Jim Haynie asked us to review how the Question Pool Committee (QPC) works. The QPC is a committee of the National Conference of Volunteer Examiners (NCVEC). The committee is charged with developing the syllabus (broad topics) and question pools (specific questions, along with answers and distractors) for each amateur license class. Although technically each VEC could develop its own question pool, all of the VECs use question pools developed by the QPC to the benefit of examiners and examinees. So it's important that everyone involved in the process cooperate and work positively, and that the end result is something that everyone can support. There are currently four QPC members: Bart Jahnke/ARRL VEC, Fred Maia/W5YI VEC, Scotty Neustadter, W4WW/Central America VEC and John Johnston, W3BE/Laurel VEC. Scotty is the Chairman. The QPC members are appointed by the individual VECs (only four VECs currently have appointed a participant to the QPC), and at NCVEC annual meetings the QPC typically gets an annual vote of confidence from the whole. The syllabus and question pool for each test element comes up for review periodically. Currently that's every 4 years. QPC members first discuss syllabus topics internally and ask for public input on the syllabus. Once the syllabus is finalized, they develop questions and answers for each of the syllabus topics. (Again based on internal discussions and external suggestions.) The entire process runs for about a year for each exam element. The new Extra pool was finalized last December for use July 1, 2002. The new Technician question pool is scheduled for completion in December 2002 for use beginning July 1, 2003 and the new General pool will be completed for use July 1, 2004. ARRL HQ staff including Bart Jahnke, Wayne Irwin and Larry Wolfgang spend a considerable amount of time developing our input to the process. Bart heads up that effort and handles interaction with the QPC. They involve other staffers as necessary to consult on specialized topics. For example, Lab staff may contribute to the technical aspects. Membership Services staff may help with operating topics. The document from Fred Maia that Jim forwarded to ODV last week was Fred's proposed revision to the Technician syllabus. ARRL staff submitted its comments to the committee on Friday. We expect the QPC to deliberate on and then release the new Technician syllabus in the next ten days. Our position is that the current Technician syllabus has served us well since the early 1990s. Although some revision is always needed to reflect changes in Amateur Radio, wholesale changes to the subject matter are not required. We do not support Fred Maia's proposal to remove all math from the syllabus and are comfortable with the level of math required by the present syllabus. As someone noted, the high pass rate for the current exams contradicts the "it's too tough" viewpoint. Although we are only one of four committee members working in a consensus environment, our input is generally given great weight. Bart and crew have been through this process a number of times and are adept at promoting ARRL's position in a constructive way. 73, Mark K1RO and Bart, W9JJ