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PRELIMINARY AND CONTINUING EDUCATION - REGULATIONS
(g) Except for courses consisting entirely of audio or audio-visual presentations, all courses shall be presented by
only approved instructors. Courses presented entirely by audio or audio-visual means may be presented by the course
provider or other person in the employ of the course provider, otherwise an approved instructor is required.
(h) Approved curriculums or course materials shall not be altered or eliminated, or new materials or topics shall not be
introduced and used prior to the approval of the department. Applications to change approved courses shall comply with
Section 5346 of this subchapter.
(i) Applications for continuing education course approval shall comply with Section 5342 of this subchapter.
§ 5312. Minimum Standards for Continuing Education Courses by Correspondence
(a) Continuing education courses shall provide no less than two (2) clock hours of education. Such courses shall
utilize written, audio or audio-visual lessons and a written examination to be completed after the lesson.
(b) Written instructions shall be provided by the course provider advising the licensee and proctor of the requirements
of this section.
(c) For each one (1) clock hour to be earned, the examination shall contain no less than five (5) essay type questions
related to the course topic. Thirty (30) minutes shall be permitted for the completion of each five (5) questions. Course
providers shall rotate the examinations by administering the use of three (3) different examinations for each course. The
examination shall be provided in a sealed envelope bearing instructions which read "TO BE OPENED IN THE
PRESENCE OF AN APPROVED PROCTOR ONLY. VOID IF OPENED OTHERWISE . . . ." A return envelope shall be
provided which is suitable for mailing and of sufficient size to accommodate an unopened or opened examination, and
bears the name and address of the course provider.
(d) Approved proctors shall include the course provider, a notary public, an officer in the armed forces on active duty,
an approved instructor or other approved course provider, an attorney, a librarian at a public or school library, or a
representative of the department. No person related by blood, marriage, employment, or otherwise having a conflict of
interest with a licensee, shall serve as a proctor for the licensee.
(e) The proctor shall be instructed to complete a certification form provided by the course provider which makes
provisions for the following:
(1) The proctor's name and address and telephone number.
(2) The proctor's qualifying occupation, title or position.
(3) The licensee's name, address and license number issued by the department.
(4) A certification statement indicating the means used to identify the licensee, that the proctor has no conflict of
interest with the licensee due to employment, relation by marriage or blood, that the examination envelope was found
sealed and only broken in the proctor's presence, that the examination was completed by the licensee in the proctor's
presence without the use of any written materials or aids of any kind, that the examination was not copied by any
means, and that the examination was returned to the course provider by the proctor through the U.S. Mail, or by
similar mailing services, or by personal delivery.
(5) The proctor's signature.
(f) The course provider or instructor shall grade the examination and notify the licensee of the results within ten (10)
calendar days of receipt. Should the licensee score less than 70 percent, the course provider shall provide the licensee
with a second examination with different questions, to be taken under the same conditions as the first examination.
Should the licensee score less than 70 percent on the second examination, the licensee has failed the course and may
not attempt the examination again.
(g) No licensee shall be permitted to copy or reproduce any examination or portion thereof.
(h) All correspondence courses shall be completed within sixty (60) calendar days of the registration date. For the
purposes of this section, the registration date shall be the date the course provider mails or otherwise delivers the
course material to the licensee as evidenced by the course provider's records. The registration date and completion
date shall be printed in the instructions to the licensee.
(i) The course provider shall disqualify any licensee when the actions or omissions to act by either the licensee or the
proctor result in a violation of this section.
If a licensee for whatever reason chooses not to complete a course and fails to return the examination, unopened, to
the course provider within sixty (60) calendar days of the registration date, the licensee shall be disqualified. The
instructions to the licensee shall include a warning regarding disqualification as prescribed in this section.
(j) All disqualifications by course providers shall be reported to the department within ten (10) calendar days.
(k) Once disqualified due to the licensee's acts or omissions to act, clock hour credits earned by correspondence after
the disqualification shall not be accepted for the license renewal. A disqualification shall only extend to the end of any
one licensure term.
(l) Each set of three (3) correspondence course examinations required by this section shall be used concurrently with
the course approval period. When applying for course approval renewal, the course provider shall submit new
examinations for use with the renewed course. Expired examinations shall not be used, but shall be maintained with the
course provider's records.
(m) Applications for continuing education course approval shall comply with Section 5342 of this subchapter.
§ 5314. Course Challenges
(a) Course providers may provide for challenge examinations of approved continuing education courses. Course
providers shall rotate the examinations by administering the use of three (3) separate examinations for each course.
Examinations shall contain no less than five (5) essay type questions requiring written answers for each clock hour to
be earned. Challenge examinations shall be administered and corrected by the course provider or approved instructor
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