arrl.net, (815) 753 6727.
Important: a new Element 3 (General) question pool becomes effective on July 1, 2011, and a new Element 2 (Technician) question pool came into effect on July 1, 2010. Make sure you use the right study materials!
DeKalb, IL area Volunteer Examiner team holds testing sessions on the third Tuesday of every odd-numbered month. Here are the upcoming dates:
March 20, 2012
May 15, 2012
July 17, 2012
September 18, 2012
The sessions start at 7:15 pm, at the Community of Christ Church, 1200 South Malta Road, DeKalb, IL 60115. For GPS users, the coordinates are 41.921 N, -88.777 W (decimal degrees). Here is a map, courtesy of Google.
We regret that we are unable to accomodate walk-ins starting
in May 2011. If you want to guarantee that the session will be held, you
need to e-mail or telephone us at least 2 days ahead of time.
This is particularly important when special accomodations are required.
Contact Eric Behr,
kc9duxarrl.net, (815) 753 6727.
We will be there until around 8 p.m. even if nobody shows up at 7:15. If you can't make it before 8, let us know ahead of time and the VEs will wait longer (within reason).
There are also testing sessions in even numbered months
in nearby Hampshire, IL. Contact Tom Rogers,
w9zsaol.com, for details.
The current FCC rules specify distinct "elements" of amateur radio licensing exams. By passing successive exams, or taking advantage of more arcane "grandfather" rules, you earn Certificates of Successful Completion of Examination (CSCEs) which document that you have credit for the various elements.
Element 1 used to be the 5 words per minute CW (Morse code) listening exam. As of February 23, 2007 it is no longer required for any class amateur license.
Element 2, the Technician exam, consists of 35 questions about the basics of amateur radio operation, safety, FCC rules, etc. You need to answer 26 questions correctly to pass. Element 2 credit by itself gives the licensee certain privileges on amateur VHF (and higher) bands, plus limited privileges on some HF bands. Note: due to Element 1 being dropped, current Technician licensees automatically gain the extended privileges of the "Technician Plus" license on February 23, 2007 without having to apply for a license upgrade.
Element 3, the General exam, also consists of 35 questions, of which 26 have to be answered correctly. It gives additional privileges on HF bands compared with the Technician class.
Element 4, the Extra exam, consists of 50 questions, some a bit more theoretical than on the other exams, and 37 of them must be answered correctly to pass. Extra licensees gain access to additional spectrum on the HF bands compared to General class amateurs.
Note: current Technician licensees who have passed Element 3 or Elements 3 and 4 in the past do not automatically gain the General or Extra class privileges because of the elimination of Element 1. They have to present unexpired CSCEs at a testing session and pay the fee to apply for a license upgrade.
There is nothing in the FCC rules that says in which order these exams must be taken. Theoretically one could start with Element 4, then 3 and then 2. But this is highly unusual, and won't get you on the air until you've passed them all... The norm is to take Element 2 (and get on the air!), then 3, then 4.
Two things to keep in mind. First, exams taken "out of order" give
you credit for that particular element only for a year. So if you
take Element 3 but wait with Element 2 too long, your Element 3
credit will be wasted.
Second, you can keep taking exams at a session for the single $14
fee as long as you keep passing. In fact, the Volunteer Examiners
will likely encourage you to take Element 3 if you passed your
Technician test, even if you didn't plan to go further. It won't
cost you anything, other than some extra time spent with us.
Most examiners will also let you immediately retake the exam you failed; however, this counts as a new "exam session" and will require another payment of $14.
You will need two forms of identification, one of them preferably with a photograph (a state-issued driver's license is best). You must satisfy the VEs that your identity is positively established.
You will need $14 to get anything processed. It can be paid by cash or a certified check/money order. For personal checks we will require a valid photo ID. We are unable to accept credit cards.
If you are a holder of a current license and you are planning to upgrade, you have to bring the original license or a photocopy, and whatever CSCEs you might have. E.g. if you are currently a Technician, and have already passed Element 4 (Extra), but still need to take Element 3, then you must bring the Element 4 CSCE so we can issue an Extra certificate if you pass.
If you are a holder of a current or expired license to which the "grandfather" rules apply, please familiarize yourself with the FCC regulations in Part 97, Section 505 concerning this (see link below), and bring appropriate documentation.
The document which must be filed with the the testing organization before your license can be issued is called "NCVEC Form 605". It is available from the NCVEC site in PDF format. You can print it out ahead of time and fill it out (Section 1 only). It will help us if you use distinctive yellowish-colored paper stock similar to the original for that one, but we'll take a white one too. Note that you should not bring the full Form 605 from the FCC to our session, only the abbreviated NCVEC version. Please write clearly or type when you fill it out.
The full FCC 605 form must be used if you are filing it directly with the FCC, without W5YI or other VEC as an intermediary, e.g. when you are applying for a club callsign or a name change.
The form requires you to provide your Social Security Number or the "FRN". If you'd rather not give out the SSN, go to the FCC FRN registration page (ignore the security certificate warning) and get the FRN number ahead of the testing session.
If you already have an FRN, then you must use it on form 605 instead of your SSN, or else the application may be rejected. If you've done any ham-related business with the FCC in the past 5 years or so, you most likely have an FRN. Look it up on the FCC licensing page or an ARRL one.
For a written exam (elements 2, 3, 4) you will be given a question booklet and a sheet for recording answers. You can use scratch paper provided by the VEs if you need it, and a basic calculator with its memory erased. The VEs will tell you, at their discretion, what is allowed and what isn't. Take as much time as you want (within reason) to answer all questions.
We hope you do well and that you will leave our session with a CSCE or two. Look at the links below for further help in preparing for the exams.
If you do not have a current license, and you pass an exam (or exams) which gives you operating privileges, you have to wait until the FCC issues a license and their online callsign database reflects that. You may then start operating within the privileges you earned immediately, without waiting for the paper license which will arrive in the mail some time later. We try to process all paperwork as soon as possible. The new licensees usually show up in the FCC database within a week or so of the testing session.
Those who earn an upgrade to their existing license can start using the higher privileges immediately while the paperwork is being processed, but then they must identify with a special temporary suffix added to their callsign, such as "stroke-AG" if you have just upgraded to the General class. See the FCC rules for details.
The Amateur Radio Relay League publishes tons of information on all ham-related subjects. In particular, look at their introduction to amateur radio, the current exam question "pools", printed and CD-based study materials, and the FCC regulatory information -- specifically Part 97 which directly governs the Amateur Radio Service.
Our exams are coordinated by the W5YI group, which provides much of the same information on their website, and also sells various printed and CD-ROM publications.
Don't forget your local Public Library! Many of them have some copies of introductory Amateur Radio books.
Also check out study guides by N5NA and by N5IUT (we do not endorse these in particular - they are included just as an example of what's available online).
Whether you use online practice exams, Web-based study guides, or printed handbooks published by the ARRL or others, make sure that they cover the current question pools. A new Technician pool went into effect in June 2006, a major revision of the General question pool became effective on July 1, 2007, and a new Extra question pool is in effect since July 1, 2008. Yet another Technician pool update becomes effective on July 1, 2010.
The eHam site is a good all-around source of information. In particular, they have online practice exams which use the actual question pools. If you nail four or five exams in a row online, you will most likely do well on the real test.
The webpage compiled by AC6V is also a goldmine of information. If you plan to learn Morse code, you should look at the relevant material on that page.
Good luck and 73. See you at the next session.