Ed,   
      
   EV>Is the General and Technician Written Test the same?   
      
     Not any more. However, before March 21, 1987, the Technician and   
   General written exam WERE IDENTICAL -- the only difference was a 5 wpm   
   CW exam for the Technician (which you already had, if you had a Novice   
   License beforehand), and a 13 wpm CW exam for the General.   
      
     I've had these experiences at exam sessions (I've been a VE going on   
   11 years now):   
      
   1) If an examinee walks in to the session with a Technician ham radio   
   license that was issued on March 20, 1987 or before, all they have to do   
   is show ID, pay the fee, fill out the paperwork, and they get a CSCE for   
   a General Class license WITHOUT having to take an exam first; basically,   
   it's "grandfathered". This is the ONLY exam that you can get an upgrade   
   for, without testing.   
      
     The caveat is that the license has to be CURRENT -- if it has lapsed   
   (it's expired more than 2 years (item 2 below), they go to category 2B   
   below.   
      
   2) If an examinee walks in to the session with a lapsed (expired more   
   than 2 years) license, the term of the license class determines what   
   "prior credit" they have.   
      
   A) If it was a Novice or Technician Class license, they have NOTHING --   
   as if they had never taken an exam (no license or callsign -- which is   
   the case for anyone whose license has lapsed). They show their ID, pay   
   the fee, fill out the paperwork, and have to take and pass the   
   Technician Exam to be back into the hobby. They are issued a CSCE for a   
   Technician Class license.   
      
   B) If it was a General Class license, or a lapsed Technician Class   
   license that was issued on March 20, 1987 or before...they have credit   
   for Element 3, the General Exam (proof of such is required). However,   
   without the lower level (Element 2 Technician), they have NOTHING. So,   
   they have to show their ID, pay the fee, fill out the paperwork, then   
   take and pass the Technician exam. They are then issued a CSCE for a   
   General Class license.   
      
   C) If it was an Advanced Class license, the credit is the same as item   
   2B above (proof of such is required). However, since the Advanced Class   
   license was discontinued in April, 2000 (as was the Novice Class   
   license), they are DOWNGRADED to General, and are basically the same as   
   item 2B above.   
      
   D) If it was an Amateur Extra Class license, they have credit for   
   Element 3, the General exam...and Element 4, the Amateur Extra exam   
   (proof of such is required). However, without Element 2, the Technician   
   exam, they have NOTHING. So, they have to show their ID, pay the fee,   
   fill out the paperwork, then take and pass the Techician exam. They   
   are then issued a CSCE for an Amateur Extra Class license.   
      
     With items 2A through 2D above, they will get a new license and   
   callsign about 2 weeks after the exam. If they don't see their license   
   in the FCC ULS after 2 weeks, then they need to call the VEC, or the VE   
   Team Leader, and find out what the delay is.   
      
     If their former callsign is still available under the vanity callsign   
   system, they can apply for it, but they have to wait at least 21 days   
   before it's granted.   
      
   Daryl, WX1DER, ARRL/VEC Amateur Extra Class VE   
      
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