KI4CFS

What we know about Amateur Radio Exam Testing On-line so far.
Contributors Martin Brossman, KI4CFS –  Mike Wills, WX0MIK – Paul Gerads, KE0VWZ – Randy Hill, KO4CWC 

The primary interest offering ham radio testing available to people at home and online is for those that are isolated, disabled veterans that may not have mobility or people with other challenges and disabilities where someone could not help take them to a testing location.  We’re still a big advocate that the in-person way to take your exam is at a physical testing location with VC’s overseeing the testing because it’s a great experience and a way to meet some of your local ham radio community. With the coronavirus crisis and the requirement for people to isolate at home this is brought more attention to the idea of online testing.

If online testing is made available the first priority is going to be to guarantee the same Integrity that exists with an in-person testing location. Where are you need to have no open books, the right type of calculator that can be cleared, and there is not a way to be able to cheat. There are a lot of variables to consider and not to just implement the easiest possible way which is clearly what ARRL and other VEC having to take into account.  

Our goal here is to provide you with links to learn about the latest facts related to online testing. If you are interested I invite you to make sure you’re an ARRL member and then communicate in a constructive way that this is something you’d like to see happen and offer to volunteer if any help is needed.  

A number of things that need to be considered

• The examiners are all volunteers – VE (which limits some of the resources you may have in a profit-driven business0 
• We need to make sure they are not cheating which is much easier to do if they are sitting in front of us.
• How to get the 3  volunteer examiners – VE to be able to verify the test results 
• That the FCC see that we had dotted all our “I”. 

Martin’s KI4CFS views on this topic  Offering Ham Radio testing remotely during the Coronavirus crisis

Resources we have so far:

For updates on remote testing, in general, see https://wiki.wx0mik.net/doku.php/licensing/us/onlinetesting

The link we were pointed to when we contacted the ARRL “To All ARRL Members and ARRL VEC Accredited Volunteer Examiners”

http://www.arrl.org/read-a-message-for-members-and-volunteer-examiners

The 1st place that did the testing is Alaska because of the remoteness of people in their state.  ANCHORAGE AMATEUR RADIO CLUB – https://kl7aa.org/remote-testing-expanded/

“USA conducts first all-online ham radio exam”
https://qrznow.com/usa-conducts-first-all-online-ham-radio-exam/

Youtube videos

ARRL On Ham Radio Testing, License renewals & Field Day and COVID-19

Part-2 Ham Radio Test Online! – First Recorded Technician License Completion
https://youtu.be/bF_KSe-Hyl8 

Part-2 Ham Radio Test Online! Follow-Ups and Progress Reports – HamStudy.org

Join our Facebook group, “Learning and passing the ham radio exam”  https://www.facebook.com/groups/LearningHamRadio/ 

Contributors to this article online resources:

• Support Ham Radio Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/ki4cfs
• Learning and Passing the Ham Radio Exams Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/LearningHamRadio/
• If you are into Ham Radio in North Carolina then join us in the Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/NCHamRadioOperators/
• Youtube – KI4CFS – Ham Radio – Martin Brossman https://www.youtube.com/c/KI4CFSHamRadioMartinBrossman

If you know of any resources that we need to include please post them in the comments.