Advanced Course Length

Alan Betts G0HIQ, joint author of the RSGB's "Advance! The Full Licence Manual" was asked how long an Advanced course should be. He gave this reply.

I ran an advanced course in 13 weeks last year through the Bromley Adult Education College. It was not long enough. Everybody passed, but they were a good bunch and keen.
We all felt the pressure.

I now plan an 18 week (2 hour course). That is quite an increase. Why?

Unless a club can run a semi continuous course such that students start the advanced soon after finishing Intermediate or unless students really do revise Intermediate in the month before joining a course, then there is a fair bit of catching up to do.

Also, and what is not often realised, the Foundation and Intermediate are mainly recall facts; the Advanced calls for a great deal of understanding and the questions do search the understanding. They are not of the plug in the numbers and the answer will drop out variety.

A formula sheet is provided but often the question does not use it, it is not a maths question but, in effect, asks why the formula is correct and looks at the physics of the issue, not the maths.

Similarly on the licensing questions, the topics are not those that the student needs to know off-pat, those were covered in the Foundation and Intermediate. They look at those issues an amateur may elect to do, such as running a club station or the difference between clause 1(2) and 1(2A) of BR68. BR68 is provided in full so it is not a case of memory but reading and understanding.

Exam results do suggest that some candidates approach the advanced exam as if it were "more of the same" of what they had at the lower levels. To be honest and blunt such candidates are likely to fail.

Overall, across all 3 exams, the level reached is comparable with the RAE and results support that. However at the Advanced level the easier or softer subjects have already been discussed at the lower level and students do have to address the harder aspects of the syllabus.

I have found the course has to go back almost to V=I*R to discuss WHY it is so rather than simply remembering that it is. If that is not understood, then why impedance matching results in maximum power transfer is an act of faith, not understanding. If amateurs are to be able to handle the very real EMC issues at 400W or appreciate how radios work, then this understanding is essential.

Sorry this is a long answer to a short question, but I do believe this is key to why a lot of candidates get quite poor results despite an unblemished record thus far.

Regards Alan

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