In-Person Exam Sessions

PARC holds in-person examinations in Roanoke and Auburn, Alabama, and at other locations when published or by request. All sessions are by appointment; examiners travel to a session only when a candidate has a confirmed appointment.

How In-Person Sessions Operate

• Examinations are administered under the ARRL Volunteer Examiner program, using the standard question pools for all amateur radio examinations.
• A published date indicates that at least three Volunteer Examiners are available that day. Sessions are not held without a booked candidate, so candidates must not travel to a session without a confirmed appointment.
• Sessions are held for any number of candidates, including a single candidate. Except at hamfests, a session is held only because a candidate has registered for it.
• Requests for a different date or time, or other special requests, may be accommodated where possible.

Name:
Address:
Mobile phone number:
License class you want to take (Technician, General, Extra):
Current call sign:
Location you are registering for:
Date & time of exam you are registering for:
Special requests:

An appointment is confirmed only when PARC replies, normally within one day. If no reply is received, email again. Without a confirmed appointment, no examiners may be scheduled to attend, and the session may be canceled without notice.

Items to Bring

• A government-issued photo ID.
• $15 in exact cash for each candidate. Change is not available. The ARRL sets the fee annually. A candidate who does not pass may be offered a different examination for an additional fee.
• For upgrades: the current license or any previously issued CSCE, and a copy to be retained by the examiners.
• An ink pen and a No. 2 pencil. A clipboard is recommended for outdoor sessions.
• Optionally, a basic calculator with no memory or programmable functions. Calculations are done on the back of the answer sheet.

At the Session

• Most sessions are held at a table in a public place, such as a restaurant, away from other patrons where possible. Examiners are identified by an open black briefcase on the table. Restaurant staff may not be aware of the session.
• Candidates may eat and drink during the examination.
• Some sessions are held outdoors, and weather may change the date, time or location.
• Persons accompanying a candidate must wait in their vehicle, not at the session.
• Phones must be turned off completely and put away. Calls, texts and the use of a phone or smartwatch are not permitted during the examination.
• An examination takes from 5 minutes to half an hour. Examiners are normally available for up to one hour; requests for additional time, or for an additional element at the same session, must be made in advance.
• Examiners arrive at the specified time. In the event of a delay, examiners contact candidates by telephone or email. GPS coordinates for the location (DD.MM.MMM) are available on request.
• Candidates who pass receive their CSCE at the session.

Time Zones

Examination times are local to the testing location. Sessions in Alabama are held on Central Time, except in Valley, Alabama, which uses Eastern Time, as do all sessions in Georgia. Sessions in other states follow the local time of the testing location.

Changes and Cancellations

Notify PARC as early as possible, and at least 24 hours in advance, if an appointment cannot be kept. Examiners cannot all be contacted on the day of a session, and a candidate may be the only person scheduled.

Study Resources

All questions are drawn from the published question pools maintained by the NCVEC. The following resources provide the question pools and practice examinations:

About the Team

PARC has administered examinations to new and experienced amateur radio operators for many years. The group began with one family, a husband, wife and three sons, and now includes volunteers in Roanoke, Valley, Alexander City, Auburn, Anniston and Huntsville, Alabama, and in Columbus and LaGrange, Georgia. PARC also conducts testing at Southern Union and Auburn University. Every team member holds an Amateur Extra class license and is qualified to administer examinations for all license classes.

PARC also assists with testing nationwide and is registered with several Volunteer Examiner Coordinators, including ARRL, W5YI, CAVEC, Alaska and Laurel. Classes and examinations are available on request, in addition to the regularly scheduled sessions in Alabama and Georgia. All team members serve as volunteers.

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