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HOW TO PREPARE AND PASS THE HOME INSPECTOR EXAM

STATE REGULATIONS TO BECOME A HOME INSPECTOR

State Regulator Legislation on Home Inspector Qualifications
Most States will require you to pass an examination administered by a home inspection professional association. There are two such associations, ASHI (American Society of Home Inspectors) www.ashi.org or NHI (National Home Inspectors) www.nahi.org. Check with your state regulations on details.

ASHI Membership
Anyone can take the National Home Inspector Examination (NHIE) or ASHI's Standards and Ethics Examination. These exams are required for individuals to qualify for full ASHI membership. For ASHI's Standards and Ethics Examination please call Promissor toll free at 800-274-8359 for a list of available test centers and to make a reservation.

NHIE Membership
Also, several states require passing the NHIE for licensure. Check with your state regulatory agency to verify existing licensure requirements. For the National Home Inspector Examination, call toll free 877-543-5222 to make a reservation. Visit www.homeinspectionexam.org for exam information.

Excerpts from ASHI's Handbook
Now you can register for the Standards and Ethics Examination online!

For ASHI's Standards and Ethics Examination on line, Click Here. or call Promissor toll free at 800-274-8359 for a list of available test centers and to make a reservation. Or click www.promissor.com for more information.

Both examinations are administered by Promissor.

For best results when contacting Promissor to make your examination reservation:
Phone lines are open (Eastern time):
Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.
Saturday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Sunday from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
About the ASHI Standards and Ethics Examination
Number of Questions: 50
Examination Price: $85.00
Exam Time: One hour.

Administration of the ASHI S&E Exam is intended to insure that the membership of ASHI understand and will practice according to ASHI's Standards of Practice and Code of Ethics.

Home inspectors address a personal need of consumers by inspecting their residences for safety, health and comfort. Therefore, it's important that when consumers contact an ASHI Member, they are confident of the standards and ethics with which the inspector practices his or her profession.

The content of the examination covers the objective statements contained in the ASHI Standards of Practice and Code of Ethics, as well as their application to situations the ordinary home inspector might encounter in everyday practice.

ASHI's Standards and Ethics Examination is developed, maintained and administered according to accepted psychometric standards, under the guidance of Columbia Assessment Services, Inc.

Preparing for the examination
There are no study aids other than the ASHI Standards of Practice and Code of Ethics. Copy attached.

Dates, times and locations
ASI offers examinations at more than 200 sites throughout North America. A list of these locations is found on the National Assessment Center Location Card which accompanies this handbook. When you call to make your examination reservation, the Customer Care Representative will give you specific information and directions to your Assessment Center. Locations and schedules are subject to change and should be verified at the time you call to make your reservation.

You may make a reservation up to three (3) business days prior to your desired test date. For example, if you call ASI's Customer Care Center to make an examination reservation on a Tuesday, you may test as early as the following Friday. Reservations made on a Saturday require an additional business day to arrange.

Re-examination procedures
To make an appointment for re-examination, call ASI's Customer Care Center toll-free at 800-274-8359. Have your failing score report available when you call. Follow the procedures outlined above for making an examination appointment.

You may re-take the ASHI Standards and Ethics Examination as many times as you wish. However, you must wait 30 days between re-takes. Each examination requires a separate fee.

What to bring with you on examination day
1. Your confirmation number.
2. Examination fee (or separate fees if taking more than one examination) in the form of certified check, cashier's check, or money order payable to Assessment Systems, Inc. Cash, personal checks, and credit cards will not be accepted.
3. Two forms of signature identification, one of which must be photo-bearing, preferably a driver's license.
4. Your failing score report, if you are re-taking the examination.

If you do not present all of the above items on examination day, you will be denied admission to the test and will be considered absent. You will owe ASI the full examination fee.

Score reporting
Upon completion, the test center manager will immediately score the examination. The words "PASS" or "FAIL" and a numeric score appear on the score sheet. Individuals who fail must wait 30 days before being eligible to retake the examination. All persons taking a re-examination must pay the original examination fee for each test. There are no limits to the number of times an individual may test.

Applying your score to achieve ASHI Member status
To insure that your score is applied to your ASHI membership requirements, mail or fax your passing score report to

American Society of Home Inspectors
932 Lee Street, #101
Des Plaines IL 60016
Fax 847-759-1620 Membership phone: 847-759-2820

Both experienced and novice home inspectors enter ASHI as Candidates. To become a full Member, the Candidate must:

Pass the National Home Inspector Examination and ASHI's Standards and Ethics Examination.
Have inspection reports successfully verified for compliance with ASHI's Standards of Practice.
Submit valid proof of performance of at least 250 fee-paid home inspections that meet or exceed the ASHI Standards of Practice.

If passage of the ASHI Standards and Ethics Examination completes your Candidate requirements, you will be notified by ASHI Headquarters. Upon notification by ASHI of your Member status, you may begin to use the ASHI Member logo in your marketing materials.

Candidates who have passed both the National Home Inspector Examination and the ASHI Standards and Ethics Examination, but who have completed only 50 home inspections, may have the inspections verified by ASHI. If accepted, the Candidate may apply for use of the distinct "ASHI Candidate" logo in their marketing materials. Candidates may not use the official "ASHI Member" logo under any circumstances.

A final word
Home inspection professionals offer a vital service to the public in evaluating the condition of a prospective home. The American Society of Home Inspectors requires that all Candidate and Member home inspectors meet minimum professional practice standards and operate according to ethical guidelines. The ASHI Standards and Ethics Examination is designed to assess these qualities in order to meet membership requirements.

Good luck!