The format and name of the RAE (Radio Amateurs Examination) has changed. It is now known as the Radio Communications Examination (RCE) and the only entry to the hobby is by way of the Foundation Licence, then progressing to the Intermediate and on to the Advanced Licence.
 

Study material, as detailed below, to use with the RNIB Talking Book machine, plus tapes or MP3 files on CD Rom, is available for a small fee from Kelvin Marsh M0AID.

Foundation Licence Now, BR68/F, and Foundation syllabus, available on 4 audio cassettes or 1 data CD. The data CD contains MP3 files and may be listened to on either a DAISY or a SYMPHONY player as well as a PC.

The CD can be used to produce 5 audio CDs by anyone with a CD writer installed in their PC.

Intermediate Licence, Building on the Foundation, available on 1 data CD. This CD can also be used to produce 8 audio CDs.

The Advanced Licence is also available on data CD.

DAISY players are available from the RNIB's talking book service and allow a visually impaired or blind person to listen to many hours of pre-recorded material.

The player allows skipping between tracks, or in this case, pages, and bookmarks can be set to allow an easy return to a study point.
 

SYMPHONY players are available from the BWBF and also allow the listener to pause and return to the same point provided the CD is not changed.

Special Needs

In any instance of a candidate needing special examination requirements the RCE Department must be informed.

Practical assessments

At Foundation and Intermediate level there are practical assessments to be considered, for any assessment that can not be completed in the usual way due to a disability as long as the Instructor is happy that the candidate understands the process and can talk their way through the process then their assessment sheet can be signed off.

For example one of the practical assessments at Intermediate level is to demonstrate the ability to make good soldered joints, a blind candidate could talk through the process of soldering to their Instructor and as long as the Instructor feels happy that with sight the candidate would be able to solder correctly and safely then that assessment can be marked off.

The Examination

 Candidates needing special examination requirements are catered for according to their individual requirements.

 Blind and Partially Sighted Candidates can be offered a

-          paper without diagrams

-          reader / writer

-          home examination

-          time extension of 10 minutes at Foundation level,

           15 minutes at Intermediate and

           20 minutes at Advanced level. 

Dyslexic Candidates can be offered a

-          question paper printed on coloured paper

-          reader / writer in severe cases

-          time extension as detailed above.

Physically Disabled Candidates can be offered a

-          home examination

-          time extension as detailed above.

For candidates needing special examination requirements, which are arranged by the club, a covering letter must be submitted with the request for examination papers. 

The RSGB may cater for these requirements for example a reader / writer in which case a minimum of 28 days notice is required.  

When readers / writers are provided for candidates with special examination requirements,

an Invigilator must also be present.

Candidates who can read and write should take the examination in the normal way.

Reproduced with the kind permission of the RSGB (c) RSGB 2007