The ARRL Volunteer Examiner Coordinator has announced that the Amateur Radio test fee for 2009 will be $15 .
Ref.: The ARRL Letter, Vol. 27, No. 44, November 7, 2008
QST, Vol. 93, No. 1; January, 2009
The fee for amateur radio exams coordinated by the ARRL is currently $15 , still a bargain when you consider that your license offers you a lifetime of enjoyment. FCC amateur radio licenses are currently valid for 10 years; if you do not let your license expire (renewal is free), you will never have to take another examination to maintain your current license.
The fee charged all applicants at ARRL VEC-coordinated Amateur Radio test sessions in 2009 will be $15. The fee cannot be reduced or waived, as the FCC requires VECs who charge a fee to apply it uniformly throughout the calendar year. Per FCC rules, no VEC may collect any test fees in excess of its expenses; that is, VECs cannot make any money in providing the services they offer to their VEs or to the community. The best a VEC can do is to break even, to be revenue neutral (and only once, during 1991, did the ARRL VEC come close to covering all its expenses). The $15 fee is charged to anyone applying for a new amateur license or upgrading their license class and operating privileges. The last ARRL VEC fee increase was in 2005, changing the fee from $12 to $14. Prior to that, the fee was increased in 2003 from $10 to $12. In 2001 the fee was increased to $10, up from $6.65.
Retest Fees:
Applicants
failing an exam element at ARRL sessions, where examiners permit retesting on a
failed exam element, must pay a retest fee of $15. When taking tests, the payment of one $15
test fee will allow any applicant to
take any one or up to all three exam elements just once. If an applicant
fails an element and requests to retake the same element, a second registration entry is made and a second test fee is
charged. Furthermore, retests are permitted only if the VE team has
adequate time and if the VE team has another test version (different than the
test failed) on hand.
VE Team Reimbursement:
The maximum reimbursement the ARRL VEC allows ARRL volunteer examiner (VE) teams
to retain to directly offset their prudently incurred out-of-pocket expenses is "up to
$7" per
exam fee collected. (This fee had remained at the "up to
$4" per person served level since introduction in 1991 until 2003. In
2003 and 2004, the fee was "up to $5", and from 2005 to 2009 the fee
had been "up to $6".)
ARRL VEs/teams can retain a portion of the fee only if the team keeps a complete record of the reimbursement-fees retained and expenses paid (with receipts kept in team records) for two years, so long as the expense is specifically related to exam administration, and as long as the expense is warranted and has been prudently incurred. Only the amount needed to offset out-of-pocket expenses incurred (or to be incurred) is to be retained. If documented in team records, a reasonable amount can be retained to cover expected expenses. Any overage or excess a team may have retained that is uncommitted to the teams' needs must be returned to the ARRL VEC.
Since 2005, the Horseshoe Amateur Radio Club Examiners has retained less than the maximum fee. In 2008 we retained only half of the allowable fee, and in 2009 we plan to retain less than half of the permitted amount.
Sources:
ARRL VE Update for December 2005, December 10, 2004.
ARRL VE Update for Winter 2006/2007 December 1, 2006.
VE Express Newsletter, November 6, 2008
The ARRL Letter, Vol. 27, No. 44,
November 7, 2008
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The following is the [edited] announcement
from ARRL VEC Manager Maria Somma, AB1FM, regarding the ARRL VEC test fee for 2009.
This information will also be
appearing on the ARRL Web,
in The ARRL Letter, and in the January QST “Exam Info” column.
As always, the ARRL VEC is here to answer
any questions you may have.
Please feel free to contact the ARRL VEC via email at vec@arrl.org.
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The ARRL VEC announced that as of January 1, 2009, the fee to take an ARRL Volunteer Examiner (VE)-administered Amateur Radio license exam will increase by $1, from $14 to $15. ARRL VE teams may retain up to $7 of this fee to directly reimburse their teams' out-of-pocket examination expenses; currently, VE teams keep $6. This is the first time since in four years that the examination fee has been adjusted.
The FCC allows VECs to collect an examination reimbursement fee from each candidate who takes one or more exam elements. VEs and VECs may be reimbursed by examinees for out-of-pocket expenses incurred in preparing, processing, administering or coordinating an examination for an amateur operator license (FCC Rule §97.527). These exam fees help the VEC recover its costs of providing its services.
Every examinee at each ARRL coordinated examination session is charged the same fee in accordance with the annually-established fee schedule. Any person sitting for an exam, or having a new license or upgrade processed at a test sessions, must pay the exam fee applicable for the calendar year. The ARRL VEC's exam fee for calendar year 2009 is $15. Each time a candidate pays one exam fee, they are entitled to take tests for Elements 2, 3 and 4 as needed, up to all three elements under the single exam fee. Each time an examinee retakes an exam element (assuming the VE Team has different exam design available), another exam fee is charged.
Collected exclusively to offset expenses that are directly incurred in administering the VE program, VE teams may elect to keep a prescribed portion of each exam fee. All out-of-pocket reimbursable expenses shall be necessary and prudent, and must relate to the examination process in some way. VECs and VEs are expected to use good business judgment with respect to reimbursement amounts. The examination reimbursement fee cannot be used to offset non-session related costs and must be kept separate from other accounts.
Business expenses such as postal, utility, fuel and printing charges are increasing. Our VE teams are feeling the effects of the current economy, too! Teams are retaining reimbursement at amounts considerably larger than previous years. The amount of out-of-pocket costs that our VEs and the VEC are expending to provide authorized services in connection with Amateur Radio operator examinations continues to rise.
Recent ARRL VEC cost-cutting steps have included staff reduction, reduced printing charges of ARRL VE training material and exam software, renegotiating shipping and printing contracts and eliminating lesser-used services.
Only so many cost-cutting measures can be justified without cutting back significantly on services essential to our VE teams, our customers and our program. As a result, an adjustment was needed in the 2009 exam reimbursement fee if we intended to maintain the basic levels of service that our VEs, VE teams and candidates have come to expect.
The ARRL VEC permits its VEs to retain a portion of the exam fees they collect to directly reimburse themselves for out-of-pocket expenses incurred in setting up and conducting their examination sessions. As long as the expense is warranted and has been prudently incurred -- and the expense is specifically related to exam administration -- then the fee can be retained. The team should keep a complete record of the expenses paid (with receipts) in team records for two years. Records must be made available to ARRL VEC upon request. Costs not related to the exam session processes or paperwork are not reimbursable.
The ARRL VECs level of assistance and services to our Volunteer Examiners are without comparison. Exam supplies, such as paperwork and software, shipping costs both to and from the VEC and ARRL VE accreditation, as well as credentials, are all free of charge for our VEs. We maintain a toll-free number for our VEs and we even offer reimbursement to the VE team for their expenses. We appreciate the dedication and volunteerism of all our VEs in the field. This is why we offer so many services free of charge. This is why we have that same level of duty and commitment here. Every test fee we collect goes right back into the VEC program and to serving the Amateur Radio community.
ARRL VEC Manager Maria Somma, AB1FM
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Reference:
VE Express Newsletter, November 6, 2008