In-Person VE testing is effectively shut down. Remote VE testing is available from Anchorage VEC but delays of up to 60 days may be encountered by applicants.
With COVID-19, nearly every VEC is or is about to be shut down. Then we have the Anchorage ARC VEC. They are the only VEC that actively performs remote testing and thereby are the ONLY VEC still offering exams at least through May 1, assuming all other VECs cancel their regularly scheduled in-person VE sessions due to social distancing guidelines.
Anchorage ARC VEC is taking on more remote test sessions to help during the pandemic, but despite their best efforts, and due to unprecedented circumstances, they’re not able to effectively manage testing for basically the entire country (which is usually distributed between 14 other VECs), remotely, at high levels.
While they are accepting applications for remote testing, Anchorage ARC VEC Chairman Brandin Hess, AL6I warns applicants that delays of up to 60 days may be encountered. Please visit https://kl7aa.org/vec/remote-testing/ for more information.
I’m currently trying to look for ways help expand their testing and promote remote testing to other VECs, but what’s normally not a significant burden has turned into a full time volunteer job for those guys overnight.
You might think their operation is scalable by adding more VEs, but that is not the case. Anchorage VEC is not processing applications for new remote testing VEs at this time. Chairman Hess indicates that the Anchorage ARC VEC will re-evaluate the situation on or around May 1st and a decision to resume in-person testing sessions will be made at that time, via blog post on the Anchorage Amateur Radio Club web site.
All of this is subject to change as the situation materializes.
