The Silicon Valley Volunteer Examiner (VE) Group is an organization of South Bay radio amateurs affiliated with the ARRL VEC. Our goal, first and foremost, is to give you an opportunity to earn your amateur radio license or upgrade. We offer Technician, General, and Extra class exams to amateur radio newcomers and old hands alike.
The Silicon Valley VE Group is now offering VE tests that you can take in the comfort of your own home.
To find out more about how the exams are conducted and what you'll need to take them, click here.
To schedule a remote exam, contact Morris Jones, AD6ZH, at ad6zh.mj@gmail.com.
(Note that our in-person exams have been suspended indefinitely.)
The ARRL has announced that it will offer free student memberships to full-time students aged 21 and under. This special membership includes access to the digital versions of ARRL magazines. For more information, click here.
The ARRL has created a program to reduce the cost of license exam and licensing fees for those under age 18 who take their exam at a VE group that, like the SVVE, is affiliated with the ARRL VEC. Under this program, applicants will pay a $5 exam fee and receive a $35 new-license exam fee reimbursement from the ARRL.
For more information, click here.
For a copy of the ARRL's licensing fee reimbursement form, click here.
Exam Dates
We hold two remote exams a month, on the first and third Saturday mornings. All exam sessions will be posted in the exam calendar at the top right of this page.
Exam Times
Saturday exams will be held from 9 AM to 11 AM PDT.
When Will I Receive My License?
If you've passed a test for a new license (as opposed to an upgrade of an existing license), the FCC will send you an email with instructions for paying the $35 licensing fee. You have only ten calendar days to make payment! If you've taken an exam for a new license on Saturday and haven't received instructions by the Wednesday following the exam, check your email spam bucket. Once you've paid, the FCC will email you a link to your official license in the FCC database.
If you've passed an exam for a license upgrade (say, Tech to General) there's no licensing fee, and thus no request for payment. An upgrade for a test taken on a Saturday should appear in the FCC database by Wednesday.
If You Need More Information...
...please contact our group leader, Morris Jones, AD6ZH, at (408) 507-4698, or send him an e-mail at ad6zh.mj@gmail.com.