This post is part of Getting Licensed: A Beginner’s Path Into Ham Radio.
I run VE sessions regularly now, and I still remember not knowing this was even something an ordinary licensed ham could do. It is, and the barrier to entry is lower than people expect.
The Basic Requirements
You need to be a General class licensee or higher to accredit for Technician and General exams, and Extra class to accredit for all three. You also need to be at least 18 years old. That’s it on the FCC’s side, there’s no separate VE exam to pass.
Picking a VEC
Volunteer Examiner Coordinators like ARRL/VEC and W5YI accredit and organize VEs. Most people go with whichever VEC their local club or the online testing platform they want to work with already uses, since accreditation processes and required forms vary slightly by VEC. Fill out the accreditation application, agree to the required code of conduct, and you’re generally accredited within a few weeks.
Your First Session
Most new VEs shadow an experienced session first, whether in-person or through an online platform like ExamTools, before running one solo. You’ll learn the actual mechanics fast: verifying candidate identity, administering the correct element, handling CSCE paperwork, and submitting results. It’s not complicated, but doing it once alongside someone who’s run dozens of sessions saves you from the small mistakes everyone makes the first time.
Why It’s Worth Doing
Every new ham you test is someone who might not have gotten licensed without a session being available. VE teams are chronically thin in a lot of areas, and if you’re already invested enough in this hobby to be reading a site like this one, you’re exactly the kind of person the exam pipeline needs.