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Preparation for Ministry

Exams schedule

 

Standard ordination exams home


Spring 2023 Exams Cycle  
Senior Ordination Exams  
February 1 — Registration opens  
March 31 — Registration deadline  
April 1 — Exegesis book announced  
April 20–22 — Senior Exams  
April 27 — Exegesis Exam deadline  
May 1–5 — Reading period  
May 8 — Results released  
Fall 2023 Exams Cycle  
Senior Ordination Exams Bible Content Exam
July 1 — Registration opens June 1 — Registration opens
August 31 — Registration deadline July 31 — Registration deadline
September 1 — Exegesis book announced September 1 — Bible Content Exam at 10:00 a.m. local time at testing site
September 21–23 — Senior Exams  
September 28 — Exegesis Exam deadline  
October 2–6 — Reading period  
October 9 — Results released  
Winter 2024 Exams Cycle  
Senior Ordination Exams Bible Content Exam
November 1, 2023 — Registration opens November 1, 2023 — Registration opens
December 31, 2023 — Registration deadline December 31, 2023 — Registration deadline
January 1 — Exegesis book announced February 2 — Bible Content Exam at 10:00 a.m. local time at testing site
January 25–27 — Senior Exams  
February 1 — Exegesis Exam deadline  
February 5–9 — Reading period  
February 12 — Results released  
Spring 2024 Exams Cycle  
Senior Ordination Exams  
February 1 — Registration opens  
March 31 — Registration deadline  
April 1 — Exegesis book announced  
April 25–27 — Senior Exams  
May 2 — Exegesis Exam deadline  
May 6–10 — Reading period  
May 13 — Results released  

For all the necessary information about online registration and administration of these tests, please visit the examinations section of this website

dates for examinations

The Bible Content Examination is given twice yearly:

  • The first Friday in February at 10 a.m. local time
  • The Friday before Labor Day at 10 a.m. local time

The senior ordination exams in the areas of Theology, Worship and Sacraments, Church Polity, and Bible Exegesis are offered three times a year at the end of January, April, and September, usually on the last full weekend of those months. The PCC sets the specific dates so that the evaluation period by the readers will fall in the first week of the following months.

Test takers are eligible to take the Theology, Worship and Sacraments, and Polity exams only during the 60-hour period from 8:00 a.m. US Eastern Time on the announced Thursday of the testing period to 8:00 p.m. US Eastern Time on the Saturday of the testing period.

Test takers have nine (9) hours to complete a test once it is begun. Regardless of the time when a test taker begins an exam, the system will close access at 8:00 p.m. on Saturday; therefore, it is the test takers’ responsibility to begin examinations sufficiently in advance of 8:00 p.m. on Saturday for their full permitted time to be available. Candidates who may be taking examinations in more than one of the subject areas of Theology, Worship and Sacraments, and Polity need to be aware that the same 60-hour testing period applies to all three of these areas of examination. It is each candidate’s responsibility to manage her or his time to assure that any of these three areas of examination for which they are registered have been completed by the 8:00 p.m. close of testing on the announced Saturday of the examination period.

Access to the Bible Exegesis is opened to all registrants for that test at 3:00 p.m. US Eastern Time on the scheduled Saturday. Each candidate must have her or his completed responses on the exam administration site by 12:00 noon US Eastern Time the following Thursday regardless of the candidate’s time zone.

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