Registration

• Complete the Examination Registration Form and email it to Sherri Williamson, Administration and Operations Director. You may also contact the ABFT Administrative Office to obtain a form.
• Candidates are required to complete the Database Update Form with legal name and current and complete contact information as part of the examination registration process. This is part of the Examination Registration Form unless there are additional updates to information at the time of the exam.
• The ABFT will allow for reasonable disability accommodations upon written request to the administrative office. Disabilities must be documented and verified by a health care provider.

 

Proctor Guidelines

• The chair of the Examination Committee, a director, the executive director, or the administration and operations director may proctor examinations.
• Proctors shall be appropriately trained through the review of training materials provided by the Examination Committee chair and the ABFT Administrative Office. 
• Proctors shall not oversee examinations of candidates they supervise.
• The proctor must sign the Proctor Certification Regarding Conflict of Interest.
• Proctors will facilitate restroom use during the time course of the examination. The examination materials will be held by the proctor while the examinee is outside the testing site. Candidates will not have access to phones, smart watches, or other personal belongings while outside the testing room during the examination.
• Proctors will be alert to signs of inappropriate behavior. Cheating will be reason for immediate dismissal of the candidate from the examination. In such cases, examination materials will be collected by the proctor. Documentation of the event shall be made on the Examination Record and forwarded to the chair of the Examination Committee.
• At the completion of the examination, the proctor completes the proctor section of the Examination Record sheet.
• Proctors will ensure that the completed examination answer sheet(s), Confidentiality Agreement for Candidates(s), and Examination Record(s) are sent securely and confidentially to the chair of the Examination Committee.

 

Candidate Guidelines

• Candidates must present a government-issued photo identification to the proctor to gain admittance to the examination.
• Candidates must complete the Confidentiality Agreement for Candidates and the designated attestation field of the Examination Record.
• Cell phone/smart watch use is prohibited. Phones shall be placed in airplane mode, face down, and placed out of reach of the examinee.
• Candidates shall be instructed to only bring their government-issued photo ID, pen, and pencil into the exam.
• Candidates shall be instructed to not bring personal belongings into the exam and will be instructed to empty pockets and place any personal items on a table in sight of the proctor. Candidate shall not have access to personal belongings during the exam.
• Candidates can complete the examination in pencil or pen. 
• Non-programmable calculators are provided by the ABFT. 
• Candidates have three hours to complete the examination.

 

Grading of Examinations

• The chair of the Examination Committee and an additional grader shall score examinations. The additional grader can be another director, the executive director, or the administration and operations director. A passing score is 70%. Once the exams are scored and consistent scores are achieved between both graders, the chair of the Examination Committee completes the final section of the Examination Record. The Examination Record is sent to the ABFT Administrative Office and placed in the file of the candidate. One copy of the Examination Record is sent to the secretary. On behalf of the secretary, the administrative office issues a letter to the candidate(s) as to their success or failure. Letters may be sent to candidates via mail or electronically. 
• The Examination Record documents pass or fail results.
• The ABFT does not provide examination scores to the board or to any individual, to include the examinee.

 

Mandatory Waiting Period Following Examination Failure

• Candidates who fail an examination shall not be re-examined for a minimum of 90 days. A candidate may reapply for certification one time no earlier than 180 days after failing to pass the second examination and shall provide proof of remediation with the application for it to be accepted for review. The acceptance of a second application for certification rests solely with the board of directors whose decision in this process is final.
• A candidate is allowed one examination attempt under the second application. Two examination attempts may be allowed if there was only a single attempt under the first application. Candidates are allowed a maximum of three attempts total under both applications.
• Re-examinations shall be a different version from the first examination and must be scheduled through the ABFT Administrative Office. All requests to sit for an exam received by anyone outside of the administrative office must be directed to the ABFT Administrative Office for scheduling and registration.