This month we visit the Department of Redundancy Department with a test about...tests! How much do you know (or remember) about your ham license exam and the processes involved? We have ways to make you talk!

1. How many VE's must be present to administer an exam?
a. None, exams aren't administered in Canada!
b. 1
c. 2
d. 3

2. What is the passing percentage for FCC amateur exams?
a. 50 percent
b. 75 percent
c. 80 percent
d. About 50-50 from what I've seen

3. Which of the following was sufficient to pass the Element 1 Morse Code exam?
a. 25 consecutive characters copied
b. Begging and pleading for mercy
c. A written essay describing the text sent during the exam
d. A what?

4. What is the document the test administrator provides that shows you've passed your exam?
a. FCC Form 605
b. OET Bulletin 65
c. CSCE
d. An ARRL Radiogram to your mom

5. Which of the following are needed to access your personal license information from the FCC Universal Licensing System?
a. URL
b. FRS
c. FRN
d. CORES

6. After passing your General class exam, what do you append to your call sign when calling CQ on 20 meter phone?
a. Stroke KT
b. Stroke AG
c. Upgrade
d. Yippee!

7. How long should it take between passing your first exam and getting your call sign?
a. The VE team will assign you a new one on the spot
b. As soon as the VEC receives the exam report
c. No more than a couple of weeks
d. "Why, back when I took the test, the FCC was so slow that some of us NEVER got our call signs!"

8. The set of questions from which exams are constructed is called the__________.
a. Test booklet
b. Instrument of torture
c. Test generator
d. Question pool

9. You must be _________ to administer an amateur exam session.
a. 21 years of age
b. An accredited Volunteer Examiner
c. This tall
d. An Amateur Extra class licensee

10. Which reference contains the current rules and regulations for the Amateur Radio Service?
a. FCC Wireless Telecommunications Bureau Operations Policy Manual
b. Article 25 of the International Radio Regulations
c. Riley Hollingsworth's Little Black Book
d. Part 97 of the FCC Regulations

Bonus Question -- At the test session, 90 percent of the more than two dozen candidates passed their Technician exam. Of those, 66 percent passed and went on to the General. Of those, 66 percent went on to take the Extra, but 25 percent failed. If the test room could only hold 35 candidates (not including the examiners), how many total candidates were there?

Answers

1. D -- more may be present, but three is the minimum
2. B
3. A -- B was not unusual, but remained insufficient
4. C
5. C
6. B -- although D is frequently added
7. C
8. D -- although B is common
9. B
10. D

Bonus Answer -- The solution is courtesy of Zack, W1VT. N is the total number of test takers. The number of successful Extra candidates must be an integer and is equal to N × 9/10 × 2/3 × 2/3 × 3/4 = N × 3/10. N must less than 35, greater than 24 and divisible by 10, so the answer is 30 candidates, leaving 9 successful Extras.