Become A Volunteer Examiner!
If you received (or upgraded) your amateur radio license after 1984, fellow hams gave the license test that you took. These volunteer examiners (VEs) have been an essential part of ham radio for over 30 years. The Delaware Valley Radio Association has its own team of VEs that has been regularly running amateur radio licensing exam session for the public since 1985. Why not join the DVRA VE team and give a little back to our hobby?
You are eligible to be a VE if:
- You are 18 years of age or older; and
- Never have had your amateur station or operator licenses suspended or revoked; and
- You hold a valid General, Advanced or Extra Class license (Note: refer to Special Note About License Class below)
Becoming a VE is not hard at all. To become a VE you will need to:
- Read the ARRL Volunteer Examiner Manual electronically, or borrow a hardcopy from the DVRA shack
- Take an open book 40 question review
- Submit an application form and your 40 question review to the ARRL
Full details on becoming a VE is available on the Become an ARRL VE page
Once accredited as a VE, you will receive a personalized and colorful laminated badge to wear at VE testing sessions. Membership in the DVRA, though encouraged, it not a requirement to be part of our VE team.
Details about the DVRA VE License Testing Sessions
- License testing sessions are held six times a year on the second Saturday of the odd number months (January, March, May, July, September, and November)
- The examination begins promptly at 10AM (registration at 9:45AM) at Our Lady of Good Counsel Church, 137 West Upper Ferry Road, Ewing, NJ. (Remember to use West Upper Ferry Road when programming your GPS). Click here for driving directions.
- Testing session are usually finished by noon
- Your role as a VE includes:
- Verifying test taker’s identification and license documents
- Assisting in proctoring the tests being taken to insure things run smoothly
- Grading the tests
- Signing the necessary paperwork for the testing session
- The week before a testing session, the DVRA examination coordinator will contact you to see if you are able to assist with the upcoming testing session. There is no obligation to assist with a testing session. We understand that everyone’s schedule is different. If you are not available when asked for a specific testing date, we will simply keep you on the list for next time.
- These licensing examination session are open to the public
- The DVRA also assists with a Technician licensing testing session given to students at the College of New Jersey in Ewing, NJ. This testing session is given on a weekday afternoon in the fall (usually in October). Details for these sessions are set 4-6 weeks prior to this testing.
Special Note About License Class
Depending on your license class, you will be able to administer certain license exams:
- General class licensees: Technician exams only
- Advanced class licensees: Technician and General exams only
- Extra class licensees: Technician, General, and Extra exams
Each testing session requires, at a minimum, three volunteer examiners. As the DVRA license testing sessions are open to the public, we need to be able to administer Extra Class exams. Consequently, we require three Extra Class VEs for all of our Saturday testing sessions.
Still, we encourage General and Advanced class hams to consider becoming a VE. Your help would certainly be welcome for the Technician testing session at the College of New Jersey in the fall. You are also welcome to help at our Saturday testing sessions. When you do, you can still be one of the examiners of record for the Technician level exams given.
To join the DVRA VE team, or if you have any added questions
Please complete the brief form below and our Training and Examinations Director will contact you with next steps.
