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VE Testing


A red and blue circle with white text Description automatically generatedHam Radio Exams

Hall County ARES Ham Radio Exams

The Hall County ARES Volunteer Examiner (VE) Team conducts in-person, electronic, Amateur Radio exams for all classes of license administered by the W5YI-VEC group.  We are located in Hall County, Georgia.

  • Preregistration is RECOMMENDED
  • Walk-in’s are welcome (during the first 30 minutes)

NOTE: Our exam team only conducts electronic exams using HamStudy and ExamTools at our exam sessions.  Please review the below instructions thoroughly before registering.  Thanks!

When:

  • Fourth Saturday of every month.
  • Exams will start promptly at 1:30pm — Doors open at 1:00pm.
  • View the entire list of our upcoming exam sessions and preregister at https://ham.study/sessions/HallCoARES/all.

Where:

Hall County Emergency Services

470 Crescent Dr.

Gainesville, GA  

30501

Hall County, Georgia

(Please view this link after you review the rest of this page — Please enter through the front doorsl)

Cost:

Exam Fee: $14.00 – CASH ONLY

  • FCC Application Fee: $35.00 – Billed and payable directly to the FCC. This fee is in addition to the Exam Fee. This fee is only billed if you pass your license exam and get a new call sign, and it will be billed directly from the FCC to you (the applicant). This fee applies to anyone getting their first call sign (newly licensed).

Registration:

  • Preregistration is RECOMMENDED.
  • Go to https://ham.study/sessions/HallCoARES/all to register for one of our upcoming exam sessions.
  • After successfully registering online, you should receive an email with your registration information, including your exam PIN.  Please bring your PIN to the exam session.

What to Bring to our Exam Session:

  • $14.00 – CASH ONLY – CHECKS, CREDIT CARDS, ETC. ARE NOT ACCEPTED
  • Your exam PIN – SEE ABOVE
  • A Government Issued Photo ID – Driver’s license, Passport, etc.
  • Minors without a Photo ID must bring their Social Security Card and Birth Certificate
  • Original CSCE for any outstanding license upgrade(s), plus one copy for us to keep – if any
  • Face Mask – Optional (whatever makes you comfortable)
  • If you don’t feel well, please be respectful of our volunteers and stay home.

*** As per the W5YI-VE manual:
*** Volunteer examiners are under no obligation to test anyone should they desire not to for any reason.

*** Cell phones, Smart watches, Bluetooth headsets, earbuds, etc. ***
*** MUST BE TURNED OFF AND PUT AWAY DURING THE EXAM SESSION ***

The ARRL has an excellent write-up on What to Bring to an Exam Session Here

What We Provide:

  • Tablet (for taking the exam) – you are not allowed to use your own device
  • Stylus
  • Scratch Paper
  • Pens, Pencils
  • Simple Calculators and Scientific Calculators (TI-30Xa) – you are not allowed to use your own device

Required Preparation:

Get an FRN

An FRN (FCC Registration Number) from the FCC is REQUIRED. If you already have an Amateur Radio license, your FRN will appear on your license. If you are unlicensed, you can obtain an FRN when you preregister for one of our exam sessions. Or, if you prefer, you can register and receive your FRN directly from the FCC — Click on the following link and click on the REGISTER button – https://apps.fcc.gov/coresWeb/.

Click here for an FCC instructional video that provides step by step instructions about how to establish an FRN account.

Preregister for our Exam Session

Preregistration is required for our exam sessions. Click on the below link, find the exam session you want and click on it, then click on the Register button and fill out the form. You will get an email confirmation with your exam PIN. Please check your SPAM folder if you do not receive your confirmation email. Bring your exam PIN with you to our exam session.

https://ham.study/sessions/HallCoARES/all

Special Needs Exams

We require you to contact us ahead of time if you require any special needs for taking an exam, for us to ensure proper resources are available. Please be sure to tell us your exact special needs.

 

Recommended Preparation:

Online Training

Don’t forget to look for a phone app for training. There are several FREE phone apps available for Android and iOS.
And, don’t forget to search YouTube either!

Find a Class

Unfortunately, not all classes are listed on the ARRL’s website. We also recommend asking at your local Amateur Radio Club(s), and by doing a Google search.

Get a Study Guide

If you are taking a class, it is recommended that you get the Study Guide recommended by the instructor. If you are studying on your own, or if the instructor does not have a preference, here are a few study guides to choose from. Don’t forget to try a Google search. New Technician Study Guides are being added all the time, and some of them are free.

Take Practice Exams

We recommend that you use multiple websites when taking practice exams. Not all websites seem to pick questions as randomly as what appears on the actual exams. All exams should use questions from the official Question Pools as determined by the NCVEC (National Conference of Volunteer Examiner Coordinators). Google search “ham practice exam” for additional websites.

Questions:

Email: ve@lanierlandarc.org

Additional Exam Locations and Schedules:

Many other groups offer Ham Radio Exams too. If our schedule does not fit your schedule, or to find a more convenient location, please click on the following link:

Additional New Ham Info:

The following site contains a lot of good information about getting started in Ham Radio.

Amateur Radio License Lookup:

The following FCC site allows you to look up Amateur Radio licenses by Call Sign, FRN or Name.

FCC CORES:

Use the FCC CORES site to register and manage your 10 digit FCC Registration Number (FRN). This information (Name, Address, E-mail, etc.) pertains to your FRN, not your Amateur Radio license. It is important to keep your information up to date in both systems, the FCC CORES site and the FCC ULS site. Also use the FCC CORES site to pay any FCC Fees (new license, renewal, etc.).

FCC ULS:

Use the FCC ULS site to manage any information pertaining to your Amateur Radio license (Name, Address, E-mail, etc.). It is important to keep your information up to date in both systems, the FCC CORES site and the FCC ULS site. Also use the FCC ULS site to renewal your license. (You will have to pay an FCC Fee at the FCC CORES site when renewing your license.)

 

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