In article t, "Dwight
Stewart" writes:

"KØHB" wrote:

Nope, you keep getting it wrong, Dwight.
I'd also drop the Extra examination, and
institute a **new** Class A examination,
similar in difficulty (but with obviously
different content) than the current Extra.


I don't think so, Hans. You're advocating a test "similar in difficulty"
to the Extra. However, an Extra hasn't just taken that one test - he also
took the Tech and General prior to that.

Depending on when someone gets their Extra, they may have taken as many as 5
separate written tests (Novice, Tech, General, Advanced, Extra - March 1987 to
April 2000) or as few as two (General and Extra, 1951 to 1967)

The total number of questions has varied similarly, but the current total is
the lowest since the 1951 restructuring.

The material on each test is
different, with later tests building on the material in the earlier tests.

Depends on the subject.

To cover the same material an Extra has covered today ("similar
difficulty"), your new test would have to include the material covered in
all three current tests (with over 120 questions in one sitting).

"Similar difficulty" doesn't mean the same material. Obviously a lot of the
basics would be covered in the Class B. And with the simplified structure, some
of the questions like subbands-by-license-class would go away.

However, since the Class B would be a simplified test, the Class A would
probably need to be 150 questions...

So, are
you advocating that, advocating some type of reduced content test (less
questions), or did you simply forget the material on the first two tests?

I suggest something different.

There's no need to retest what has been already tested.

Also, a big test should be broken down into pieces-by-subject and graded that
way. IOW, a safety part, a regs part, a theory part, etc. And you have to pass
each part (subelement) to pass the test - aceing the theory shouldn't allow you
to get all the safety questions wrong, for example.

--

Related question for Hans: Would existing Extras get Class A licenses
automatically, or would they have to retest?

73 de Jim, N2EY