Have the State Tests Changed?

[jtrotta]

Terrell
Zoning in Bulk, now thats a catchy tune, never herd (thought you'd like that) of it; checked all my Real Estate books and couldn't find it anywhere that it should have been :roll: , so I'm stumped :!:

Now those Florida chads, was in the area when that happened, and thought they were talkin about chiclets, so i went & got some, cause i didn't want to be the one without.

As for the prep class for the exam. there are really very few instructors that provide a meangful prep class. Far as i can tell they haven't made it out to AR as yet.

Now back to that Zoning In Bulk - I know I have some old zoning books in the garage, I'll peak over the weekend and see if there's anything in them. Get back to you on that.

8)

 

[Karon Hoffman]

I just took the Illinois licensing test a couple of months ago. I passed but it took me 3 hours. Yes there were several tricky math questions, but what took the time was trying to decide what they were asking on the general questions. The questions were very vague. You couldn't just read and answer. Most of the time was spent re-reading the question to find out what they were looking for. Also there were only a couple questions on USPAP. I really think there should have been more.

 

[Anonymous]

In the late 70's everyone in Arkansas it seemed was trying to get a realtors license and the state explicitly said they were trying to weed out the number. My sister in law took the test and failed by a point. 1 person out of 80+ people passed the exam. One of the questions was "What is the length of a check? 1 mi. 6 mi. 24 mi. or 36 mi." I had to go to my surveying books to find the answer. That same question has resurfaced on an appraisal exam I am told.

Arkansas has an excellent prep class usually held in the days prior to the twice annually given test. It is taught by Don Featherston of Benton, AR in his independent school.

OK offers tests on a routine basis, but Barnes RE schools offer the prep at times that are convenient to them.

You said >>questions were very vague. You couldn't just read and answer. Most of the time was spent re-reading the question to find out what they were looking for.<<

This is exactly the kind of Bull---- that takes place when a state agency wishes to limit the number of appraisers.

The antedotal evidence became clear last week when a Cert. Gen. appraiser from NE OK commented to my subcontractor that he served on a committee within the state Board. He said there is an overabundance of licensed appraisers in OK and the board explicitly had discussed ways to reduce the number of SL appraisers thru making the test harder.

Yes, the test is, clearly, more difficult and made so by obfuscation of the test. The test providers are giving the state what they want.

I contend it is not the job of the board to limit the number of appraisers. If a private party were to do it, it would violate the law of freedom of commerce. If every person in the state of OK wants an appraisal license and is so qualified by schooling and taking a test, so what?

The purpose of the Appraisal Licensing Boards is to punish errant appraisers, not to promote the business of appraising, not to limit the business of appraising, not to increase my business or decrease my competitors; in short, the boards need to administer the tests, oversee the licensing, and police the business. They are not the Chamber of Commerce, they are Regulators.

Terrel Shields