Less Paper, More Radio
The Evolution of Amateur Radio License Exam Testing
Where we've been, where we are, �and where VE testing is going
TCARA VE program 2024-Present
* Successful Technician examinees receive 1- year complementary TCARA membership
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Where people have come from to attend our VE sessions
How has the amateur radio examination process changed over the years?�
1984-2020 (VE) Testing Model�
Book a venue, getting bumped is always a concern
Candidate arrives at a scheduled VE session
Identity/licensure verified and exam fee collected
VEs provide a printed exam and answer sheet
Candidate completes the exam with pencil or pen
VEs manually score the answer sheet. We have a system of each VE having a specific- colored pen to eliminate confusion - which still happens
Systems must be in place to ensure paperwork isn’t misplaced or confused between candidates - it can get out of hand quickly
VEs calculate the result, reach consensus, and sign session paperwork
Session documents are tabulated, created, scanned, and transmitted to the VEC by liaison
Why Paper Works
Familiar and tangible
No computers, accounts, or Internet required
Easy for candidates to understand
In-person supervision remains central
VEs requirements beyond license and accreditation
are minimal- show up and maybe bring a pencil
Paper Has an Administrative Cost
Keeping current exam versions available:� It costs just under $2 for AD2DD to print Technician or General Exams, just over $2 to print an Extra exam. � Exams must be carefully printed- keys and answer sheet single sided; exams double sided + separated. 605s� are individually printed single sided with information from preregistration.
Managing question-pool changes/Preventing outdated exams from being used- Technician pool just updated as� of July 1st. Dozens of printed exams were shredded, new ones were printed at cost
Manual grading and score verification
Paperwork, scanning, filing, and data entry, with session documents then electronically filed with the VEC
Managing and storing all the physical paper - VEC requires retention for 3 years
MANY opportunities for human/transcription error
It is getting more difficult and expensive to keep this way of doing things going
ARRL-VEC moved to a completely digital program in 2025, no longer prints and ships exam � supplies
Question-Pool Changes Require Additional
Administrative Effort
The Technician question pool changed July 1, 2026
The new 2026–2030 pool contains 409 questions
ExamTools automatically switched to the new pool
Teams using online exams did not need to replace printed stock
Teams using paper exams had to discard old Technician tests and print new versions from ExamTools
Where do we reach the young people interested in amateur radio in 2026?
VECs like GLAARG, WM7X
if they’re ready
We ARE behind the times
Enter ExamTools, in use by TCARA since 2024
ExamTools can handle almost everything needed to conduct a test session�Works well for online or printed exams
Created in 2020 to address the need for testing during the pandemic
Web-based exam and session-management system that:
��
by Richard Bateman KD7BBC
Create your VE account in Exam Tools
https://wireless2.fcc.gov/UlsEntry/licManager/login.jsp
Digital Administration Now Becomes an Option
Electronic records become the norm; filled out via preregistration, exam results, or manual entry- top level session documentation is automatically generated
Question pools and current exams are maintained centrally and distributed randomly to examinees via the online system at a time and place of our choosing
Automated grading becomes possible
VECs receive and transmit session information electronically
Internet access is necessary to make electronic examination practical
The exam itself has not changed—the administration options have
On June 15th, 2020 the Anchorage ARC VEC became the first VEC in the country to go completely paperless, from the administration of in-person and remote examinations through web-based platform as well as all session-related documentation.
�They no longer administer exams on paper.
ExamTools supports
• In-person sessions with printed exams
• Paper exams with GradeCam-assisted scoring
• On-screen exams generated by Exam Tools
• Remote video-supervised exams
The Paper + GradeCam Bridge
Candidate still receives a paper exam and uses a pencil
Candidate still sits in the room with the VEs
ExamTools generates/manages the printed exam
GradeCam uses a phone or computer camera to score it
The VE team moves toward a digital workflow without changing the candidate's familiar paper experience
Three In-Person Models
1984-2020 (VE) Testing Model: Paper exam → manual grading → paperwork scanned to become electronic paperwork � i.e. Present Day TCARA�
GradeCam: Paper exam → GradeCam → Exam Tools session records�
Tablet / PC → ExamTools grading → Exam Tools session records
�
All three retain in-person VE supervision
In-Person ExamTools: The Candidate Experience
Arrive at the normal exam location.
Check in with the VE team - provide ID, exam fee payment, proof of licensure
Opt for online or Gradecam
Provided tablet / laptop / PC; more secure as we know what is on those� machines. They are allowed to use their own devices, however
Candidates and VEs connect to wifi, enter exam portal (Exam Tools)
Complete the exam on screen
VEs supervise exactly as they do in an in-person session, perhaps they split up in a� way so as to watch more screens of the candidates
ExamTools instantly calculates the result- no grading by VEs
They receive their CSCE as a pdf sent to the email they used to preregister with the� digital signatures of the VEs assigned to their session
Real concerns and thoughtful approaches
What if the Internet fails?�
What if the computer or tablet fails?�
What about candidates/VEs who are uncomfortable with computers?�
What about accessibility?�
Do we need more training?�
Will this cost money?�
Will we lose something important about the �familiar VE session format?
Technology should solve problems—not create new ones (i.e. mistakenly deleted files; cheating via AI such as Apple Intelligence or Copilot or devices like smart watches/phones)�
A good implementation needs a contingency plan�
The roles of training, testing and piloting�
Have a clear procedure for technical issues�
Remote Testing: A New Possibility
Candidate and VE team no longer have to be in the same physical room.
Video conferencing provides supervision.
ExamTools provides the on-screen examination.
Electronic documentation replaces much of the paper workflow.
Remote testing demonstrated that exam integrity and technology could � coexist.
! Teams that do remote testing have to address additional issues – like how they collect payment and verify identity and licensure remotely.�� Rooms scans and other checks, VE mentoring and additional training, and expanded technology use to support the team, are built into the processes that remote teams use.
What We Want to Preserve
Fair and secure examinations
Human supervision
Accessibility for candidates
Accurate results
Reliable service to the amateur radio community - TCARA VE Chair is regularly asked by other VE� teams for assistance that he cannot yet provide. Have nothing to offer them as we are still also� using the familiar way. Other clubs are transitioning to modern testing tools. We aren’t.
The sense that our VE team is helping bring new operators into the hobby.
A welcoming candidate experience by TCARA – �ultimate goal is to grow the club
What We Can Change
First impressions
How exams are delivered
How answers are scored
How session information is recorded
How documents are submitted
How much routine administrative work VEs have to do
The cost of administering exams
Flexibility!
To the larger club- think about the perspective of someone who just earned their license and is now� showing up to our meetings. We should be asking why they got their ham license, what they are� interested in, and how we can help them on a club level. This should be a very high-priority� discussion item when they first show up to a club meeting beyond the “what’s your name and� callsign?” “ok, next” we currently do. Demonstrate the value of the club!
The Exam Hasn't Changed
The mission remains the same
The technology is a tool
The knowledge being tested has not become 'less real'
The VE team's responsibility for examination integrity has not changed
The candidate's achievement has not changed
What can change is the tool we use to� support us in administering the process
Where do we start?
�
TCARA VEs- this is your official request to create an Exam Tools account. We can have a Zoom session and go through it together if needed
We have two more exams in 2026 - plan for the latter December session to be conducted within Exam Tools
VE Chair will prioritize the club becoming experienced with in person hybrid exams in 2027
No plans for online/remote testing. The only benefit to the club is elimination of venue concerns. I do not feel there is greater value to the club testing people from anywhere in our VE sessions vs. the experience we aim to provide for our more local candidates
Questions?
Thank you
Resources:
ARRL VEC — Resources for VEs arrl.org/resources-for-ves
ExamTools documentation docs.exam.tools
ARRL question-pool information arrl.org/question-pools
ExamTools Training Videos by Marcel Stieber