Section 655 IAC 1-1-12 - Application and testing procedures; appeals; challenges; reciprocityAuthority: IC 22-14-2-7
Affected: IC 4-21.5
Sec. 12.
(a) Applications for certification shall:(1) be made on a form approved by the director;(2) include all attachments required on the application; and(3) bear a legible signature as required on the application form.(b) An application for a course number shall be submitted to the authorized testing agency not less than thirty (30) calendar days before the commencement of the course. The director of the training division of the department may approve the issuance of course numbers for applications that are submitted less than thirty (30) calendar days prior to the commencement of the course if the director of the training division finds that the issuance of the course number or numbers is necessary to provide for the continuation of training for fire service and nonfire service persons.(c) Each request for a written cognitive examination shall be received by the authorized testing entity not less than fifteen (15) calendar days prior to the date that the test will be administered, and all such requests shall be in writing.(d) The authorized testing entity shall obtain the form and content of each written cognitive examination from the board.(e) All practical skills examinations shall have been successfully completed prior to the administration of the cognitive written examination.(f) Practical skills examinations shall test all of the practical skills contained in the objectives required for the certification that is the subject of the practical skills examination.(g) The content of each practical skills examination shall be obtained from the board.(h) An applicant shall have passed all practical skills associated with the certification for which the application is submitted not more than one hundred eighty (180) calendar days prior to submission of the application for certification. (i) Practical skills examination procedures shall be as follows:(1) All examinations shall be graded on a pass/fail basis.(2) A photo identification must be provided by the applicant along with all prerequisite documentation.(3) Once all admission requirements have been verified, the individual will be allowed to take the examination.(4) The lead evaluator shall make certain that all:(B) necessary equipment; and(C) props; are in order, in place, and in working order before the evaluation begins.
(5) Additional evaluators, where needed as determined by the lead evaluator, shall be selected by the lead evaluator.(6) All evaluators shall use standards adopted by the board in this title.(7) The lead evaluator shall ensure that evaluation forms are:(A) properly completed in ink by any evaluator; and(B) returned to the lead evaluator immediately following the examination.(8) The lead evaluator shall be responsible for the following:(A) Maintaining a safe environment while the examination is in progress.(B) Ensuring that applicable safety and risk management protocols are followed.(9) The lead evaluator shall: (A) document, on a form to be provided by the training division, the successful completion of all of the practical skills examinations for each applicant; and(B) provide the form to each applicant at the completion of all of the practical skills examinations for the certification level being tested.(j) The procedures for written cognitive examinations shall be as follows:(1) A minimum of a seventy percent (70%) grade is required to pass the examination.(2) One (1) or more proctors shall monitor each examination.(3) A photo identification must be provided by the applicant along with all prerequisite documentation.(4) Once all admission requirements have been verified, the applicant will be allowed to take the examination. be [sic](5) Sign in and sign out sheets, on a form approved by the director of the training division, shall be provided by the proctor. Each applicant shall sign in when entering the examination room and sign out when leaving the examination room. Each entrance and exit from the examination room shall be evidenced by the applicant signing in and out as described above.(6) Any applicant observed talking to another applicant while either has his or her answer sheet in his or her possession shall:(A) be immediately dismissed from the examination; and(B) receive a score of zero (0) on the examination.(7) Any applicant observed copying from another applicant's paper shall:(A) be immediately dismissed from the examination; and(B) receive a score of zero (0) on the examination.(8) The maximum time allowed for each examination shall be three (3) hours.(9) For written examinations on paper forms, the proctor shall seal all test booklets and answer sheets and return them within seven (7) calendar days to the authorized testing agency for scoring.(10) If more than one (1) room is being used for the examination, a minimum of one (1) proctor per room shall be required.(11) A proctor shall remain in the room at all times that the examination is being conducted, unless the examination is being conducted at the offices of the department and only one (1) student is taking the examination.(12) A proctor shall not discuss any test question or possible answer thereto with any student taking the examination.(k) A student may retake any written cognitive examination not more than three (3) times within one hundred eighty (180) calendar days after receipt of notification of a failing score on the examination. If the student fails to achieve a passing score on a retake examination within the one hundred eighty (180) days, the student must retake and successfully complete all of the practical skills examinations for the requested certification prior to taking the written cognitive examination again.(l) In order for a student to retake a written cognitive examination as described in subsection (k), a qualified proctor shall request the test under subsection (c).(m) All appeals shall be heard by the board under IC 4-21.5. Board of Firefighting Personnel Standards and Education; 655 IAC 1-1-12; filed Jul 18, 1996, 3:00 p.m.: 19 IR 3387; filed Sep 24, 1999, 10:02 a.m.: 23 IR 328; readopted filed Aug 27, 2001, 10:55 a.m.: 25 IR 203; errata, 26 IR 383; readopted filed Sep 21, 2007, 9:23 a.m.: 20071010-IR-655070387RFA; readopted filed Oct 10, 2007, 9:19 a.m.: 20071031-IR-655070387RFA; filed Dec 15, 2008, 11:36 a.m.: 20090114-IR-655080429FRA; readopted filed Sep 9, 2013, 8:27 a.m.: 20131009-IR-655130180RFAReadopted filed 9/19/2019, 4:10 p.m.: 20191016-IR-655190177RFA