Section 296-46B-960. Administrator and electrician certificate of competency examinations.

General.

(1) The minimum passing score on any examination or examination section is seventy percent. If examination is requested to be administered by the department, an application is required and the examination must be successfully completed within one year of application or the individual must submit a new application for exam including all appropriate fees.

(2) All examinations are open book.

(a) Candidates may use:

(i) Any original copyrighted material;

(ii) A silent, nonprinting, nonprogrammable calculator that is not designed for preprogrammed electrical calculations;

(iii) Copies of chapter 19.28 RCW and this chapter; or

(iv) A foreign language dictionary that does not contain definitions.

(b) Candidates may not use:

(i) Copies of copyrighted material;

(ii) Copies of internet publications, except for RCWs or WACs;

(iii) Personal notes; or

(iv) A personal computing device of any type other than the calculator in (a)(ii) of this subsection.

(3) Administrator, master electrician, and electrician examinations may consist of multiple sections. For all administrator examinations, all sections must be successfully completed within a one-year examination period after beginning the examination. For all master electrician and electrician examinations, all sections must be successfully completed within a one-year examination period beginning with the date of the examination approval. Within the one-year examination period, the candidate does not have to retake any sections successfully completed within the examination period. If all sections are not successfully completed within the one-year period, the candidate must begin a new examination period and retake all sections.

Special accommodations for examination.

(4) An applicant for an examination who, due to a specific physical, mental, or sensory impairment, requires special accommodation in examination procedures, may submit a written request to the chief electrical inspector for the specific accommodation needed.

(a) The applicant must also submit to the department a signed and notarized release, authorizing the specifically identified physician or other specialist to discuss the matter with the department representative. The applicant must also submit an individualized written opinion from a physician or other appropriate specialist:

(i) Verifying the existence of a specific physical, mental, or sensory impairment;

(ii) Stating whether special accommodation is needed for a specific examination;

(iii) Stating what special accommodation is necessary; and

(iv) Stating if extra time for an examination is necessary and if so, how much time is required. The maximum allowance for extra time is double the normal time allowed.

(b) The written request for special accommodation and individualized written opinion must be submitted to the department at least six weeks in advance of the examination date and must be accompanied by a completed application and fees as described in WAC 296-46B-909.

(c) Only readers and interpreters provided from the administrative office of the courts and/or approved by the department may be used for reading or interpreting the examination. The applicant will be required to bear all costs associated with providing any reading or interpretive services used for an examination.

(d) Applicants who pass the examination with the assistance of a reader or interpreter will be issued a certificate with the following printed restriction: "Requires reading supervision for product usage." A competent reader or interpreter must be present on any job site where a person with this restriction is performing electrical work as described in chapter 19.28 RCW.

Applicants who pass the examination with the assistance of a mechanical device (e.g., magnifier, etc.) will be issued a certificate with the following printed restriction: "Requires mechanical reading assistance for product usage." Appropriate mechanical reading assistance must be present on any job site where a person with this restriction is performing electrical work as described in chapter 19.28 RCW.

If a candidate successfully retakes the examination without the assistance of a reader or translator, a new certificate will be issued without the restriction.

(5) Applicants who wish to use a foreign language dictionary during an examination must obtain approval at the examination site prior to the examination. Only dictionaries without definitions will be approved for use.

Failed examination appeal procedures.

(6) Any candidate who takes an examination and does not pass the examination may request a review of the examination.

(a) The department will not modify examination results unless the candidate presents clear and convincing evidence of error in the grading of the examination.

(b) The department will not consider any challenge to examination grading unless the total of the potentially revised score would result in a passing score.

(7) The procedure for requesting an informal review of examination results is as follows:

(a) The request must be made in writing to the chief electrical inspector and must be received within twenty days of the date of the examination and must request a rescore of the examination. The written request must include the appropriate fees for examination review described in WAC 296-46B-909.

(b) The following procedures apply to a review of the results of the examination:

(i) The candidate will be allowed one hour to review their examination.

(ii) The candidate must identify the challenged questions of the examination and must state the specific reason(s) why the results should be modified with multiple published reference material supporting the candidate's position.

(iii) Within fifteen days of the candidate's review, the department will review the examination and candidate's justification and notify the candidate in writing of the department's decision.

Failing an administrator certificate exam or electrician certificate of competency examination.

(8) Anyone failing an administrator or electrician competency examination may retake the examination by making arrangements with the testing agency and paying the retesting fee.

(9) If the individual makes a failing score, the individual must wait two weeks before being eligible to retest.

(10) If the individual fails an electrician examination or a part of an administrator or master electrician examination three times within a one-year period, the individual must wait three months to retake the failed portion of the examination.

(11) Anyone failing an electrician competency examination may continue to work in the electrical trade if they have a valid electrical training certificate and work under the direct supervision of a certified journey level or specialty electrician in the proper ratio, per RCW 19.28.161.

Cheating on an examination.

(12) Anyone found cheating on an examination, attempting to bribe a proctor or other agent involved in administering an examination, or using inappropriate materials/equipment during an examination will be required to wait at least eleven months before being allowed to reexamine. All such reexaminations will be administered by the department in Tumwater, Washington and the candidate will be required to apply and schedule for the examination with the chief electrical inspector. The department may also file a civil penalty action under chapter 19.28 RCW.

Examination confidentiality.

(13) All examination questions are confidential. Examination candidates and persons who have taken an examination are not allowed to copy or otherwise make note of or share examination content, in any manner, outside the individual's examination environment. Examination candidates must agree, prior to beginning an examination, to keep all examination content confidential. The department may also file a civil penalty action under chapter 19.28 RCW.

[Statutory Authority: Chapter 19.28 RCW. WSR 14-11-075, § 296-46B-960, filed 5/20/14, effective 7/1/14; WSR 13-03-128, § 296-46B-960, filed 1/22/13, effective 3/1/13. Statutory Authority: RCW 19.28.006, 19.28.010, 19.28.031, 19.28.041, 19.28.061, 19.28.101, 19.28.131, 19.28.161, 19.28.171, 19.28.191, 19.28.201, 19.28.211, 19.28.241, 19.28.251, 19.28.281, 19.28.311, 19.28.321, 19.28.400, 19.28.420, 19.28.490, 19.28.551. WSR 09-20-032, § 296-46B-960, filed 9/29/09, effective 10/31/09; WSR 08-24-048, § 296-46B-960, filed 11/25/08, effective 12/31/08; WSR 06-24-041, § 296-46B-960, filed 11/30/06, effective 12/31/06; WSR 06-05-028, § 296-46B-960, filed 2/7/06, effective 5/1/06; WSR 05-10-024, § 296-46B-960, filed 4/26/05, effective 6/30/05. Statutory Authority: RCW 19.28.006, 19.28.010, 19.28.031, 19.28.041, 19.28.061, 19.28.101, 19.28.131, 19.28.161, 19.28.171, 19.28.191, 19.28.201, 19.28.211, 19.28.241, 19.28.251, 19.28.271, 19.28.311, 19.28.321, 19.28.400, 19.28.420, 19.28.490, 19.28.551, 2002 c 249, chapters 34.05 and 19.28 RCW. WSR 03-09-111, § 296-46B-960, filed 4/22/03, effective 4/22/03.]

Chapter 19.28 RCW. WSR 14-11-075, § 296-46B-960, filed 5/20/14, effective 7/1/14; WSR 13-03-128, § 296-46B-960, filed 1/22/13, effective 3/1/13. Statutory Authority: RCW 19.28.006, 19.28.010, 19.28.031, 19.28.041, 19.28.061, 19.28.101, 19.28.131, 19.28.161, 19.28.171, 19.28.191, 19.28.201, 19.28.211, 19.28.241, 19.28.251, 19.28.281, 19.28.311, 19.28.321, 19.28.400, 19.28.420, 19.28.490, 19.28.551. WSR 09-20-032, § 296-46B-960, filed 9/29/09, effective 10/31/09; WSR 08-24-048, § 296-46B-960, filed 11/25/08, effective 12/31/08; WSR 06-24-041, § 296-46B-960, filed 11/30/06, effective 12/31/06; WSR 06-05-028, § 296-46B-960, filed 2/7/06, effective 5/1/06; WSR 05-10-024, § 296-46B-960, filed 4/26/05, effective 6/30/05. Statutory Authority: RCW 19.28.006, 19.28.010, 19.28.031, 19.28.041, 19.28.061, 19.28.101, 19.28.131, 19.28.161, 19.28.171, 19.28.191, 19.28.201, 19.28.211, 19.28.241, 19.28.251, 19.28.271, 19.28.311, 19.28.321, 19.28.400, 19.28.420, 19.28.490, 19.28.551, 2002 c 249, chapters 34.05 and 19.28 RCW. WSR 03-09-111, § 296-46B-960, filed 4/22/03, effective 4/22/03.

Rules

296-46B-909,296-46B-909,