UK amateur radio exam statistics for 2018 released On June 20 the RSGB released the Examinations Standards Committee (ESC) report which covers 2018 and has some limited data for the first 3 months of 2019 During 2018 they were a total of 2592 candidates for all three levels of exam but only 234 of them were women, just 9% The ESC make this comment on Foundation numbers: "it is seen that over the past five years there has been a slow decline in the number of Foundation candidates, averaging about 2% per year" Regarding the Intermediate exam the ESC say: "the Intermediate pass rate, which increased to 96% in 2018, suggests that the exam does not discriminate sufficiently well between candidates" On the proposed new single exam to go straight to Full licence the ESC say: "The Examinations Group have prepared a draft syllabus, based on Syllabus 2019, for an exam that will provide direct entry to a Full licence, like the old RAE." "The ESC has agreed that the syllabus will be put out for consultation in the UK amateur radio community. This consultation will take place later in 2019." A table is provided giving candidates average ages. It appears the exams mainly appeal to people in late-middle age. The Foundation exam attracts the "youngest" people with an average age of 44 years-old. The age breakdown given for Region 8 (Northern Ireland) appears unusual. These average ages are given: Foundation 48, Intermediate 38, Advanced 38 These figures are used to provide an overall average age which appears as 53 ? Download the ESC annual report issued May 2019 from https://rsgb.org/main/blog/category/examination-standards-committee-reports/ http://www.southgatearc.org/news/2019/june/uk-amateur-radio-exam-statistics-for-2018-released.htm
Lack of access to digital modes I'd suggest is the reason for the drop in Foundation and the increase in Intermediate examination candidates. It's a major pull-factor for the hobby - people want to mix up computers and radios and the Foundation doesn't allow it.
I think that is a great idea, I remember taking the RAE in 1965 it still only got me the old G8plus3 call for above 30 MHz until I passed my 12 WPM morse test. I wish they had a straight entry into extra over here in the USA
My mistake - I thought UK Foundation was identical to Australian Foundation [as Australia is based on the UK model]. In Australia Foundation does not permit any digital modes or computer connection etc. : an outdated rule.
