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E1E04

COMMISSION RULES · Volunteer examiner program: definitions; qualifications; preparation and administration of exams; reimbursement; accreditation; question pools; documentation requirements

E1E04§ 97.509, 97.525E1E →

What is required to be accredited as a Volunteer Examiner?

  1. AEach General, Advanced and Amateur Extra class operator is automatically accredited as a VE when the license is granted
  2. BThe amateur operator applying must pass a VE examination administered by the FCC Enforcement Bureau
  3. CThe prospective VE must obtain accreditation from the FCC
  4. DA VEC must confirm that the VE applicant meets FCC requirements to serve as an examiner
Why Accreditation is the process by which a Volunteer Examiner Coordinator confirms that a would-be examiner meets the FCC's qualifications in Part 97: at least 18 years old, holding a General, Advanced or Amateur Extra license, never having had an amateur license suspended or revoked, and having no disqualifying interest in a business that prepares license materials. The FCC sets the standards under 97.509 and 97.525, but it is the VEC, not the Commission, that verifies them and issues the accreditation.
Watch out The idea that the license grant automatically makes you a VE is tempting because holding General or higher is a prerequisite, but the license alone is only one of several requirements and you must still be accredited by a VEC. The FCC neither accredits individual VEs nor gives any VE examination.
The FCC writes the rules; the VEC does the paperwork. Accreditation always comes from a VEC.
HamSandwich explanation, first draft. The question and answers are the NCVEC text.
47 CFR 97.509 Administering VE requirements.

(a) Each examination for an amateur operator license must be administered by a team of at least 3 VEs at an examination session coordinated by a VEC. The number of examinees at the session may be limited.

(b) Each administering VE must:

(1) Be accredited by the coordinating VEC;

(2) Be at least 18 years of age;

(3) Be a person who holds an amateur operator license of the class specified below:

(i) Amateur Extra, Advanced or General Class in order to administer a Technician Class operator license examination;

(ii) Amateur Extra or Advanced Class in order to administer a General Class operator license examination;

(iii) Amateur Extra Class in order to administer an Amateur Extra Class operator license examination.

(4) Not be a person whose grant of an amateur station license or amateur operator license has ever been revoked or suspended.

(c) Each administering VE must observe the examinee throughout the entire examination. The administering VEs are responsible for the proper conduct and necessary supervision of each examination. The administering VEs must immediately terminate the examination upon failure of the examinee to comply with their instructions.

(d) No VE may administer an examination to his or her spouse, children, grandchildren, stepchildren, parents, grandparents, stepparents, brothers, sisters, stepbrothers, stepsisters, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, and in-laws.

(e) No VE may administer or certify any examination by fraudulent means or for monetary or other consideration including reimbursement in any amount in excess of that permitted. Violation of this provision may result in the revocation of the grant of the VE's amateur station license and the suspension of the grant of the VE's amateur operator license.

(f) No examination that has been compromised shall be administered to any examinee. The same question set may not be re-administered to the same examinee.

(g) [Reserved]

(h) Upon completion of each examination element, the administering VEs must immediately grade the examinee's answers. For examinations administered remotely, the administering VEs must grade the examinee's answers at the earliest practical opportunity. The administering VEs are responsible for determining the correctness of the examinee's answers.

(i) When the examinee is credited for all examination elements required for the operator license sought, 3 VEs must certify that the examinee is qualified for the license grant and that the VEs have complied with these administering VE requirements. The certifying VEs are jointly and individually accountable for the proper administration of each examination element reported. The certifying VEs may delegate to other qualified VEs their authority, but not their accountability, to administer individual elements of an examination.

(j) When the examinee does not score a passing grade on an examination element, the administering VEs must return the application document to the examinee and inform the examinee of the grade.

(k) The administering VEs must accommodate an examinee whose physical disabilities require a special examination procedure. The administering VEs may require a physician's certification indicating the nature of the disability before determining which, if any, special procedures must be used.

(l) The administering VEs must issue a CSCE to an examinee who scores a passing grade on an examination element.

(m) After the administration of a successful examination for an amateur operator license, the administering VEs must submit the application document to the coordinating VEC according to the coordinating VEC's instructions.

eCFR text as of 1 Sep 2026 · read on ecfr.gov
47 CFR 97.525 Accrediting VEs.

(a) No VEC may accredit a person as a VE if:

(1) The person does not meet minimum VE statutory qualifications or minimum qualifications as prescribed by this part;

(2) The FCC does not accept the voluntary and uncompensated services of the person;

(3) The VEC determines that the person is not competent to perform the VE functions; or

(4) The VEC determines that questions of the person's integrity or honesty could compromise the examinations.

(b) Each VEC must seek a broad representation of amateur operators to be VEs. No VEC may discriminate in accrediting VEs on the basis of race, sex, religion or national origin; nor on the basis of membership (or lack thereof) in an amateur service organization; nor on the basis of the person accepting or declining to accept reimbursement.

eCFR text as of 1 Sep 2026 · read on ecfr.gov
← E1E03 All of E1E E1E05 →

The rest of E1E

  1. E1E01 For which types of out-of-pocket expenses do the Part 97 rules state that VEs and VECs may be reimbursed?
  2. E1E02 Who is tasked by Part 97 with maintaining the pools of questions for all US amateur license examinations?
  3. E1E03 What is a Volunteer Examiner Coordinator?
  4. E1E04 What is required to be accredited as a Volunteer Examiner?
  5. E1E05 What must the VE team do with the application form if the examinee does not pass the exam?
  6. E1E06 Who is responsible for the proper conduct and necessary supervision during an amateur operator license examin…
  7. E1E07 What should a VE do if a candidate fails to comply with the examiner's instructions during an amateur operato…
  8. E1E08 To which of the following examinees may a VE not administer an examination?
  9. E1E09 What may be the penalty for a VE who fraudulently administers or certifies an examination?
  10. E1E10 What must the administering VEs do after the administration of a successful examination for an amateur operat…
  11. E1E11 What must the VE team do if an examinee scores a passing grade on all examination elements needed for an upgr…
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