12/07/2023

The National Conference of Volunteer Examiner Coordinators[1] (NCVEC) Question
Pool Committee[2] (QPC) has released the 2024 - 2028 Extra-Class FCC Element 4
Question Pool Syllabus to the public. The new Extra-Class Question Pool is
effective from July 1, 2024, through June 30, 2028[3].

The 2024 - 2028 pool is available as a Microsoft Word document and as a PDF.
The 10 graphics required for the new Extra-Class Question Pool are available
within the documents or separately in PDF and JPG file formats.

ARRL VEC Manager Maria Somma, AB1FM, and member of the NCVEC QPC, said, "The
new pool incorporates significant changes compared to the 2020 - 2024 version.
We carefully went over the pool for technical accuracy, relevancy to today's
amateur radio practices, syntax, grammar, style, format, and clarity and
redundancy within and between the pools. With these goals in mind, 82 new
questions were created, and 101 questions were eliminated, resulting in a
reduction [of] the number of questions from 622 to 603. Over 350 questions were
modified. We considered a question modified when the knowledge being tested was
not changed but wording was improved, or answers or distractors were replaced."

Somma advised that "the newly revised pool must be used for Extra-class license
exams starting July 1, 2024. New test designs will be available to ARRL
Volunteer Examiners[4] (VEs) on that date. The ARRL VEC will supply its
officially appointed, field-stocked VE teams with new Extra-class exam booklet
designs[5] around mid-June."

Extra-class examination candidates preparing for their exams using the 12th
edition of The ARRL Extra Class License Manual[6] or the 5th edition of ARRL's
Extra Q & A[7] are encouraged to test on or before June 30, 2024. New editions
of ARRL licensing publications will be available in May for exams taken on or
after July 1, 2024.

[1] https://www.ncvec.org/
[2] https://www.ncvec.org/index.php/question-pool-committee
[3] https://www.ncvec.org/index.php/2024-2028-extra-class-question-pool-release
[4] https://www.arrl.org/volunteer-examiners
[5] https://www.arrl.org/vec-exam-booklets
[6] https://home.arrl.org/action/Store/Product-Details/productId/120286
[7] https://home.arrl.org/action/Store/Product-Details/productId/120287

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