Examination Reviews and Hearings
The Department of Business and Professional Regulation’s post-examination review process is designed to allow candidates who sit for and fail an examination developed by the department an opportunity to review their failed examination. Review requests must be received no later than twenty-one (21) days after the release date of the original grade notification. Only the applicant will be permitted to attend the examination review and only one (1) review of the last administered examination will be permitted.
Candidates requesting an examination review will be permitted to review the answer sheets, examination books, other examination papers, grades, and grading keys for the parts of the examination failed or the questions the candidate answered incorrectly. Candidates will be given an examination review time of one-half (1/2) the time provided for the examination.
Examination booklets used by the candidate during the examination are not retained. Candidates reviewing the examination will be provided with a clean, exact copy of the original test questions. They will not be given the actual examination booklets they used during the examination. Consequently, any marks or notes made by candidates during the examination will not be available during the review.
Examinations developed by national organizations or associations may not be eligible for review.
Post-examination reviews of computer-based examinations administered by the department’s examination vendor may be scheduled by contacting Pearson VUE. Candidates will be required to pay the appropriate examination review fee at the time the review is scheduled.
To schedule by phone:
888.204.6289 (DBPR Real Estate/Appraisal Candidates Only)
888.204.6230 (All Other DBPR Professions Candidates)
To request a review of a computer-based examination, use the links below.
Candidates requesting a review of the architecture examination must pay $300 per division or test directly to the National Council for Architecture Registration Boards (NCARB), in addition to the $50 examination review fee paid to the department. Information and instructions will be forwarded to each candidate with procedures for contacting NCARB once a review request form is received by the department.
Reviews for General, Building, Residential, and Plumbing examination parts (trade knowledge, contract administration, and project management) administered in paper and pencil format may be requested by submitting the post-examination review request form to the department. Reviews for business and finance examinations, as well as trade knowledge examinations administered in computer-based testing format, may be requested by contacting the department’s examination vendor, Pearson VUE. (See “Request Review of a Computer-Based Examination” above for additional information.) Post-examination review requests must include a fee of $35 per examination part.
Candidates requesting a post-examination review of the deputy pilot examination may do so by submitting the review request form and fee of $150 to the department immediately following the conclusion of the examination. Grades are generally released within six (6) weeks from the date of the administration. If a candidate chooses to wait until after grades are released to request their examination review, they must submit a completed review request form and fee within fifteen (15) days after grades are released.
The National Association of State Boards of Geology (ASBOG) allows candidates to review incorrectly answered examination questions, but does not provide the correct answers to the questions the candidate answered incorrectly.
Candidates requesting a review of any section of the NCIDQ examination must pay the following fees directly to the Council for Interior Design Qualification (CIDQ):
- Multiple Choice Interior Design Fundamentals Exam (IDFX): $300*
- Multiple Choice Interior Design Professional Exam (IDPX): $300*
- Practicum Exam: $300 per exercise reviewed (7 total)
* Challenges to individual questions after the overall IDFX or IDPX has been reviewed are subject to additional fees established by CIDQ. Candidates are also required to pay the $50 examination review fee to the department. Information and instructions will be forwarded to each candidate with procedures for contacting CIDQ once a review request form is received by the department.
Unless prohibited by board rule or national guidelines, candidates have the right to challenge any question that they believe to be ambiguous, or any solution that they believe to be incorrect, and to request a formal administrative hearing if there are any disputed issues of material fact as set forth by ss. 120.569 and 120.57, Florida Statutes, and Rule 61-11.012, Florida Administrative Code.
The candidate’s challenges must be submitted in writing during a scheduled post-examination review. Written challenges are accepted for DBPR developed examinations. Candidates are given an opportunity during the review session to note in writing, any objections they have to questions answered incorrectly.
At the conclusion of the review session, candidates are given a date in which they may expect a response to their challenges. On average, the response time to challenges is approximately 4 weeks. Due to the confidential nature of the examinations, the only response you will receive is “credit” or “no credit” for each challenged question. Credit will generally only apply to the candidate who reviewed and challenged.
Candidates who review and submit challenges must wait until the results of those challenges are made official before participating in another examination administration. Candidates who elect not to wait will forfeit their right to challenge.
After receiving the department’s response to the challenges previously submitted and since a candidate who fails a licensure examination has been defined as a substantially affected party, the candidate may petition for an Administrative Hearing before the Division of Administrative Hearings pursuant to s. 120.57(1), Florida Statutes. Candidates will have the opportunity to review the questions missed and challenged again along with the candidate’s attorney or subject matter expert for the purposes of preparing their case file. The completed file will be made available to the candidate and his defense team on the day of the hearing. This hearing is much like a trial and the candidate will have the responsibility of presenting witnesses to any facts that prove the unfairness or invalidity of the examination. The administrative hearing process is at times lengthy. On average, it may take approximately ten to twelve (10-12) months before a final order is issued.