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GENERAL RADIO OPERATORS LICENSE (GROL) (PG)

A PG is required to adjust, maintain, or internally repair FCC
licensed radiotelephone transmitters in the aviation, maritime, and
international fixed public radio services.

WEB ADDRESS: http://wireless.fcc.gov/commoperators/testing.html

http://wireless.fcc.gov/commoperators/
THE FCC DOES NOT ADMINISTER COMMERCIAL OPERATOR LICENSE
EXAMINATIONS. To obtain a new or upgraded FCC commercial operator
license, you must pass an examination administered by a COLE
Manager. The COLE Managers listed below are authorized by the FCC
to administer examinations nationwide and, in some instances, at
foreign sites. Upon passing the examination(s), the COLE Manager
will issue you one or more Proof of Passing Certificates (PPC)
that you include with your license application package that you
or the issuing COLE manager files with the FCC.

BFT TRAINING UNLIMITED INC: 1318 Redwood Way, Suite 220,
Petaluma, CA 94954. All elements are available at regularly
scheduled times or by appointment from 150 examiners throughout
most of the United States and U.S. Territories, as well other
locations by prior arrangement. Fee: $75.00 per 1-2 exam
elements, with a minimum fee of $75.00 per exam. Contact: J.
David Byrd PHONE: 800-821-0906 or 707-792-5678 FAX: 707-792-5677
Internet: www.elkinstraining.com E-mail: [email protected]

ELECTRONIC TECHNICIANS ASSOCIATION INTERNATIONAL, INC. 502 North
Jackson St., Greencastle, IN 46135 All elements are available at
test sites located throughout all states, including all U. S.
military installations (DANTES). Call for schedule information.
Examinations are also available by appointment. Fee: $50.00 per 1
or 2 exam elements. Contact: Richard Glass PHONE: 765-653-4301
or 1-800-288-3824 FAX: 765-653-4287 Internet: www.eta-sda.com,
E-mail: [email protected]

ELKINS INTERNATIONAL, INC. P.O. Box 797666, Dallas, TX 75379
Examinations for all elements are available at regular scheduled
times or by appointment at Elkins' test centers throughout the
United States, American Territories and installations overseas.
Fee: $25.00 per element, with a minimum of $50 per exam session.
Contact: Laura Elkins PHONE: 888-621-8876, E-mail:
[email protected]

INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY OF CERTIFIED ELECTRONICS TECHNICIANS
(ISCET),3608 Pershing Avenue, Fort Worth, TX 76107-4527 All
elements are available by appointment from 360 examiners in 47
states, Guam, and selected foreign countries. (Alaska, Vermont,
and Wyoming not presently available.) Fee: $35.00 - 75.00.
Contact: Alice Brown - Dept. 19 PHONE: 817-921-9101 FAX: 817-921-
3741 Internet: www.iscet.org, E-mail: [email protected]

LASERGRADE COMPUTER TESTING, INC, 821 SE McGillivray, Ste 201,
Vancouver, WA 98683. All written elements are available at more
than 500 sites throughout North America and internationally. Fee:
$60.00 for the first element and $30.00 for up to two additional
elements per day. Computer based testing is offered on a daily
basis throughout the year. Contact: Linda Small PHONE: 800-211-
2753 FAX: 360-891-0958 Internet: www.lasergrade.com, E-mail:
[email protected]

MARINE TECHNICAL INSTITUTE,1915 S. Andrews Avenue, Fort
Lauderdale, FL 33316, All elements are available daily by
appointment at test sites in fifteen states. Fee: $50.00 for the
first 2 Elements (minimum sitting fee $50.) and $25.00 for each
additional Element per sitting. Contact : David Greenspan PHONE:
954-525-1014 FAX: 954-764-0431 E-mail: [email protected]

THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF RADIO TELECOMMUNICATIONS ENGINEERS,
INC. (NARTE) P.O. Box 678, Medway, MA 02053. Fed Ex: 167 Village
Street, Medway, MA 02053. All written elements are available at
more than 270 civilian and military testing centers in the US and
worldwide. Testing available quarterly and by appointment
(depending on location). Fee: $40.00 for up to 3 exam Elements.
Call for schedule and registration information. Contact: Sandy
Felone - FCC Examination Registration and testing site
information PHONE: 1-800-89-NARTE or 508-533-8333 FAX: 508-533-
3815 Internet: www.narte.org E-mail: [email protected]

NATIONAL RADIO EXAMINERS, P.O. Box 565206, Dallas, TX 75356-5206.
UPS or Fed Ex: 2000 E. Randol Mill Rd., Suite 608-A, Arlington,
TX 76011. All examination elements are available at more than 250
test centers across the US and in some foreign countries. Fast
electronic filing to the FCC results in almost immediate receipt
of license. Fee: $35.00 per license Contact: Larry Pollock PHONE:
817-860-3800 FAX: 817-548-9594 Internet: www.radioexaminers.com
E-mail: [email protected]

SEA SCHOOL, 8440 4th Street North, St. Petersburg, FL 33702. All
elements are available by appointment in 83 coastal cities and
at 200 airport cities around the country. Fee: $25.00 - $55.00
Contact: Mary Foster PHONE: 1-800-237-8663 FAX: 727-522-3155
Internet: www.seaschool.com E-mail:[email protected]
Examinations

To obtain an FCC Commercial Operator License, applicants must
submit, to the Commission, proof of passing written and/or
telegraphy Elements as illustrated in the following table.
Each Element is described after the table.

Type of License Written Elements Telegraphy Elements

First Class Radiotelegraphy Operator's Cert 1, 5, 6 3, 4

Second Class Radiotelegraphy Operator's Cert 1, 5, 6 1, 2

Third Class Radiotelegraphy Operator's Cert 1, 5 1, 2

General Radiotelephone Operator's License 1, 3

Marine Radio Operator's Permit 1

GMDSS Radio Operator's License 1, 7

GMDSS Radio Maintainer's License 1, 3, 9

Ship Radar Endorsement 8

WRITTEN EXAMINATION ELEMENTS

* Element 1 - Basic radio law and operating practice with which
every maritime radio operator should be familiar. To pass, an
examinee must correctly answer at least 18 out of 24 questions.

* Element 3 - General Radiotelephone. Electronic fundamentals and
techniques required to adjust, repair, and maintain radio
transmitters and receivers. The exam consists of questions from
the following categories: operating procedures, radio wave
propagation, radio practice, electrical principles, circuit
components, practical circuits, signals and emissions, and
antennas and feed lines. To pass, an examinee must correctly
answer at least 57 out of 76 questions.

* Element 5 - Radiotelegraph Operating Procedure. Radio operating
procedures and practices generally followed or required in
communicating by means of radiotelegraph stations. To pass, an
examinee must correctly answer at least 38 out of 50 questions.

* Element 6 - Advanced Radiotelegraph. Technical, legal, and
other matters applicable to the operation of all classes of
radiotelegraph stations. To pass, an examinee must correctly
answer at least 75 out of 100 questions.

* Element 7 - GMDSS Radio Operating Practices. GMDSS radio
operating procedures and practices sufficient to show detailed
practical knowledge of the operation of all GMDSS sub-systems and
equipment. The exam consists of questions from the following
categories: general information, narrow band direct printing,
INMARSAT, NAVTEX, digital selective calling, and survival craft.
To pass, an examinee must correctly answer at least 57 out of 76
questions.

* Element 8 - Ship Radar Techniques. Specialized theory and
practice applicable to the proper installation, servicing, and
maintenance of ship radar equipment in general use for marine
navigation purposes. To pass, an examinee must correctly answer
at least 38 out of 50 questions.

* Element 9 - GMDSS Radio Maintenance Practices and Procedures.
Requirements set forth in IMO assembly on Training for Radio
Personnel (GMDSS), Annex 5 and IMO Assembly on Radio Maintenance
Guidelines for the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System
related to Sea Areas A3 and A4. The exam consists of questions
from the following categories: radio system theory, amplifiers,
power sources, troubleshooting, digital theory, and GMDSS
equipment and regulations. To pass, an examinee must correctly
answer at least 38 out of 50 questions.

TELEGRAPHY EXAMINATION ELEMENTS

* Element 1 - 16 code groups per minute.

* Element 2 - 20 code groups per minute.

* Element 3 - 20 code groups per minute.

* Element 4 - 25 code groups per minute.

Telegraphy exams consist of both transmitting and receiving
tests. Examinees must copy by ear and send by hand plain text and
code groups in the inter- national Morse code using all the
letters of the alphabet, numerals 0-9, period, comma, question
mark, slant mark, and prosigns AR, BT, and SK. Examinees must
copy and send at the required speeds for one continuous minute
without making any errors. Each test lasts approximately five
minutes. The failing of any code test automatically terminates
the examination.

Code speeds are computed using five letters per word or code
group. Punctuation symbols and numbers count as two letters each.

Examinees may use their own typewriter to copy the 25 words-per-
minute receiving test, but must copy tests at lower speeds by
hand. Likewise, examinees may use their own semi-automatic key to
send the 25 word-per-minute sending test, but must send tests at
lower speeds using a hand key.

The Commission will grant credit for Telegraphy Elements 1 and 2
to applicants who hold an unexpired (or within the grace period)
FCC-issued Amateur Extra Class operator license.

TAKING A WRITTEN EXAMINATION

You must decide for yourself how to prepare for an examination.
The marine permit and basic radiotelegraph exams are relatively
simple. They may require only a few hours of study. The general
radiotelephone, GMDSS operator and maintainer, advanced
radiotelegraph, and radar examinations are more difficult and
require a knowledge of electronics. Electronics can be studied
through engineering and trade schools, correspondence courses,
military or employee training programs, or your own efforts.

The question pools, with answers, are available for downloading.
Each Element questions and associated figures) is completely
contained within a self extracting .ZIP file named element?.exe,
i.e., the Element 7 question pool is contained in a file called
element7.exe. The website for downloading:
http://www.fcc.gov/Bureaus/Wireless/Informal/

There are several commercially prepared study guides that cover
FCC examinations. Some are question and answer manuals based on
the official question pools. While most of these publications
include explanations which are de- signed to educate, a few
emphasize rote memorization of specific questions and answers.
Such "memory texts" may give you the impression that you can pass
the FCC examinations without learning the subject material. This
is not true. The FCC periodically changes exam questions to
maintain their integrity. You can maximize your chances of
achieving a passing score by mastering the subjects involved.

The FCC does not certify schools or review study materials.
Consequently, the FCC will not recommend any particular school or
publication. Adequate study materials are available in bookstores
and public libraries.

This e-mail contains an attachment that is in ".pdf" format. If you are unable to open this attachment, it is most likely because your computer doesn't have Adobe Reader, which is the program needed to open these types of files. You can install a free copy of Adobe Reader from the Adobe Web site at http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html.

Rep Number : TSR09
Mailout Attachment Name : COLEMS1.PDF (see attachment <COLEMS1.PDF>)