Sec. 342.113. - Examination of masters, journeymen, servicemen, and installers.

(a) In each category where a contractor or craftsman certificate is required by Section 342.110 , the Board shall offer examinations for contractors, master craftsmen, journeymen, serviceman, and installer craftsmen at times and places designated by the Board approved examination vendors. The Board shall adopt a schedule for examinations in all required categories at its first meeting each fiscal year. The schedule shall be publicly posted in the office of the Building Inspection Division. The schedule for each type of examination in each category shall be evenly distributed throughout the year. No examination shall be given at a time other than as adopted in the posted schedule, except that the Board may authorize a special contractor examination if an applicant demonstrates that he will suffer an undue hardship if required to await the scheduled examination. (b) To be eligible for a scheduled examination, an applicant must file his application with the Board at least 30 days before the date of the examination. (c) Each application for examination certificate and renewal shall include a receipt from the Tax Collector showing payment of a nonrefundable fee. The following application fees are found at the following City of Jacksonville webpage: www.coj.net/fees : (i) Contractor/administration examination (ii) Special contractor examination (iii) Master craftsman examination (iv) Journeyman craftsman examination (v) Serviceman examination (vi) Installer examination (d) The Board shall employ consultants or professional testing agencies experienced in the administration of similar examinations to prepare, conduct and grade examinations. Prior to administration of a craftsman examination, the level of competency and type of examination shall be approved by a committee appointed by the Board of not less than two craftsmen who are certified in the category to be examined. Prior to administration of a contractor examination, other than a special contractor examination, the contents of the examination shall be approved by a committee appointed by the Board of not less than two contractors certified by the Board. (e) Each applicant shall be examined by an objective examination. An examination candidate having either a documented disability or a lack of reading skill may petition the Board to take an oral examination administered by the examination vendor under approved psychometric and/or Americans with Disabilities Act guidelines. (f) The passing grade for every examination is at least 75 percent. (g) Examinations shall test the applicant's knowledge of the portions of the Building Code and other laws, rules and principles as are relevant to the trade or craft concerned. Journeymen, serviceman and installer examinations shall be practical and elementary but sufficiently strict to test the applicant's ability to install, erect and perform the work necessary to make a safe, complete and adequate installation of the type of construction or installation done by the trade or craft concerned and may include mathematical problems as well as technical questions. Master examinations shall be comprehensive and shall test the applicant's ability to plan, lay out, supervise and do the work of the trade or craft concerned and may include mathematical problems as well as technical questions. Contractor examinations shall test the applicant's knowledge of those laws and regulations which are determined by the Board to be applicable to the operation of a construction business in the State of Florida including, but not limited to, employer's tax laws, unemployment compensation, workmen's compensation, lien laws, general business and construction safety. (h) The examination shall be of a multiple-choice, fill-in or true-false character or may include or consist of diagrams, plans or sketches upon or in connection with which the applicant is required to demonstrate his/her knowledge of circuits, installation or the like. No question on an examination shall be of a discussion or essay type. If the open book testing technique is used, questions may provide for multiple-choice, true-false, matching, completion or mathematical responses or may require the completion of plans, sketches or diagrams. (i) Each examination answer sheet shall identify the applicant only by a number assigned by the Board or the examination vendor. The Board or examination vendor shall ensure that the grader has no knowledge of a applicant's identity. (j) Each applicant who passes an examination will be issued a certificate of competency in the trade and category for which the examination was given, for those who pass the examination in August or September of the first biennial year a renewal fee as found in www.coj.net/fees shall be charged for the first biennial certificate. Applicants applying for reciprocity shall pay the required reciprocity fees found in Chapter 489, Florida Statutes, plus the required renewal fees. (k) The Board has the right at its discretion, based on careful review of extenuating circumstances or Board error beyond the applicant's control, to refund the application fee. (l) For purposes of a certificate of competency, a passing grade shall be valid only for a period of one year from the date the list of successful candidates is approved by the Board. (m) Failure of a successful candidate to place the certificate of competency either on active or inactive status within one year from the date the Board approved the successful candidate shall render the passing grade null and void requiring the candidate to take the examination again. (Ord. 68-61-113; Ord. 70-650-526; Ord. 71-397-181; Ord. 72-218-140, §§ 2—5; Ord. 73-330-239, §§ 1, 2; Ord. 74-275-118, § 5; Ord. 83-591-400, § 1; Ord. 84-1240-655, § 4; Ord. 85-1201-663, § 13; Ord. 90-593-268, § 2; Ord. 90-1043-562, § 7; Ord. 90-1159-567, § 5; Ord. 93-1266-450, § 1; Ord. 98-673-E, § 11; Ord. 98-720-E, § 2; Ord. 1999-899-E, § 1; Ord. 2000-54-E, § 3; Ord. 2017-665-E , § 20; Ord. 2018-347-E , § 3) Note— Former § 950.113.