The Hawai‘i State Association of Parliamentarians regularly offers and sponsors educational classes, workshops and lectures on Parliamentary Procedure to interested individuals and groups.
We have progams of general inormation and programs for those intesested in the membership exam to become members of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF PARLIAMENTARIANS® (NAP).
After becoming a member of the NAP (see "How to Join"), you may want to become a "Registered Parliamentarian" (RP).
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 85% for parts II-V and 80% for part I. 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 (Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised).
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Part 1. | Research questions. 5 quotations from RONR and you have 30 minutes to find the page and line number of each quote. |
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Part 2. | Motions & Related Concepts |
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Part 3. | Meetings, Sessions & Related Procedures |
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Part 4. | Officers and Elections, Voting, Boards and Committees |
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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 may re-take only the parts you did not pass. You have one year to finish re-taking any missed sections.
Examination fees are $150 for the full exam, $25 for Part I re-examination, and $50 for Parts II - V re-examination. 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™.
See also the NAP website for more information & application forms.
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! The goal, of course, is not just to pass an exam - 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 trained instructors from NAP. The course (test) consists of different "training" modules such as:
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:
