VEC-02 — Lesson 4 of 6

Running the Session: Session Leader Duties

VE assignment, conflict-of-interest, retest policy, cheating protocol, and accommodation.

Lesson Objectives

Assign VE tasks correctly based on license class and the element being administered
Apply the conflict-of-interest rule before and during the session
Establish and enforce a retest policy that complies with FCC rules
Handle a cheating incident from observation through RC notification
Provide examination accommodation when requested

Part A — Starting the Session

Sub-task 4-1: Assigning VE tasks

Exam elements	Required VE license class
Element 2 only	Amateur Extra, Advanced, or General
Elements 2 and 3	Amateur Extra or Advanced only
Elements 2, 3, and 4	Amateur Extra only

Sub-task 4-2: Conflict of interest

Before the session begins, the Session Leader must ensure that no VE who has a family member, in-law, or household member submitting an application participates in any capacity — monitoring, registration, or grading. App. 8 §4.2.

⚠

FCC definition of family is broad

Prohibited relationships include: spouse, children, grandchildren, stepchildren, parents, grandparents, stepparents, siblings, stepsiblings, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, and in-laws. FCC in-laws include a parent, stepparent, sibling, or stepsibling of a licensee’s spouse. §97.509(d).

Part B — Retest Policy

Setting and enforcing your team’s retest policy

The FCC does not require teams to offer retesting. The TL creates the team’s policy. Three options exist:

No retesting — permitted, and the simplest policy
Retesting allowed, no conditions — applicant may retest immediately
Retesting with conditions — TL may set a minimum failure count or cap attempts

🚫	FCC rule: different exam required for every retest If retesting is offered, the team may never administer the same exam or question set to the applicant during the same session or on a subsequent session on the same day. A different version must be used. §97.509(f) / App. 4 §2.4.2.3.

Part C — Cheating & Accommodation

Cheating

If VEs observe cheating, the exam will not be graded. The Session Leader must: (1) inform the applicant they were observed cheating, (2) inform them they may no longer participate in the session, (3) instruct them to leave the facility, and (4) notify the RC as soon as possible. App. 4 §2.23 and App. 8 §6.1.9.

Accommodation

Applicants may request a large-print exam without proof of visual impairment. App. 8 §6.9.1.
An applicant may request that the exam be read aloud. No documentation required. The Session Leader selects three appropriately qualified VEs, based on their assessment of the VEs’ qualifications. App. 8 §6.9.2–6.9.2.2.
Large-font exams do not contain figure-based questions, making them suitable for read-aloud administration. App. 8 §6.9.2.1.
The three participating VEs take turns reading the questions and all four answer options — this avoids a single VE’s vocal inflection cueing the correct answer. This does not require every VE to read every question: teams may rotate one question at a time (VE 1 reads Q1, VE 2 reads Q2, etc.) or in blocks (VE 1 reads Q1–5, VE 2 reads Q6–10, etc.). App. 8 §6.9.2.3–6.9.2.3.2.
The applicant marks their own answer sheet if able, or one of the three VEs marks it on the applicant’s behalf per the applicant’s stated choice — VEs alternate this duty. Each participating VE signs or indicates by call sign that they administered the exam and recorded the applicant’s answers honestly. App. 8 §6.9.2.4–6.9.2.4.2.

ℹ

Required applicant instructions are a compliance duty, not optional

Before any exam is administered, VEs must give applicants the required verbal instructions covering permitted devices, how to mark and correct the answer sheet, the team’s retest policy, and that exams may be taken in any order with breaks allowed. App. 8 §6.1–6.4. As Team Leader, confirm your VEs actually deliver this script every session — see VEC-01 Lesson 4 for the full required-instructions checklist.

Knowledge Check

A General class VE is present. Applicants are testing for both Technician and General. Which elements may this VE administer?

A. Element 2 only B. Elements 2 and 3 C. Elements 2, 3, and 4 D. None — only Amateur Extra VEs may administer any element in a mixed session

Knowledge Check

A VE’s sibling’s spouse is registering to take Element 2 today. What does the Session Leader do?

A. Allow the VE to participate in monitoring only B. Allow the VE to participate fully — a sibling’s spouse is not covered by the FCC family definition C. Allow the VE to administer the exam but prohibit grading or signing D. Prohibit the VE from participating in any capacity during this session — they may observe but not participate

Knowledge Check

As Team Leader you want to allow unlimited retesting attempts. Is this permitted under FCC rules?

A. No — FCC rules cap retesting at two attempts per element per session B. No — the LARC VEC prohibits offering more than two attempts per element C. Yes — teams may set any retest policy including unlimited attempts, provided each retest uses a different exam version D. Yes — unlimited retests are allowed including reusing the same exam after 30 minutes

Knowledge Check

An applicant requests that their exam be read aloud. They provide no documentation of disability. What is the correct response?

A. Require the applicant to provide documentation of their disability before granting the accommodation B. Grant it — applicants may request a read-aloud exam without proof of disability; the Session Leader selects three qualified VEs to administer it C. Grant it only if the Session Leader personally judges the applicant’s request to be genuine D. Refer the applicant to the Regional Coordinator for approval before proceeding with any accommodation

Knowledge Check

An applicant presents an expired Class C (Conditional) license and a callbook page confirming their information. Class C carried the same operating privileges as Class B (General). What element credit is this applicant entitled to?

A. Element 3 credit — Class C (Conditional) was the pre-modernization equivalent of General class; an expired pre-1987 equivalent license grants Element 3 credit B. No credit — expired licenses from pre-modernization FCC classes are not recognized for element credit C. Element 2 credit only — all expired pre-1987 licenses grant Element 2 credit regardless of original class D. Elements 2 and 3 credit — pre-modernization General equivalent licenses always grant credit for both elements when expired

Knowledge Check

An applicant states he has a cognitive learning disability and requests to take an open-book exam. What is the correct response?

A. Grant the accommodation immediately — FCC Sec. 97.509(k) requires VEs to accommodate any applicant whose disability requires a special examination procedure B. Deny the request outright — the Laurel VEC only accommodates physical disabilities requiring a special exam procedure, not this one C. Grant the accommodation, but only if the applicant can provide a physician’s note at the session today D. Deny the open-book request — the FCC has determined open-book exams are not permitted regardless of disability; advise the applicant that for other accommodation types, a physician’s note and RC notification are required before any commitment can be made

Knowledge Check

A General class VE on your team takes and passes his Amateur Extra exam during your morning session. You have another session this afternoon. Can he administer and grade Amateur Extra class exams?

A. No — regardless of how the afternoon session is structured, he may not participate in any VE capacity until the FCC formally processes and publishes his license upgrade B. Yes — passing the Extra exam gives him full authority to administer, grade, and sign all session documents immediately, whether or not the TL treats the afternoon as a new session C. Only if the TL opens the afternoon as a new, separate session rather than continuing the morning one — and even then, he still can’t sign the Form 605 or CSCE since his upgrade won’t appear in SessionManager until the FCC processes it D. Yes, but only if the Team Leader personally countersigns every document to formally confirm the VE’s newly earned Extra class status

Knowledge Check

An applicant with a neurological processing disorder asks to take their exam in a separate quiet room to minimize distractions. How should you respond?

A. If your venue has space and enough VEs to still monitor the applicant in the separate room — or you can schedule their exam at a quieter time instead — you may accommodate this informally; a separate quiet space does not change the exam itself and does not require a physician’s note or RC notification B. Deny it outright — separate room accommodations are only ever available for applicants with a documented physical disability, per FCC Sec. 97.509(k) C. Follow the full Sec. 6.9.3 process every time — tell the applicant the Laurel VEC cannot commit to anything without further information, and require a physician’s note before granting any accommodation of any kind D. Yes, move them to a separate room even if it means no VE is available to directly monitor them there for the full duration of the exam, since the disorder makes cheating unlikely

Knowledge Check

Three VEs are reading an exam aloud to an applicant. One VE assumes she must personally read every single question before either of the other two VEs can take a turn. Is this correct?

A. Yes — each of the three VEs must personally read every single question aloud before rotating to the next VE B. No — the three VEs may rotate however they choose, such as one question at a time or in blocks of several questions, as long as they take turns C. No — only the most senior VE present at the session is permitted to read questions aloud D. Yes, unless the Session Leader specifically authorizes a different reading rotation in advance

Reference: Full P&P Document →

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