I have to confess that shortly after the code exam started I became frustrated and dropped my pencil ready to give up. That caused the guy beside me to stop printing, which made me realize that I was distracting the group.
At least you realized that this was distracting others, and stopped.
When I was testing for Extra, I had just finished passing the Advanced and Extra written tests and moved over to the area that was giving the Morse test. There were eight of us at the table, IIRC. One of the hams taking the test wanted to use a keyboard. This was his third time taking the 20 WPM test. So they brought out a computer or terminal with a keyboard. It was a bit annoying to everyone because, he was only getting ever couple of characters. So there were odd clicks and clacks. Finally, he gave a grunt and pushed the terminal to the side and grabbed a pencil. He fussed around through the rest of the test
None of this bothered me. I was nice and calm and didn't have any problems observing him, and copying at the same time. To me, he was just a bit of QRM. But I think it upset the rest of the hams being tested. While we were copying, I could see that the others at the table were having a hard time concentrating. In the end, I was the only one at the table that passed (100% copy). The other guys should have asked for a retest, without the other guy around.
Great story!
I had a rather different experience...
Back-when, the FCC Examiner was very explicit about the code tests. You got 5 minutes of code, and when the code stopped, you put your pencil DOWN. You did not go back and fix or fill in, and The Examiner would not ask you questions on your copy. It had to be legible to him. This was all spelled out in detail by The Examiner before the test started. You had to send, too, and all the FCC provided was a J-38 straight key and oscillator.
I went from Novice to Advanced in early summer 1968, at 14 years old, licensed for less than a year. 1968 was the summer before I entered high school. So how hard could the tests have really been back then?
The Advanced license arrived in due time, and I had full privileges for a few weeks until November 22, 1968, when the "incentive licensing" rules went into effect.
I was ready for the Extra by mid-1969, but the 2 years' experience requirement made me wait until that late summer day in 1970. On the first day when I could try the Extra, I was there at the FCC office well before the 8 AM start time, to be sure to get a spot.
The waiting room was pretty full that day, and at 16 years old I was the youngest one there by far.
Right at 8 AM The Examiner came into the waiting room and asked if anyone was there for 20 wpm code. Only my hand went up - I was the only one there for the Extra.
The Examiner motioned for me to follow him into the exam room, and left everyone else waiting.
For code testing there was a big table with chairs around it. The Examiner unlocked a file cabinet, and took out paper, pencils, headphones, key, code machine, and paper tapes for the code machine, arranging them all on the table, and pointing to where I should sit.
The code machine they used in the Philly office was a small thing that used punched paper tape. It ran on batteries and had an oscillator built in. Speed was changed by changing the drive spindle for the paper tape.
The Examiner gave the standard speech about 5 minutes of code, 1 minute of correct consecutive legible copy, and putting your pencil DOWN after the code stopped. I'd done this twice before, but everyone got the standard speech, so no one could claim they didn't understand the procedure. To pass 20 wpm required 100 consecutive legible characters or more.
He asked "Ready?" I put on the phones and nodded.
He started the machine, and the code was loud and clear in the phones. I started copying in big block letters, getting every character. This was certainly easier than trying to copy CW NTS message traffic through summer QRN and QRM.
The Examiner watched me from across the table. Then he came around behind me, watching over my shoulder as I copied. Then he walked back around the table and looked at the code machine. All the while I was copying the code, trying to concentrate, trying not to miss any, and to make the copy legible. If I messed this up, it would be a long time before I could try again, because summer break would be over.
Then The Examiner shut the machine off! I looked up - only about 90 seconds had gone by - two minutes at most! Was I in trouble? What about the 5 minutes of code?
The Examiner then said "That was pretty easy, huh, kid?"
All I could manage was "I guess so...."
"It should be" he replied. "That was only 13 words per minute. Here's 20"
And he quickly produced another drive spindle and swapped it with the one in the machine. Then he restarted the machine, and the REAL test began. The code came much faster, and all I could do was write it down as best I could. That time I got the full five minutes, and when the code stopped, I put the pencil down and The Examiner took the paper.
After a few moments, he said "You passed".
Then it was sending on the J-38 at 20 per - no big deal; all I had at home then was a J-37 straight key anyway. Passed that, and then it was time for the written. During the written test, other hopefuls were allowed into the exam room.
I passed the written and went home to wait for the Extra license to arrive.
I will never know if The Examiner simply forgot to change the drive spindle that morning so long ago, or if he was trying to rattle me. Either way, I passed, and soon after started 11th grade.
I wasn't an unusual case; there were Advanceds and Extras much younger than me back then. Today there are Extras in elementary school, some whose ages aren't even double-digits yet.
It's been 51 years since that summer of 1970 when I earned the Extra - without some nice Elmer/mentor spoon feeding me, nor any formal radio training or handouts.
And yes, I could still pass all those tests today - or the current ones - with zero preparation. Nothing to it. Piece of cake. Bring 'em on!
73 de Jim, N2EY