional test fee. You may pay with cash or check.
ARRL VE Testing Session Information
- A government issued photo ID. If no government photo ID is available, two forms of ID are required.
- Any original amateur licenses or CSCEs for which you wish to receive credit.
- A photocopy is also REQUIRED of each of the amateur licenses and/or CSCEs for which you wish to receive credit
- Test fee of $14 cash or check
- Optional - Calculator (non-programmable)
- W4HOD supplies plenty of sharp pencils, pens and scratch paper.
- Completed NCVEC Form 605. (W4HOD will have blank forms)
NOTES:
You can now fill out Section 1 of the NCVEC Quick Form 605 on your computer, print it out and bring it with you to the testing session. You will need Adobe Acrobat for this on your computer. W4HOD will have blank NCVEC 605 forms at the testing session.
If you ALREADY have a radio license, you must use your FRN number on the NCVEC 605 instead of your social security number.
Prior arrangements must be made in advance if special needs are to be accommodated. Please use the Contact Us web form or send an email the VE team.
The W4HOD VE team reserves the right to refuse testing for anyone who cannot provide the necessary documentation and/or verifiable identification posted above.
Current Exams and Question Pools
The three current question pools (and any exam designs based on these question pools) are valid as follows:
Technician class (Element 2) Pool is effective July 1, 2006 and is valid until June 30, 2010. NOTE: The Technician class question pool does not contain any diagrams or symbols.
General class (Element 3) Pool is effective July 1, 2007 and is valid until June 30, 2011. NOTE: The General class question pool contains one schematic diagram.
The CURRENT Extra Pool (Element 4) (effective July 1, 2002) will be valid until June 30, 2008. A new Extra class (Element 4) will be released December 1, 2007 and will become effective July 1, 2008.
The Question Pools can be viewed on the ARRL Web at http://www.arrl.org/arrlvec/pools.html .
Grandfather Credit
The following are means to verify the grandfather credit status of someone eligible for such credit under Section 97.505 of FCC Rules.
At VE test sessions it is the applicant (not the VEs or coordinating VEC) who is responsible for supplying the evidence of holding valid grandfather credit.
Valid Forms of Examination Element Credit
At a test session, the VEs will review all credit documents presented by applicants. FCC does not require the applicant to have been continuously licensed. Such valid credit documents may include:
* For any credit, a CSCE issued within the previous 365 days for Element Credit (credit as indicated) is acceptable.
* For General written test (Element 3) credit, persons who took a 50-question Technician/General written test before March 21, 1987 receive grandfather Technician licensees credit. This can be verified if an applicant presents any of the following:
- Per FCC Rules, an FCC Technician license issued before March 21, 1987, as indicated on the license.
- An original Element 3 CSCE issued before March 21, 1987, is acceptable as proof.
- If licensed in the mid-'70s or after, FCC will issue a License Verification Letter (see items 5 and 6) indicating that the applicant was licensed as a Technician licensee prior to March 21, 1987. To request such a letter, write to FCC, ATTN: Amateur Section, 1270 Fairfield Rd, Gettysburg, PA 17325 (or fax 717-338-2696).
- For 1966 or more recent records, an FCC Records Contractor extract/certification from FCC Fiche Records can be obtained. There is a charge for this service. For assistance in acquiring copies of FCC documents, please contact "Best Copy & Printing, Inc" (BCPI) at: Telephone 202-488-5300; TTY 202-488-5562; Fax 202-488-5563; E-mail requests, help & orders: fcc@bcpiweb.com or via the web at http://www.bcpiweb.com/new_services/fcc.html
- A 1987 Edition, or earlier, Radio Amateur Callbook listing is acceptable as proof (be sure to include the year of publication reference, if not printed on the page) so long as the license class is shown in the listing (only Callbooks Fall 1967 or later show license class).
- QRZ.COM has posted a copy from their archives of their very first CD ROM product on their web page, as originally published in 1993. This data includes licensees from 1983 to 1993. A printout of such a listing from this CD ROM, showing a Technician license effective/begin date prior to 3/21/87 is acceptable.
The FCC Rule reads:
(a) The administering VEs must give credit as specified below to an examinee holding any of the following license grants or license documents:
(1) An unexpired (or expired but within the grace period for renewal) FCC-granted Advanced Class operator license grant: Elements 2 and 3.
(2) An unexpired (or expired but within the grace period for renewal) FCC-granted General Class operator license grant: Elements 2 and 3.
(3) An unexpired (or expired but within the grace period for renewal) FCC-granted Technician or Technician Plus Class operator (including a Technician Class operator license granted before February 14, 1991) license grant: Element 2.
(4) An expired FCC-issued Technician Class operator license document granted before March 21, 1987; Element 3.
(5) A CSCE: Each element the CSCE indicates the examinee passed within the previous 365 days.
(b) No examination credit, except as herein provided, shall be allowed on the basis of holding or having held any other license grant or document.
Since you have internet access, you can also take practice exams on the following web sites. They really help.
QRZ's Practice Amateur Radio Exams
| April 8 | May 13 |
| June 10 | July 8 |
| August 12 | September 9 |