Illinois Administrative Code › Title 41 - FIRE PROTECTION › Part 141 - REQUIREMENTS FOR THE PARTICIPATION AND CERTIFICATION OF FIRE PROTECTION PERSONNEL › Subpart C - EXAMINATIONS AND CERTIFICATIONS › Section 141.200 - State Examinations

Current through Register Vol. 48, No. 28, July 12, 2024
a) State
				Written Examinations shall be developed and provided by the Division and
				administered by approved testing facilities. The battery of State Written
				Examinations to be given shall be determined by the Division.
1) The Office may approve vendors to proctor
				State Written Examinations following established State procurement
				rules.
2) When challenging a State
				Written Examination, candidates shall follow established rules and guidelines
				set forth by the vendor proctoring the State Written Examinations.
A) The Office shall pay, one time only, for a
				candidate to challenge a State Written Examination of a specific
				level.
B) If a candidate fails the
				State Written Examination or fails to appear for their scheduled examination,
				it shall be the responsibility of the candidate or fire department to pay for
				additional opportunities to challenge the State Written Examination of the
				specific level.
3) Fire
				service-related State Written Examinations require a 70% overall passing rate.
				In the case of State Written Modular Examinations, a 70% overall passing rate
				for each module is required.
4)
				State Written Examination results shall be posted to the candidate's records
				and made available by accessing the DPSE WebAccess Portal. The Division shall
				maintain these scores and may use them internally for statistical and/or
				employment purposes.
5) Procedure
				to Request State Written Examination
A) The
				training facility or fire department shall submit the completed Request for
				Examination utilizing the DPSE WebAccess Portal.
B) The Request for Examination attests that
				each candidate has a documented learning experience in each of the subject
				areas of the State Written Examination requested. It shall be the
				responsibility of the candidate's employing fire chief, or their designee, to
				verify completion of all prerequisites for Requests for Examination submitted
				to the Division.
C) A Request for
				Examination includes:
i) Name of training
				facility submitting Request for Examination;
ii) Name of State Written
				Examination;
iii) Training facility
				with proper Course Approval;
iv)
				Fire Chief or Director's name;
v)
				Name of Qualified Instructor;
vi)
				Names of candidates; and
vii) Test
				start date.
D) The
				candidate must be registered on the DPSE WebAccess Portal with a valid e-mail
				address as required in Section
				141.65.
E) When a Request for Examination is
				approved, a confirmation e-mail will be sent to the candidate's registered
				e-mail from the vendor with instructions and examination requirements. The
				candidate has 45 days from the test start date to schedule their examination
				date. The test start date shall be submitted as part of the Request for
				Examination.
F) Candidates
				challenging the State Written Examinations shall meet one of the following
				employment requirements and be at least 18 years of age:
i) Engaged in firefighting in an organized
				Illinois fire department in accordance with the Act and attested by the
				candidate's employing fire chief;
ii) Employed by a local governmental
				agency;
iii) Employed by an
				Illinois fire brigade;
iv) Employee
				of the Office; or
v) Individuals
				who have retired from active fire service duties and are officially affiliated
				with fire service training, mutual aid, incident command, fire ground
				operations or staff support for fire associations.
G) Candidates who have not met minimum
				requirements for a State Written Examination shall not be examined.
H) Reasonable modifications to the practices
				or procedures for proctoring State Written Examinations, in accordance with the
				federal regulations implementing Title II of the Americans with Disabilities
				Act (28 CFR
				35), shall be permitted upon the Office's
				receipt, review and approval of a written request from the candidate requesting
				the specific accommodations. Formal documentation supporting the modification
				or accommodation sought shall accompany the written request. The vendor shall
				be notified by the Division of the approval, including the name of the
				candidate, the accommodations approved and the specific OSFM identification
				number for the candidate.
6) The Office and IFSI, pursuant to the
				Intergovernmental Cooperation Act [5 ILCS 22/1 ]
				and in accordance with the Civil Administrative Code [20 ILCS
				5/5-655 ], entered into an Intergovernmental
				Agreement, in furtherance of the certification program, which allows IFSI end
				of course examinations that pertain to certifications to be reviewed and
				approved as equivalent to the State Written Examinations. Candidates who
				complete the approved equivalent IFSI examinations and requirements are not
				required to challenge and pass the State Written Examinations. The
				Intergovernmental Agreement will be reviewed and revised as
				necessary.
7) Re-examination of
				State Written Examinations
A) No candidate
				shall be re-examined without further documented learning experiences in each of
				the failed subject areas.
B) There
				shall be no limits set by the Division for the number of times a candidate may
				take the State Written Examination, except when the State Written Examinations
				are allowed under Section
				141.120.