Ed,

EV>Is the General and Technician Written Test the same?

  Not any more. However, before March 21, 1987, the Technician and
General written exam WERE IDENTICAL -- the only difference was a 5 wpm
CW exam for the Technician (which you already had, if you had a Novice
License beforehand), and a 13 wpm CW exam for the General.

  I've had these experiences at exam sessions (I've been a VE going on
11 years now):

1) If an examinee walks in to the session with a Technician ham radio
license that was issued on March 20, 1987 or before, all they have to do
is show ID, pay the fee, fill out the paperwork, and they get a CSCE for
a General Class license WITHOUT having to take an exam first; basically,
it's "grandfathered". This is the ONLY exam that you can get an upgrade
for, without testing.

  The caveat is that the license has to be CURRENT -- if it has lapsed
(it's expired more than 2 years (item 2 below), they go to category 2B
below.

2) If an examinee walks in to the session with a lapsed (expired more
than 2 years) license, the term of the license class determines what
"prior credit" they have.

A) If it was a Novice or Technician Class license, they have NOTHING --
as if they had never taken an exam (no license or callsign -- which is
the case for anyone whose license has lapsed). They show their ID, pay
the fee, fill out the paperwork, and have to take and pass the
Technician Exam to be back into the hobby. They are issued a CSCE for a
Technician Class license.

B) If it was a General Class license, or a lapsed Technician Class
license that was issued on March 20, 1987 or before...they have credit
for Element 3, the General Exam (proof of such is required). However,
without the lower level (Element 2 Technician), they have NOTHING. So,
they have to show their ID, pay the fee, fill out the paperwork, then
take and pass the Technician exam. They are then issued a CSCE for a
General Class license.

C) If it was an Advanced Class license, the credit is the same as item
2B above (proof of such is required). However, since the Advanced Class
license was discontinued in April, 2000 (as was the Novice Class
license), they are DOWNGRADED to General, and are basically the same as
item 2B above.

D) If it was an Amateur Extra Class license, they have credit for
Element 3, the General exam...and Element 4, the Amateur Extra exam
(proof of such is required). However, without Element 2, the Technician
exam, they have NOTHING. So, they have to show their ID, pay the fee,
fill out the paperwork, then take and pass the Techician exam. They
are then issued a CSCE for an Amateur Extra Class license.

  With items 2A through 2D above, they will get a new license and
callsign about 2 weeks after the exam. If they don't see their license
in the FCC ULS after 2 weeks, then they need to call the VEC, or the VE
Team Leader, and find out what the delay is.

  If their former callsign is still available under the vanity callsign
system, they can apply for it, but they have to wait at least 21 days
before it's granted.

Daryl, WX1DER, ARRL/VEC Amateur Extra Class VE

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