Join the Aurora ARG VE Program
Important notice for new Volunteer Examiners . . .
As of Saturday, July 23rd, 2022 the Aurora ARG VE Program is ***ONLY*** accepting new applications to join our program from those who physically reside in the United States or it's territories and are willing to meet the following conditions:
a.) Participate in two sessions per month to remain active in the program;
b.) Be flexible in your service, as our schedule changes periodically;
c.) Must have a reliable, high speed internet connection (minimum 25 Mbps down, 3 Mbps up - a speedtest will be required if you're on DSL or Satellite);
d.) Must have a reliable desktop or laptop PC/Mac and a good webcam for communications; and
e.) Must be capable of using Zoom and learning how to use our in-house exam platform as a part of your service.
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d.) Not be a person whose grant of an amateur station license or amateur operator license has ever been revoked or suspended.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. Apply to serve as a Volunteer Examiner with the Aurora ARG VE Program.
Below is a link that will take you to our electronic application for service as a Volunteer Examiner It is a Google Form. It will open up in a separate tab. Some of the sections are long, which simply means you will have to scroll a bit while completing the form. Make sure the arrow on your mouse is over the form itself while scrolling to ensure you see each section to its entirety. As you are completing the form, each section MUST be carefully filled out, otherwise the entire application may be rejected. There are two items you must submit to us with your VE Program application. They are as follows:
a.) A signed Official Copy of your amateur radio license, and
b.) Front side of your valid, government issued photo identification.
ATTENTION! You will be prompted to upload the above mentioned items while completing our application to join our VE Program using a secure link that is only accessed by the Chairman. Once the application is received, we will begin to process the application and schedule an interview.
Click HERE to apply for service in the Aurora ARG VE Program.
Step 2. 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. Should a decision not be given after the interview is complete, you will receive a decision in writing within five days from the Chairman.
Step 3. 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. Upon being approved for service and receiving our VE Handbook, you have 10 days to take your VE examination. Should you not take the VE examination within the 10 day window, your application will be dismissed and no further consideration will be given to serve in our program. 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 4. On-boarding into the Aurora ARG VE Program.
Applicants who successfully pass the open book VE examination will then be asked to complete the W4VEC VE Application. That application is available in PDF format by clicking HERE. Once your application to the W4VEC VEC has been completed and verified, you will be fully 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 5. 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.