G'Day '39',
I dunno how a FSO could give it to you whilst you were commiting aviation....
However, I mean you MAY have had an IFR chart to refer to..??
The decode used to be in the margin.....
I can say that I did mine at Cessnock when I was instructing there, to the delight of my students who were also likewise engaged - and to the chagrin of a colleague instructor who was doing his best to stop laughing... at the time....
But, it was in a very 'controlled' environment - not everyone passed first time up.
I learned it simply by singing the ole d' d' dah dit' dah dah dah and practising decoding car numberplates - ALL the time - and it drove my mates NUTS!!
But I passed!!
I have seen a certain Comm Officer who used to be at SY FSC who could hold a Morse 'conversation' with his mates whilst reading the morning paper....
Amazing!!