VEC-03 — Lesson 4 of 6

VE Briefing & Applicant Check-in

Everything that happens before the first exam starts — from the VE team briefing to seating applicants at their tables.

Lesson Objectives

Conduct a complete pre-session VE briefing
Walk every applicant through all six check-in steps correctly
Handle element credit, pending FCC applications, and felony disclosures
Set the applicant’s status to SEEN in ExamTools

The diagram below shows the full session workflow. Lessons 4 through 6 walk through each phase in detail.

Patriot VE Team Swim Lane Workflow for Hybrid Exams Using ExamTools — PVET Swim Lane Workflow. Note: diagram uses “session manager” = Session Leader per P&P Sec. 12.6.1. Source: Hybrid Exam Workflow v1.11.

Exam Workflow overview showing VE arrival through portal upload — Exam Workflow overview. Sessions run from VE briefing through applicant check-in, exam, grading, signing, CSCE, and TL upload to portal. Source: Hybrid Exam Workflow v1.11. This overview assumes the Session Leader is not also the Team Leader and hands off files to the TL to complete the Laurel session manager process. It was developed before the current Laurel P&P, which now requires the Session Leader to be the Team Leader or a Deputy Team Leader.

Part A — VE Briefing

The pre-session VE briefing

A separate VE sign-in sheet is not required as long as all VEs present are logged in to ExamTools for the session — their participation is already recorded there. The Session Leader holds a mandatory briefing before the session opens covering:

VE assignments and roles — who handles check-in (VE Admin assignments) and who monitors which tables
Review of applicable procedures including the retest policy
Any procedure or policy changes since the last session
Recent ExamTools workflow or software changes
Applicant flow through the facility and facility-specific rules
How CSCEs will be delivered (printed, emailed from ET, or both)

Part B — Applicant Check-in (6 steps)

Walk-in applicants: registering on the spot

Check-in assumes the applicant is already registered and appears in the ExamTools session. A walk-in — someone who didn’t pre-register online — needs to register before check-in can proceed. Registration happens on hamstudy.org, so the team should have a tablet or laptop on hand for walk-ins to register on.

Make sure they register for the correct session. A walk-in registering on hamstudy.org can easily land on the wrong session if they search on their own. Best practice is for a VE to navigate the applicant directly to your team’s session, using one of:

Manually navigating to the correct session on hamstudy.org
hamstudy.org/sessions/[your team ID]
The direct registration link at the top of the session listing in ExamTools

Knowledge Check

A walk-in applicant needs to register on hamstudy.org before check-in can begin. What is the best practice to make sure they register for your team’s specific session?

A. Let the applicant search for the session themselves on hamstudy.org, since any search will find the correct one B. A VE navigates them directly to the session — manually, via hamstudy.org/sessions/[team ID], or using the direct registration link at the top of the session listing in ExamTools C. Walk-ins cannot register on hamstudy.org; they must call the RC to be added manually D. Registration is not required for walk-ins — they can proceed straight to check-in

Check-in workflow

Step	Action
1	Verify registration information. Confirm name and ID match the ExamTools record. Verify address, email, phone number, and FRN. Correct anything that does not match.
2	Ask about pending FCC applications. If the applicant has a pending application, get specifics and pass them immediately to the Session Leader. Affects the file upload — see Lesson 6.
3	Confirm the felony question response. If YES, confirm it was intentional. Do not ask what the felony was. Advise they will receive additional instructions if they pass. No VE may offer FCC opinions.
4	Check for element credit. Verify proof per P&P App. 8 Sub-task 5-3. Coordinate with Session Leader on who enters it in ET. Must be applied before testing begins.
5	Paper or computer? Ask the applicant’s preference. Applicants may use their own device or a team-supplied device. Provide paper materials immediately if they choose paper.
6	Set status to SEEN. Once all steps are complete, use the applicant menu to change status to SEEN. Direct the applicant to a table. Note: SEEN is an informational marker, not a required condition — it does not block the exam from proceeding. It simply lets the Session Leader see that check-in has been completed for that applicant.

ExamTools Add Element Credit dialog showing element selection — Fig. 3 — ExamTools Add Element Credit dialog. Select the element being credited. ET warns that evidence must be provided when submitting documentation.

ExamTools applicant menu bar showing ASSIGN VE, MANAGE, STATUS: REGISTERED, and PRINT FORMS buttons — Fig. 4 — Applicant menu bar in ExamTools. Status shows REGISTERED before check-in is complete.

ExamTools MANAGE dropdown showing Seen and Ready to sign status options — Fig. 5 — MANAGE dropdown showing available status options: Seen (after check-in) and Ready to sign (paper exam applicants ready to sign).

Knowledge Check

What ExamTools status is set when applicant check-in is complete and they are directed to a table?

A. READY B. CHECKED IN C. SEEN D. ACTIVE

Knowledge Check

At check-in, an applicant states they answered YES to the felony question. How should the VE Admin respond?

A. Confirm the YES was intentional, advise they will receive additional instructions if they pass, and proceed — do not ask about the conviction B. Ask the applicant to briefly describe the felony so the Session Leader can assess whether testing should proceed C. Tell the applicant they cannot test until the FCC has reviewed their situation D. Refer the applicant directly to the Session Leader before completing check-in

Knowledge Check

An applicant claims Element 3 credit from a CSCE issued 400 days ago. What must you do?

A. Accept it — CSCEs do not have an expiration date B. Accept it — element credit from any VEC is always valid regardless of age C. Decline it — only CSCEs from Laurel VEC sessions are accepted for element credit D. Decline it — CSCEs expire 365 days from the date of issue; this CSCE is expired

Knowledge Check

Element credit has been verified for an applicant. When must it be applied in ExamTools?

A. After the applicant completes all exams they wish to take, before signing B. Before the applicant begins their first exam element in ExamTools C. During check-in, as soon as the VE Admin first accesses the applicant record D. It does not need to be applied in ET — it is handled in session manager during upload

References: ExamTools Documentation • Laurel VEC P&P

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