Registration to take ordination exams
Before registering for the exams, please carefully review the information on this page. When you are ready to register (or if you need to return to the registration site), click on the link below.
BCE registration
Applicants may register and pay online for the Bible Content Examination. An e-mail confirmation containing essential information required for taking the test is sent to each registrant.
The Bible Content Examination is given at proctored sites using an internet-based testing program. The proctors for each site can provide information about the specific equipment availability and requirements for their location. Inquirers and candidates should confirm these requirements with the proctor at the site before registering.
Senior exam registration
Candidates or inquirers may take all four “senior” ordination examinations during the final year of seminary or after the equivalent of two full years of theological education (Book of Order, G-14.0431). The decision to authorize a person to take the examinations belongs solely to the presbytery. Without specific authorization from their presbytery's committee overseeing the preparation for ministry process, an applicant is not permitted to take these examinations.
When authorizing a person to take the exams, the presbytery’s committee attests that the inquirer or candidate has completed adequate academic preparation in each examination area and adequate supervised experience in the practice of pastoral ministry to be prepared to do the integrative work that is required in the senior ordination examinations.
Candidates who are taking the senior exams for the first time are encouraged to take the exams in all four subject areas. Candidates and inquirers must register, along with payment of appropriate fees, each time exams are to be taken.
Registration for all of the standard ordination examinations is completed using an online process. Once the candidate has entered the required registration information at the registration site (including payment information for the billing of the fees), an email will be sent to the candidate’s presbytery committee, requesting authorization to take the exams. Once the presbytery’s committee has authorized the examinations, an email confirmation will be sent to the candidate.
The same registration process is to be used by ministers of other denominations who are seeking admission to the PC(USA), and who have permission from a presbytery committee to take exams.
Applicant responsibilities
It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that:
- all necessary steps in the application/registration process have been fulfilled;
- all instructions have been followed carefully;
- close contact is kept with the links to the process, i.e., proctors and committee chairpersons from each candidate’s presbytery.
The deadlines for applications are:
- for January exams: the preceding December 15
- for August exams: the preceding July 15
Fees
The fee for each exam is $100. When your registration is submitted online we will request an approval code for the total amount of fees due. Final billing to the account will be completed only after the presbytery’s committee has authorized taking the exams. This payment system does not involve the storing of personal account information during processing of the registration request.
Notification
Testing applicants will receive an email confirmation once the CPM chair has authorized taking the exams. This email will include information about the testing process, preliminary materials, and the applicant’s I.D. number. This number is used throughout the exam process to insure anonymity in evaluating responses. All subsequent materials, including evaluations, will be released to the exam proctors and presbytery committee chairs.
Format
All five areas of examination must be completed using a computer. The BCE is taken through a secure website, and handwritten senior examinations are not accepted for evaluation. Please contact your proctor well in advance to find out how to comply with the technological requirements at your testing site.
Cancellation
After registrations have been confirmed, cancellation of an exam up until two weeks before the administration of the exam will be subject to an administrative fee of $50 percent per exam. If an exam is cancelled within the two weeks before the exam is to be administered, all fees paid will be forfeited. In case of serious illness or emergency, please contact the Office of Preparation for Ministry/Exams and the proctor at the testing site as soon as possible; with confirmation of such circumstances registration fees will be refunded.
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Comments
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Registrations may not be deferred from one examination date to the next offering of the exams. See the information on this page under the heading "Cancellation" regarding policies if you need to cancel a registration.
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I have registered for the BCE, Feb. 3, but have a major conflict. Is there another exam in August? If so, when? And can I still use the $100 I already paid? Thank you.
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The deadline for both the fall 2012 "senior" exams and the BCE will be July 15, 2012. Registration will open in April 2012 for those exams.
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Is the deadline for registering for the August BCE July 15th? The way it is printed above looks like that deadline is for the senior exams only. Could someone clarify?
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The early registration discount has been discontinued. The PCC announced this pending change last year. There is no longer a need to encourage spreading out registration loads, and so the best way to hold down costs for everyone was to discontinue discounts.