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Board discusses moving Vermont jurisprudence exam from unproctored take-home format to proctored computer-based testing
Summary
Board members debated exam integrity, proctoring and computer-based testing options for the Vermont-specific land-surveyor exam; staff agreed to investigate operational options and share exam items with board members before the next meeting.
The Board of Land Surveyors discussed whether to move the Vermont-specific state exam from an unproctored, take-home format to a proctored computer-based test administered at OPR or at an external test center.
"I'd like to see the state exam move to a computer based format," Michael, a board member, said. Board members cited exam integrity as the principal concern after the COVID-era shift to unproctored testing. One member said the exam's current unproctored format relies on an honor system and raised questions about timing and proctoring.
Emily, an OPR staff member, outlined two distinct threads for the project: the substantive content of the Vermont-specific exam (question wording, clarity and whether items test state jurisprudence rather than duplicating national exams) and the operational question of how and where to administer the exam. "There's the substance of the exam, which is independent of how it's taken," Emily said, and she offered to consult OPR operations about what the agency can provide and what third-party test-center options look like.
OPR staff and board members discussed the Lyndon campus testing center at Vermont State University (noting an existing campus testing facility) and whether a contract with an outside proctoring vendor could be justified given the small candidate pool for the profession. Board members also discussed that converting to a computer-based test requires appropriate item design and a plan to preserve exam security.
Operational directions were agreed: OPR staff will examine proctoring options (in-house at OPR, third-party test centers, cost implications) and share the Vermont-specific exam item set with board members through the board's document portal; board members were asked to individually review items and bring concerns to the next public meeting. Staff reminded members that substantive discussion of exam items outside a properly noticed public meeting could violate open meetings law and that the board may use an executive session to discuss secure exam content at a public meeting.
No formal change to exam administration was adopted at the meeting; staff will report findings and provide materials ahead of the board's next scheduled meeting for formal consideration.
