NASCLA ACCREDITED EXAMINATION PROGRAM

National Association of State Contractors Licensing Agencies

NASCLA Introductions

Brief History of NASCLA and Its Membership

NASCLA Accredited Examination Program Overview

Questions and Discussion

TOPICS INCLUDE

Jacquie WilberscheidNASCLA Education Manager

Angie Whitaker, CAENASCLA Executive Director

Brian MoritschNASCLA Psychometrician

NASCLA LEADERSHIP & STAFF

Tim NormanNASCLA President & Accredited

Examination Program Committee Co-Chair, & Executive Director of the North Carolina

State Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors

Stephanie LeeNASCLA 1st Vice President &

Executive Director of the Mississippi State Board of Contractors

.

NASCLA’S HISTORY

Founded in 1962, the National Association of State Contractors Licensing Agencies (NASCLA) is a nonprofit organization whose purpose is to promote best practices and license uniformity for agencies that regulate the construction industry.

By upholding dedication to the assistance of contractor licensing and enforcement agencies, trade associations, and members of the construction industry, NASCLA serves as a vital resource for its members and the contracting community.

NASCLA MISSION STATEMENT

Goal 1: Support best practices in the construction industry that promote quality standards and public safety, mutual interests and regulation of business practices. Pertinent

information to be made available to NASCLA members via educational seminars and informative publications.

Goal 2:Streamline contractor licensing process by (i) acquiring more states who accept the

NASCLA Accredited Examination Program and (ii) reducing licensing barriers.

NASCLA promotes best practices and license uniformity for agencies that regulate the construction industry.

NASCLA GOALS

NASCLA 2021, 2022 & 2023 Strategic Plan | Mission, Objectives and Strategies

MissionNASCLA promotes best practices and license

uniformity for agencies that regulate the construction industry.

Unique Membership

ValuesCollaboration

Information ExchangeHonesty in All Matters

Strong Focus on Goal AchievementIngenuity and InventionMember Engagement

Networking Opportunities

Depth of commitment and knowledge of the

industryServices & Resources Clearinghouse of

Information Collaboration

Key Differentiators

Strategic Focus Areas and ObjectivesI. Membership:

Expand membership by increasing engagement

II. License Portability: Facilitate licensure portability by identifying commonalities and

differences among agency requirements and expanding the classifications of national exams

offered by NASCLA

IV. Best Practices & Innovation:Develop consumer awareness

with technology to support innovative practices for the

construction industry

1. Modify the NASCLA business model to increase membership of states and contractors(Assigned to NASCLA Membership Committee)

1. Develop new examination classifications for the NASCLA Accredited Examination Program to ease the burden of licensure processes for contractor mobility(Assigned to NASCLA Accredited Examination Program Committee)2. Review/create model classifications to ease mobility (Assigned to NASCLA Model Legislation Committee)3. Establish a reciprocity forum at annual convention to help facilitate agreements among licensing agencies.(Assigned to NASCLA Model Legislation Committee)

1. Develop best practices on consumer awareness, public protection, national partnership opportunities, national PSA's etc. to promote consumer awareness & public protection(Assigned to NASCLA Contractors Committees)

IV. Communications and Outreach:

Facilitate communication between members and

promote consumer awareness to increase NASCLA's visibility

1. Create and deploy a national marketing campaign to promote consumer awareness, membership, examinations, workforce shortage, etc.(Assigned to NASCLA Executive Committee, with sub-committees)2. Expand remote virtual opportunities, board member training, investigator training, ZOOM training education (Assigned to NASCLA Programs Task Force)

VisionNASCLA is a leader in promoting

excellence in the construction industry through premier

publications, uniform examinations and model laws that help to

streamline licensing and lower barriers.

III. Regulatory Re-Assessment: Perform internal assessments to reduce barriers for licensure and

to identify commonalities between jurisdictions for the

benefits of licensees and applicants

1. Create a self assessment tool for agencies to use to review their processes to identify unnecessary barriers to licensure(Assigned to NASCLA Model Legislation Committee)

2021 – 2023 Strategies

NASCLA State Members FY 2020/2021

GuamVirgin Islands Nairobi, Kenya

U.S. Territories

Single State Agencies

Multiple State Agencies

Foreign Country

RI

MD

DC

NASCLA Statistics21 Single State Agencies

6 Multiple State Agencies

27 Total States

2 U.S. Territories

1 Foreign Country

41 Total Contractor Licensing Agencies

NASCLA BOARD OF DIRECTORS

The NASCLA Accredited Examination Program was launched in 2009 to reduce redundant licensing

requirements and assist contractors and tradesmen who need to be licensed in multiple jurisdictions.

NASCLA’s Accredited Examinations allow contractors to pass one trade examination that will be accepted in

lieu of the state-specific trade examination, allowing for contractor mobility.

NASCLA ACCREDITED EXAMINATION PROGRAM

ADMINISTERED by 7 State Agencies

ACCEPTED by a Total of 17State Agencies

COMMERCIAL EXAM

NASCLA ACCREDITED ELECTRICAL EXAMINATION PROGRAM

1 2 3

Electrical Contractor

(Master/Unlimited

Electrician)

Journeyman Electrician Residential Electrical

Contractor

INDUSTRY SUPPORT, RECOGNITION AND SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS FROM:

NASCLA invited SMEs from across the country to a series of workshops to develop a job analysis for each examination. The SMEs had a broad and diverse background in the electrical field, including a variety of experience in residential, commercial, industrial, high-voltage, low-voltage, photovoltaic, electrical signs, and other specialized work.

National surveys of electricians were conducted in each examination category, to review the job analysis and to rate the frequency and importance of the knowledge and skills needed to perform each task.

Finally, SMEs created the questions for each examination. With guidance from NASCLA’s Psychometrician, the SMEs crafted, evaluated and verified over 950 questions, covering the knowledge and skills needed for each job type.

Over 50 SMEs contributed to the development of the NASCLA Accredited Electrical Examination Program including Bradley Stevens, former Executive Director for IEC of Utah who was an SME and hosted a meeting at his Midvale location.

Regulatory agencies can review the scope of work described in the Test Development Report for each examination and Test Specifications to make an informed decision about utilizing the NASCLA Accredited Electrical Examination Program.

DEVELOPMENT OF THE PROGRAM:

BENEFITS OF REGULATORY AGENCIES PARTICIPATING

Defines the scope of trade work in terms of the

tasks that electrical contractors, journeyman

electricians, and residential electrical

contractors must perform and the knowledge

they MUST master in order to work safely and

competently.

#1 Occupational Analysis

For each is based directly on a current

occupational analysis that involved

multiple meetings and survey data from

SMEs throughout the United States. It is

the link between the job content and the

test questions that establishes the validity

of the examinations.

#2 Examination Content All items are psychometrically

pretested before use in the

examination; the examination item pool

is periodically being updated with new

items to ensure the item content is

current and not exposed.

#4 Psychometrically Pretested

Are continually monitored to

ensure that questions are

performed effectively.

#3 Examination Statistics

NASCLA NATIONAL EXAMINATION DATABASE (NED)

The jurisdiction can then

review where the

candidate has sent

previous transcripts, to

verify good standing

licensure with those

state agencies.

Once the examination is

passed, the candidate’s

information is stored in the

NASCLA National Examination

Database (NED) where

examination transcripts can

be sent electronically to the

jurisdiction to verify a

candidate’s passed status

when applying for licensure

within the state agency.

It is important to note that any examination within the NASCLA Accredited Examination Program is not intended in any way to create a “national license”.

Each regulatory agency will continue to maintain their sovereignty and will be in control of the licensing requirements in their state for their individual licensees.

These examinations are designed to be used as exam waivers for candidates in lieu of taking the state specific trade portion. Each agency will continue to keep their requirements for:

One piece of the “pie”

Business & Law Exam

Experience NASCLA Accredited TRADE Examination

Financial Statements

Character/Criminal Background Checks

PURPOSE OF NASCLA’S ACCREDITED EXAMINATION PROGRAMS

Improve the overall quality and validity of contractor

TRADE licensing examinations

Reduce redundant licensing examination requirements

for contractors who travel across multiple jurisdictions

Allow regulatory agencies to share common

standards through trade examinations

Promote contractor mobility for individuals

seeking licensure by accepting the

examination program

MOBILITY & PORTABILITY THROUGH NASCLA ACCREDITED EXAMINATIONS

Become licensed in multiple

jurisdictions to provide more

opportunities for out of state

projects

Be in good standing with

multiple accepting

jurisdictions

Move more easily between

states for natural disaster

relief

Save time and expenses

taking multiple

examinations for licensure

These examinations have allowed contractors to:

CONTRACTOR BENEFITS:

HEAR IT FROM THE SMEs!“The effort led by NASCLA to develop a comprehensive trade examination that would be accepted by licensing agencies around the country is key to streamlining the process of becoming licensed in multiple states. The redundancy that has existed in the past has placed huge burdens on contractors crossing state lines when expanding their business. By having a recognized exam for electrical contractors that is already vetted and approved, contractors can then follow the local registration process for business, legal and other non-trade related requirements to obtain a local license to perform work.”

Wesley L. Wheeler, SMS, Director of Safety, National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA)

“There are several benefits of a nationally recognized trade examination for tradespeople in the electrical field. It encourages tradespeople to take the exam and eventually get licensed once they complete all the requirements. Also, it allows tradespeople to distinguish themselves from their competitors by informing potential clients that they have passed a nationally recognized trade exam. Lastly, it gives customers and clients confidence in the tradespeople when they have passed a nationally recognized trade exam.”

Joe Barragan, MBA, CBO, Public Works Director, City of California City

“NASCLA has done an incredible job with establishing very comprehensive electrical trade examinations that are recognized by licensing agencies across the country. I remember several years ago having to travel to different states and sit for licensing exams that were very similar to several I had already passed. The requirements of the National Electrical Code do not change from jurisdiction to jurisdiction and once proficiency with using and understanding the NEC is established, it should not have to be repeated every time a license is required.”

Robert A. Jones. Master Electrician, Member of NEC Quarter Century Club, IEC Texas Gulf Coast

“Why are trade licenses treated differently? If someone has shown that they are competent to be licensed as an electrician in one state, why have to test again in another state? Are we to believe that electricity acts differently from one state to another state? I don’t think so. Adoption of the NASCLA Accredited Electrical Examination Program by states is a viable solution. It will help states determine that the certificate holder has been tested to a national test produced by members of various national electrical organizations. Organizations such as NECA, NFPA, IEC, NEMA, IAEI, etc.

Joseph Wages, Jr., Director of Digital Education, International Association of Electrical Inspectors (IAEI)

“As a qualifier for a company completing installs in multiple states, the NASCLA Accredited Electrical Examination Program was very beneficial to both me and the company I qualify. It allowed me to sit for one trade exam, thereby streamlining the process for licensing in multiple states.”

Brooks Michael Myers, Services License Manager – Compliance, The Home Depot – Gulf Region

There are three (3) options to participate in the program:

To fully adopt one (1) or more of the examinations within the program as the sole regulatory agency trade examination for classifications that meet their licensing needs.

To offer candidates an option to take either the regulatory agency specific trade examination already established or the NASCLA Accredited Trade Examination through your preferred testing provider.

To accept as an examination waiver to satisfy the regulatory agency's trade examination requirements. Candidates would then send their electronic transcript through the NASCLA National Examination Database (NED) for verification by the regulatory agency’s licensing staff.

HOW ARE THE EXAMINATIONS

UTILIZIED BY REGULATORY

AGENCIES?

How can regulatory agencies

administer these electrical examinations?

Housed on a 3rd Party Hosted Server, examinations can be administered through the regulatory agency’s preferred testing provider through fixed forms.

Testing Providers already NASCLA Approved include Prov, Inc. and PSI.

Current processes to register, approve and schedule candidates for the examinations will all stay the same.

Regulatory agencies will oversee determining the fee charged to candidates for the examinations in their state. NASCLA will collect $25 per examination administered. NASCLA has contracts available for regulatory agencies who are interested in implementing this program.

QUESTIONS?

CONTACT US

Angie Whitaker, CAENASCLA Executive Director(623) 587-9354angiewhitaker@nascla.org

Jacquie Wilberscheid NASCLA Education Manager(623) 587-9354jacquie@nascla.org

THANK YOU!

On behalf of the National Association of State Contractors Licensing Agencies (NASCLA) Executive

Committee, Board of Directors and Staff we thank you for your time and

consideration of the NASCLA Accredited Examination Program.