Anyone tried the new exam system yet?

[VK4ADC]

Hello All,
            Just a quick update.  My licence has come through today, after a quick reminder to ACMA.  So for those counting, that's  4 weeks from taking the exam to getting the actual licence.  For those counting the $, you can add $80 to costs and that now takes me to total of $295, for the exams, callsign recommendation and licence.

Thanks Doug for updating my username :-)

Tim VK4MST

And compare that to the USA licensing arrangements :

Costs :  $US15 ( /$AUD22) to sit one to all three of the class exams (Tech, Gen or Extra) in one session, no callsign selection fee as you get the next automatic call for the call area 0-9 - but then you can change it using their Vanity call process at no charge, 10 years of free licence which is renewable free within 90 days of expiry (eg 2nd quarter 2029 for me).

Timing : I sat the exam on the Sunshine Coast in AUS on a Saturday, the test results were available within minutes, the paperwork was expressed to Connecticut USA and arrived on the Wednesday, processed by the ARRL VEC on the Thursday, my callsign was on the FCC database on the Friday (early our AM) and that would have let me operate from Friday AM. (All 'days' are based on AUS timezone).

The exam questions and answers are available to study - the VE question pool files for the three levels are downloadable documents.  If you can memorise some 1600 Q&As then you can pass up to the Extra without further study - much like the old 1000 Questions for the Novice Licence book (in VK) did back in the 80s.  There are a heap of on-line testing sites that allow you to gauge your knowledge level for the three FCC classes.   
What do we have in Aus ?  Almost nothing !!  Why ?? Non-public exam question banks....

No prac required for USA licences either.

USA Outcome : 1.5KW PEP on various bands (even for Tech Class), EME (/used to be EMR) assessment requirements mandatory.

Comparable ???  Not to my way of thinking   (to get effectively the same operating privileges..)