VEC-02 — Lesson 6 of 6

Session Leadership: Examinee Instructions, Non-Compliance & Cheating

What TLs must tell applicants before every exam, how to handle non-compliance, and the full cheating protocol from suspected to confirmed.

Lesson Objectives

State the required elements of pre-exam instructions under App. 4 Sec. 2.19
Apply the prohibited-devices list and the calculator-checking requirement
Apply the leaving-exam-area rule and the scratch-paper rule
Describe the Session Leader’s decision process for applicant non-compliance
Execute the full cheating protocol — suspected through confirmed — including when to halt the session
Record cheating correctly in SessionManager

Part A — Examinee Instructions (App. 4 Sec. 2.19)

What applicants must be told before every exam

The TL is responsible for creating the pre-exam instructions delivered at the start of every session. These may be given verbally and/or included in written form with the exam booklet. The following are mandatory minimums. App. 4 Sec. 2.19.

Instruction	Rule basis
Examinees must follow VE instructions at all times	§97.511
Failure to comply terminates participation without further action	§97.509(c)
Prohibited electronic devices: cell phones, smartwatches, tablets, earbuds/headphones, smart glasses	App. 4 Sec. 2.19.3
Calculators permitted but must be checked by a VE for stored formulas/memory before the exam begins	App. 4 Sec. 2.19.4
Cell phones and tablets may NOT be used as calculators — they must be turned off	App. 4 Sec. 2.19.4.1
Scratch paper: use the back of the answer sheet; additional paper available on request	App. 4 Sec. 2.19.5
How to mark the answer sheet correctly	App. 4 Sec. 2.19.6
Leaving the exam area for any reason = exam immediately graded as submitted	App. 4 Sec. 2.19.7
Observed cheating = exam not graded, applicant must leave the facility	App. 4 Sec. 2.19.8

Knowledge Check

An applicant arrives wearing wireless earbuds and a smartwatch and wants to use their phone as a calculator. Before the exam begins, which of these must a VE address?

A. Only the phone — the P&P restricts calculators specifically, not wearables B. All three — earbuds, smartwatches, and cell phones used as calculators are all prohibited and must be addressed before the exam begins C. Only the earbuds — smartwatches are permitted if they are in airplane mode D. None — restrictions apply only during the exam, not before it begins

Knowledge Check

An applicant wants to use their standalone scientific calculator during the exam. What must a VE do before allowing this?

A. Allow it without restriction — standalone calculators are fully permitted with no conditions B. Verify the calculator model is on the approved-calculator list published in the VE Portal C. Confirm the applicant’s license class, since calculator use is only permitted for Element 4 D. Check the calculator before the exam begins to confirm no formulas have been programmed or stored in memory — and the applicant may be asked to demonstrate this

Knowledge Check

During a paper exam, an applicant states they need to use the restroom and walks out of the exam room. What happens to their exam?

A. The exam is paused — the applicant may return and continue where they left off B. The exam is paused if the applicant is accompanied by a VE to the restroom C. The applicant is given a 10-minute grace period before their exam is graded as submitted D. The exam is immediately graded as submitted at the moment the applicant leaves the exam area for any reason

Part B — Non-Compliance During the Session (App. 5 Sec. 3.1–3.2)

When VEs or applicants do not follow the rules

The Session Leader has authority and discretion to address non-compliance by both VEs and applicants during the session. App. 5 Sec. 3.1–3.2.

Situation	Session Leader action
VE not following FCC rules or LARC VEC policies	Make required corrections or explain why corrections are not required. App. 5 Sec. 3.1.1.
Applicant not following VE instructions	Evaluate severity. Options: warn the applicant, or terminate their participation in the session. App. 5 Sec. 3.2.1.
VE believes the Session Leader did not properly address a compliance issue	The VE should notify the Session Leader, then leave the session and report to the TL or RC if unresolved. App. 6 Sec. 1.7.5.

Knowledge Check

A VE tells you (the Session Leader) that a VE is reading text messages on their phone while monitoring applicants. What is your obligation?

A. Warn the VE verbally — the Session Leader has no authority to remove a VE mid-session B. Continue the session and address the issue after the session is complete to avoid disruption C. Address the issue immediately — either make the required correction (VE puts the phone away) or explain why no correction is needed D. Refer the complaint to the RC immediately — VE non-compliance issues go directly to the RC

Part C — The Cheating Protocol (App. 5 Sec. 3.3–3.4)

Suspected vs. confirmed cheating

Stage	Required actions
Suspected cheating (Sec. 3.3)	Continue monitoring. If possible, add additional VEs to observe. Do NOT confront the applicant until cheating is confirmed. Treat them like any other applicant until then.
Confirmed cheating — enough VEs remain (Sec. 3.4.1)	Continue the session (reassign VE duties as needed). Discreetly ask the cheating examinee to step away. Describe the observed cheating act. Inform them they may not continue and must leave the facility.
Confirmed cheating — NOT enough VEs to continue (Sec. 3.4.2)	Halt the session. Announce the halt. Instruct all examinees to remain seated and close their booklets. Two remaining VEs monitor. Then address the cheating examinee using the same steps as above.
Paperwork and SessionManager (Sec. 3.4.3)	Mark all cheating examinee answer sheets with the word “CHEATED”. Enter ALL their exam results in SessionManager as “Failed”.
Notify RC (Sec. 3.4.4)	Notify the RC and TL (if applicable) of all cheating incidents.

Knowledge Check

A VE thinks they see an applicant glancing at a phone under the table but is not certain. What is the correct immediate action?

A. Immediately ask the applicant to step outside and confront them about the suspected cheating B. Announce a temporary halt to the session while the situation is investigated C. Continue monitoring the applicant and, if possible, add additional VEs to observe — do not confront or treat the applicant differently until cheating is confirmed D. Terminate the applicant’s exam immediately and notify the RC — suspected cheating is treated the same as confirmed cheating

Knowledge Check

Cheating is confirmed during a session that has only three VEs. After the cheating examinee leaves, only two VEs remain. What must the Session Leader do?

A. Continue the session — two VEs is the minimum required under any circumstances B. Ask a non-VE observer in the room to temporarily fill in so the session can continue C. Contact the RC immediately for authorization to continue with two VEs D. Halt the session. Announce the halt, instruct all examinees to remain seated and close their booklets, and have the two remaining VEs monitor while the cheating examinee is addressed

Knowledge Check

After a cheating incident is resolved, how must the cheating examinee’s answer sheets be processed?

A. Destroy the answer sheets immediately — they cannot be submitted since the exam was invalid B. Mark all answer sheets with the word CHEATED and enter all exam results in SessionManager as Failed C. Leave the answer sheets unmarked and note the cheating incident in the Session Correspondence dialog box in the portal D. Grade the answer sheets normally and let the RC decide whether to accept or reject the results

Reference: Full P&P Document →

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