[TIPSdiscussion] Fw: ARLB016 FCC Denies Petition to Increase Size of Amateur Radio Question Pools

From: "Anne" <anne_k1stm@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <tipsdiscussion@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Fri, 20 Mar 2009 17:38:09 -0500
----- Original Message -----
From: "ARRL Web site" <memberlist@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <k1stm@xxxxxxxxxxx>
Cc: <Subscribed ARRL Members:>
Sent: Friday, March 20, 2009 8:32 AM
Subject: ARLB016 FCC Denies Petition to Increase Size of Amateur Radio
Question Pools


> SB QST @ ARL $ARLB016
> ARLB016 FCC Denies Petition to Increase Size of Amateur Radio
> Question Pools
>
> ZCZC AG16
> QST de W1AW
> ARRL Bulletin 16  ARLB016
> From ARRL Headquarters
> Newington CT  March 20, 2009
> To all radio amateurs
>
> SB QST ARL ARLB016
> ARLB016 FCC Denies Petition to Increase Size of Amateur Radio
> Question Pools
>
> In April 2008, Michael Mancuso, KI4NGN, of Raleigh, North Carolina,
> filed a petition with the FCC, seeking to increase the size of the
> question pools that make up the Amateur Radio licensing exams.
> Mancuso sought to increase the question pool from 10 times the
> number of questions on an exam to 50 times more questions. On March
> 19, 2009, the Commission notified Mancuso that it was denying his
> petition.
>
> In his 2008 petition, Mancuso claimed that the current question pool
> is too easy to memorize and "that there has been a significant
> increase in the number of Amateur Radio operators receiving their
> licenses over at least the last decade or more who do not appear to
> possess the knowledge indicated by the class of license that they
> have received. Most discussion about this topic, both on the air and
> on Internet forums, generally refers to these widespread
> observations as the 'dumbing down' of Amateur Radio. It has been
> widely assumed that the cause of this observed situation is based
> upon the subject material addressed by the license examinations,
> that the material requirements specified for the examinations does
> [sic] not meet some minimum level of knowledge expected by some or
> many in the Amateur Radio community."
>
> The FCC pointed out to Mancuso that each applicant for a new or
> upgraded Amateur Radio operator license "is required to pass a
> written examination in order to prove that he or she possesses the
> operational and technical qualifications required to perform
> properly the duties of an amateur service operator licensee, i.e.,
> that he or she is qualified to be an amateur service licensee."
>
> The Commission summed up Mancuso's petition, saying, "You argue that
> the current question pool size is no longer adequate, because online
> practice examinations enable examinees to memorize a question pool
> without fully comprehending the subject matter being tested.
> Consequently, you propose to increase the size of the question
> pools, in order to hinder memorization."
>
> The Commission concluded that Mancuso did not present grounds for
> the Commission to amend its rules: "As noted above, the purpose of
> the examinations is not to demonstrate an applicant's comprehension
> of certain material, but rather to determine whether he or she can
> properly operate an amateur station. Moreover, your contention that
> there has been 'a significant increase in the number of Amateur
> Radio operators...who do not appear to possess the knowledge
> indicated by their class of license' is not supported by any data or
> facts."
>
> The FCC pointed out to Mancuso that the Commission's Rules only
> dictate the minimum number of questions for each question pool for
> the three Amateur Radio license classes. This, the Commission told
> Mancuso, "does not prevent the National Conference of Volunteer
> Examiner Coordinators (NCVEC) from increasing the number of
> questions in a question pool should it decide that this is
> appropriate. We conclude, therefore, that the petition presents no
> evidence of an existing problem or other reason for a rule change."
> NNNN
> /EX
>

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[TIPSdiscussion] Fw: ARLB016 FCC Denies Petition to Increase Size of Amateur Radio Question Pools

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