Registration Requirements
The application for registration may be completed on-line and submitted or printed and mailed. To reach the online application and instructions for completion and submission just proceed to the active (underlined) sections of the paragraph below.
The application for professional soil classifier must include 3 professional references, 1 of which must be a North Dakota professional soil classifier. The application for soil classifier-in-training must include 3 references. There is a testing fee of $200 for the practical exam. This fee is due prior to the examination. There is a processing fee of $25 which applies to both Professional Soil Classifiers and Soil Classifiers-in-Training. A final one-time fee of $100 is due after the applicant has successfully completed the practical exam and is qualified to be listed as a Professional Soil Classifier.
The NDBRPSC has adopted the Soil Science Society of America, Council of Soil Science Examiners fundamental exam. Fundamental Exam information and registration can be found on-line at https://www.soils.org/certifications/exam-information. SSSA examination fees and site proctoring fees apply.
A qualified applicant must successfully complete a fundamental examination and the ND practical examination before further consideration for registration. The Board administrates the Practical Exam. The practical examination can only be taken after successful completion of the fundamental exam.
Practicing soil classifiers must pay an annual registration fee of $200. Non-practicing soil classifiers must pay an annual registration fee of $25.
For additional information concerning examination or registration, please contact one of the Board members listed on this website.
Registration of a Professional Soil Classifier Through Examination
An applicant that successfully completes both the fundamental and practical examinations shall be admitted to registration as a professional soil classifier provided he/she meets one of the following qualifications as outlined in the North Dakota Century Code (43-36-12):
- Is a graduate of a soils curriculum approved by the board as satisfactory and with a specific record of an additional four years or more of experience of a grade and character which indicates to the board that the applicant is competent to practice soil classifying and who holds a valid soil classifier-in-training certificate.
- Is a person who has satisfactorily completed a soils curriculum not approved by the board and eight years or more of experience in soil classifying work of a character and grade which indicates to the board that the applicant is competent to practice soil classifying.
- Is a person who holds a valid soil classifier-in-training certificate with a specific record of four years or more of experience as a soil classifier-in-training of a grade and character which indicates to the board that the applicant is competent to practice soil classifying.
- Is a person with experience of not less than four years of soil classification research or as a teacher of soils in a college or university offering an approved soils curriculum of four years or more, and a minimum of two years of soil classifying experience of a character and grade which indicates to the board that the applicant is competent to practice soil classifying.
Certification of a Soil Classifier-In-Training Through Examination
A person shall be certified as a soil classifier-in-training for a period of 4 years if he/she meets one of the following qualifications outlined in the North Dakota Century Code (43-36-13):
- A graduate of a soils curriculum approved by the board and has passed an examination in the fundamentals of soil classification; or
- An applicant who has completed a soils curriculum not approved by the board and who has a specific record of four years of soil classification experience of a grade and character satisfactory to the board and who passes an examination in the fundamentals of soil classification.
Registration of a Professional Soil Classifier Without Examination
There is no provision in the North Dakota Century Code to allow registration of professional soil classifiers without examination. The only possibility for this option occurred during a one year period of time from July 1, 1973 to June 30, 1974 (NDCC- 43-36-11).