The intention of the proposed Certificate of Competency is to provide a form of recognition for those who wish to have something to record their achievement in learning Morse code. It is not intended that it should be a national standard of proficiency similar to the licence examinations. It can fairly be compared with many other awards in the hobby which some enjoy and others do not see the need for. The proposed Morse certificate is no different—some will wish to obtain the award and some will not. In the same vein some clubs will embrace the idea and others will not.
International recognition is not an aspiration of the initial scheme but if that developed later in a non-contentious manner that could be a clear additional benefit for some (provided that it was not abused to gain a higher class of licence overseas than was held here in the UK).
It is anticipated that the scheme will commence on 1 January 2009 and there will be no test fees charged by the RSGB.
