Learning
more about becoming a parliamentarian
The National
Association of Parliamentarians accredits members that pass a
detailed five part registration exam. The minimum passing grade
to become a Registered Parliamentarian is 80%. Anyone who
has taken this exam will share with you that it is not an easy
test. It is designed to show your proficiency in parliamentary
procedure, knowing the rules and where to find them in RONR (Roberts
Rules of Order).
Part
1. Research questions. 5 quotations from RONR and you
have 30 minutes to find the page
and line number of each quote.
Part
2. Motions & Related Concepts
Part 3. Meetings, Sessions
& Related Procedures
Part 4. Officers and Elections,
Voting, Boards and Committees
Part 5. Rules of the Assembly
& related procedures
It is not
uncommon for individuals to fail one or more of the 5 parts on
the first test. If you pass at least 2 parts the first time, you
re-take only the parts you did not pass. You have one year to
finish re-taking any missed sections. The current examanation
fee for this test is $100 & re-takes are $25 per section.
There are tools to help you study! The test questions are randomly
selected from the 1200 questions in "Study
Guide for Registration" from NAP and ParlQuest™.
Now you've
passed.... and it can be a great thing if you find yourself at
a meeting, and you need to rely on instant recall of the rules!
AND you can actually find the RONR page reference where that ruling
is when asked! This exam is not just to pass by 80% - it's to
ensure you have the ability and preparation you need in order
to funciton effectively in any meeting of any deliberative assembly.
RP's who also
demonstrate added proficiency in teaching and presiding can obtain
a certification from NAP as a PRP or Professional
Registered Parliamentarian.
This PQC or
Professional Qualifiying Course includes 16 hours of comprehensive
testing and instruction with two or three trained instructors
from NAP. The course (test) consists of different "training"
modules such as:
• serving
as parliamentarian for conventions & meetings
• serving as presiding
officer and professional presider
• preparing
and presenting a portion of a 1 hour lesson plan
• class
participation
• pre-class
written parliamentary opinion
• post-course
(test) written parliamentary opinion
A Professional
Registered Parliamentarian (PRP) is qualified to assist individuals
and organizations in parliamentary procedure that enables the
timely and efficient conduct of business. Correct parliamentary
procedure is based on democratic principles and respect for the
dignity of the individual. They also can be:
• A
professional presider
• Bylaws consultant
• Seminar and
workshop presenter
• Minutes taking
expert
• Parliamentary
opinion writer
• Expert witness
on parliamentary procedure
• Convention consultant
• Agenda planner
• Election consultant
