Pages: [1]   Go Down

Author Topic: Questions about your club's license test prep classes...  (Read 318 times)

WD0EGC

  • Member
  • Posts: 49
Questions about your club's license test prep classes...
« on: August 09, 2022, 03:40:35 AM »

Just a wide-open set of questions about the status of your club's license test prep classes.  Did you stop during the covid lock-down?  Have you started again?  Do you do them by Zoom?  How is demand for classes?

My club had a good in-person program pre-covid (2 Tech, 1 or 2 General, 1 Extra class per year), but we've been shut down since March 2020.  We've tried to get things going again, but suspect that demand has dropped a lot.

How's it going for your club?  Thanks, Jay WS0Y (formerly WD0EGC)
Logged

GRUMPY2021

  • Posts: 280
    • HomeURL
Re: Questions about your club's license test prep classes...
« Reply #1 on: August 09, 2022, 04:09:48 AM »

License test prep classes?   Our clique, I mean "club" never bothered.   People have found easier more convenient ways to do everything post covid and don't feel a need to go back.   In person meetings are becoming so 2019.   
Logged

K4IA

  • Member
  • Posts: 80
Re: Questions about your club's license test prep classes...
« Reply #2 on: August 09, 2022, 05:20:36 AM »

Stop doing the 10 weeks of rehashing the question pool.  Use my EasyWayHamBooks and let the students read their way through.  Class is 45 minutes of answering questions and 45 minutes of demo (sell the sizzle).  Maximum of 6 classes. 
Logged

WA9AFM

  • Member
  • Posts: 977
Re: Questions about your club's license test prep classes...
« Reply #3 on: August 09, 2022, 07:28:34 AM »

Our club met at a local community college.  We had a great relationship and conducted several Tech classes.  The school went into lockdown, thus our Tech classes were cancelled.  We finally resumed meetings and were ready to hold a class when we were told the new administration wanted to start charging non-affiliated organizations to use the facilities.  We have moved to a different location and are working to resume classes.

We teach the material, not the test.  Too many folks are studying the test, i.e. repetitive practice exams, but not the material.  Thus, they have no system knowledge when they get their license (if they get a license).  If you know the material, you will pass the test.
Logged

WD0EGC

  • Member
  • Posts: 49
Re: Questions about your club's license test prep classes...
« Reply #4 on: August 09, 2022, 03:29:41 PM »

We teach the material, not the test.  Too many folks are studying the test, i.e. repetitive practice exams, but not the material.  Thus, they have no system knowledge when they get their license (if they get a license).  If you know the material, you will pass the test.

We have used the Ham Radio School curriculum and Power Point slides, which covers the principles in good detail before going through the test questions.  It takes us 6 sessions for the Tech, 8 for the General, and the students do well on the tests.  But, maybe in-person classes are "so 2019," as Mr. Grumpy says, I guess time will tell.
Logged

KA4GFY

  • Member
  • Posts: 72
Re: Questions about your club's license test prep classes...
« Reply #5 on: August 11, 2022, 05:56:09 AM »

Our club had just started a class when our area went into lockdown.  So, we switched to teaching via Zoom and haven't looked back.  It has worked very well.  We have students from up and down the Eastern Seaboard taking our classes.  The best part about using Zoom is that we can teach both a Technician class and a General class at the same time using different rooms.

Like WA9AFM said, we teach the material, not the test.  Our students usually do very well on the exams.  Most get at least 30 questions correct on the exam.  Those that didn't were the ones who skipped most of the classes.   It shows. 

Some people need the structure of a weekly class to learn something new.  Some people can read it on their own and learn.  I do believe the online question generator sites are good for seeing where you are in your test preparation.  I don't suggest using those as your only test preparation tool.   

At the end of class, we do offer an in-person exam for people who live in the area.  For the folks who live outside the area, they have been very resourceful in locating exam sessions, usually in-person.  They all report passing their exams.

73,
Rich, KA4GFY

   
Logged

KC3TEC

  • Posts: 150
    • HomeURL
Re: Questions about your club's license test prep classes...
« Reply #6 on: November 23, 2022, 06:26:36 PM »

Our club teaches the material as well.
Our repeater coordinator is an extra with morse endorsement as well as a crack electronics specialist.
He includes a short excersize in cw for those wishing to participate.
They try to schedule test sessions when VE's are available.
It is my goal to get extra and VE so we will have at least one local VE.
While we cover a lot of area our president told me that going for VE will be a godsend for our area.
Logged

WA3SKN

  • Member
  • Posts: 8124
Re: Questions about your club's license test prep classes...
« Reply #7 on: November 28, 2022, 09:01:34 AM »

Training went to Zoom, but testing stayed in-person scheduled and at the clubhouse.
And for now will stay that way.

-Mike.
Logged
Pages: [1]   Go Up