Join the Aurora ARG VE Program
We have a revised process for bringing new Volunteer Examiners into our program that is effective Saturday, February 26th, 2022. Please read this page very carefully.
Important notice for new Volunteer Examiners . . .
As of Thursday, April 7th, 2022 the Aurora ARG VE Program is ***ONLY*** accepting new applications to join our program from those who physically reside in the following locations:
a.) anyone living in the Mountain Time Zone;
b.) anyone living in the Pacific Time Zone;
c.) anyone living in Alaska, American Samoa, Guam, Hawaii or the Northern Mariana Islands.
We are looking for applicants who are in the aforementioned areas as part of our long term plan to add more sessions that meet the needs for examinees living on the west coast and Pacific. Any applications that have been submitted for service as a remote VE prior to this date will be processed normally.
FCC requirements to serve as a Volunteer Examiner
To become an accredited Volunteer Examiner, you must meet some very basic requirements as prescribed in Part 97 of the Commission's Rules. They are as follows:
a.) Be accredited by the coordinating VEC;
b.) Be at least 18 years of age;
c.) Be a person who holds an amateur operator license of the class specified below:
i.) Amateur Extra, Advanced or General Class in order to administer a Technician Class operator license examination;
ii.) Amateur Extra or Advanced Class in order to administer a General Class operator license examination;
iii.) Amateur Extra Class in order to administer an Amateur Extra Class operator license examination.
d.) Not be a person whose grant of an amateur station license or amateur operator license has ever been revoked or suspended.
Application Process . . .
Step 1. Become accredited with the ARRL VEC.
If you are already accredited as a Volunteer Examiner with the ARRL VEC, please proceed to Step 2!
You must first obtain accreditation as a VE from the ARRL VEC, if you are not already accredited with them. If you are not accredited with the ARRL VEC, you must first complete their application and open-book exam. You can obtain the fillable PDF documents below and a link to Part 97 that pertains to the VEC system:
VE Application & Open-Book Exam
ARRL VE Manual
Part 97, Subpart F - Qualifying Examination Systems
Once you have completed the open-book exam and VE application, please send it to us directly via email as a PDF attachment to ve(at)aarg.club. We will review it for completeness and go over any missed questions as necessary. Once the application and open-book exam are in good order, we will ask you to email the application directly to the ARRL VEC for processing. In your email to them, indicate you are wanting to serve as a Volunteer Examiner for remote testing with the Aurora Amateur Radio Group. We are no longer sending applications to the ARRL VEC on behalf of applicants. That is now your responsibility. Please allow up to three weeks from date of receipt to become accredited.
Step 2. Apply to serve as a Volunteer Examiner with the Aurora ARG VE Program.
Upon becoming accredited as a Volunteer Examiner, or if you're already accredited with the ARRL VEC, you will need to begin the process of applying to join our program. Below is a link that will open up a PDF application to join our VE Program. You are asked to fill it out completely and follow all instructions in the document. There are two things you must have included with your application to join us. They are as follows:
a.) Proof of VE accreditation from the ARRL VEC (if they send an email that says you are now accredited, print the email and attach it with the application);
b.) A signed Official Copy of your amateur radio license, and
c.) Your completed VE application for our program. The application is below:
d.) You will need to complete the VE application above for our program and carefully follow the instructions printed in the form. Once it is received, we will begin to process the application and schedule an interview.
Step 3. Interview with the VE Program Chairman for suitability.
An interview with the Aurora ARG VE Program Chairman will be scheduled within 7 to 10 days after receiving your VE application. That interview can be done over telephone or Zoom. You are asked to allocate 30 minutes of your time for this interview. During that interview, a decision is likely to be made about your application.
Step 4. Receive VE Handbook and take our VE examination.
If your application is approved by the Chairman, you will receive a current copy of our Volunteer Examiner Handbook by email. Once you receive the document, please read through it carefully. It will be your responsibility to notify the Chairman when you are ready to take our open book examination. After you have read the VE Handbook and indicated readiness to take your exam, an email with a link and instructions will be sent. You are encouraged to complete the exam as soon as practical. To pass, you must score at least 80% or higher. Should you not pass your first attempt, we will give you one more try on the VE exam. If you are not successful after a second attempt, you will not be allowed to try again for 30 days. Regardless of the final result, we will cover any missed questions and provide further clarification to ensure success.
Step 5. On-boarding into the Aurora ARG VE Program.
Successful applicants who have passed their VE examination will then be on-boarded into the Aurora ARG VE Program. As part of that process, you will be sent a VE Agreement form that must be signed. Upon receipt of that signed VE Agreement, we will set you up with login credentials to our exam platform called HamExamGen. You will need to test the credentials and let us know if you were able to access the platform. From there, you will be required to setup your availability within HamExamGen by clicking on a link that reads "VE Availability" on the left navigation panel once you have logged into the platform.
Step 6. Initial VE training and orientation.
As a new VE in our program, the first four sessions you attend will be spent as an observer. You will be given training on our processes, procedures and the exam platform itself. Should the Lead VE who is administering any training give the Chairman a negative report on your progress, your training could extend beyond the four minimum sessions until we are certain everything will go smoothly. Once you have completed your VE training, you will be given the opportunity to serve as an administering and certifying VE for any session going forward.
Still have more questions?
Should the information on this page not answer your questions, please feel free to reach the VE Program directly by telephone between 9:00am and 1:00pm Alaska Time Monday through Friday at (907) 331-6458, option 5. Alternatively, you may reach us by email at ve(at)aarg.club.