Texas Judicial

Branch

Guardianship Certification

Exam 

One of the qualifications for certification is passing a comprehensive, Texas-specific examination on guardianship law, principles and practices.  The exam consists of 100 multiple-choice questions covering Professional Practices; Knowledge of Ward; Application of Surrogate Decision Making; Knowledge of Laws, Courts and Legal Processes; Personal Management; Financial Management; Medical Decision Making; and the JBCC Guardian's Code of Ethics and Minimum Standards.

Please be advised that the Commission does not provide study guides for the exam. Applicants should study the rules located on the Rules and Resources page of our website, which consists of the following:

  • Code of Ethics and Minimum Standards
  • Chapter 155 Government Code
  • Estates Code
  • JBCC Rules 

Inquiries Regarding Paperwork

Applications are processed as soon as possible, in the order of which they are received. Due to the volume of applications received, processing times can vary; therefore, we are unable to provide more specific timeframes.

Applicants must confirm receipt of their applications, the status of their applications, and their applications progress by referring to the View Pending Online Applications page of their online profiles. From this page, they can verify the following information 24/7:

  1. Confirm receipt of documents uploaded to their application by looking at the number reflect next to the Document(s) link.
    • If it shows (0), the document was not uploaded (i.e., it was not received).
    • If it shows (1), or any number other than 0, the document was uploaded (i.e., it has been received).
  2. Check their applications status.
    • By hovering their mouse over the status, they'll also be able to see descriptive text that explains what the status means.
  3. Check the progress of their applications status by clicking the View Details link.
    • This will show them which items on their application's checklist have been completed, and which are still pending.

Applicants are also sent automated email confirmations of successful application submission, and when applications are approved.

Inquiries for application status checks or receipt confirmation will not be replied to unless determined by staff that there’s been a delay in processing your application, and you have not received prior notification. We receive many of these inquiries and each email takes time to research and respond to which delays the processing of applications. Thank you for your understanding.

Exam Dates and Deadlines

Exam dates are listed below. Additional dates may be added, per calendar year, once confirmed. Dates and protocols are subject to change. The dates listed below are the first day the exam is given; exams may be offered over one, two, or three days depending on the number registrants, availability, and whose forms and payments are received by the deadline.

Applicants are solely responsible for ensuring they know all information required to take the exam, by ensuring to utilize all resources available to them (i.e., our website, rules, slideshows, any communications submitted to them by staff, etc.).

Important Notes:

  1. Exams are only offered online.
    • Examinees will be held accountable to strict testing requirements for exam security purposes.
  2. If new exam dates are not posted, please wait to apply until the dates are listed as you will be required to include the exam date on your application.
  3. Exam slots are filled on a first come, first served basis. 
    • We are unable to accommodate requests for specific time and/or date slots.
  4. Exam slots are only assigned to those who've met all licensure requirements prior to registering for the exam. This includes:
    • Submitting your completed application for certification.
    • Completing the Guardianship Training Module and uploading your certificate of completion to your application for certification. 
    • Being fingerprinted for the JBCC's Guardian Certification department and uploading your fingerprint receipt to your application for certification.
  5. Registration applications received after all slots are filled will be withdrawn.
    • Your exam fee refunded, as fees cannot be transferred to a future exam date.
    • You can register for a future exam date, as applicants are not automatically reassigned to a future exam date.
  6. We will post when exams are closed for further registrations by the exam date that has filled up.
  7. JBCC staff will assign your exam date and time.  
    • Please read your notice carefully to ensure you login on the correct date and time.
Exam Dates & Deadlines
Date Location Registration Deadline
*04/16/2024Exam Closed Online 03/19/2024
*08/13/2024 Exam Closed Online 07/16/2024
*12/10/2024 Online 11/12/2024

(*)= First day of exams. Your assigned date and time will be sent to you via email only after your application has been processed. 

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Exam Procedures

All applications must be submitted online.

Before the Exam

  1. To be eligible to register for the exam, you must apply for certification, pay the certification fee, and submit your receipt for fingerprinting for a criminal history background check.
    • This eligibility requirement applies to all first-time applicants seeking to be fully certified, and 
    • Those seeking to go from provisional certification to full certification. Note: provisional applicants do not have to get fingerprinted again.
  2. Submit your exam registration form and pay the exam fee.
    • Applications submitted unaccompanied by payment will not be processed.
    • Exam registrations submitted without an application for certification on file will not be processed.
      • To apply online, please go to the online certification and licensing system on our home page.
    • You may submit the items described in item 1 at the same time as you register for the exam.

How to Apply for an Exam:

First-Time Applicants (those who have not applied with us before):

  • Create your online profile following the instructions in section I of the pdf Guide to Using the Online System on the home page of our website.
  • Go to your profile home page and click the Apply for Exam link on the What Do You Want to Do menu. Follow the instructions accordingly from there.

Existing Applicants (i.e., those who’ve applied with us before):
Login to your online profile and click the Apply for Exam link on the What Do You Want to Do menu of your home page. Follow the instructions accordingly from there. 

  1. Applicants must register for the exam with the JBCC by the established deadline date. This means that your completed paperwork and supporting documentation must be submitted online by close of business on that date.
    • If there are any insufficiencies with your paperwork, you will be notified via email.
    • Insufficiencies must be resolved by the established exam deadline date; otherwise, you will not be able to take the exam.
  2. You will receive confirmation of registration for the exam, as well as the date, time, and location of the exam, via email.
    • Please allow sufficient time for applications to be reviewed and approved, as this is a multi-step process that involves multiple entities. 
  3. Any questions regarding your registration must be submitted to guardians@txcourts.gov. 

ADA Accommodations

Upon request, reasonable accommodations will be made for ADA conditions. For example, sight or hearing accommodations (inclusive of the need to use a hearing aid for the oral exam).

  • Requests must be submitted by the examinee.
  • Under the JBCC Rules, requests must be submitted no less than 21 days in advance of the exam date (weekends and holidays not included).
    • Your request for accommodation may accompany your exam paperwork or may be sent separately.
    • Requests received less than 21 days before the exam date cannot be honored.

Procedures for ADA requests:

  1. Submit a written request for ADA accommodation(s) for the exam you wish to take to the licensing specialist at: guardians@txcourts.gov.
  2. The licensing specialist will then send you the ADA request form.
    • The form must be completed by your physician.
  3. Return the ADA request form to the licensing specialist by the above-mentioned deadline.
  4. The request will be reviewed and considered by management to determine the reasonable accommodation(s) to be made. The licensing specialist will notify you of said accommodation(s) via email.

Rescheduling Exams

Per section 3.8 (a)(2) of the JBCC Rules, you must submit written notification to the Commission not less than ten (10) days prior to the exam date, along with supporting documentation of your inability to test due to an emergency, if you have registered for an exam and will not be able to make it.

Please email the Certification Division Licensing Specialist at guardians@txcourts.gov. Staff will then withdraw your application, your exam fee can be refunded, and you can apply to register for a future exam date.

Fees are not carried forward. Applicants are not automatically reassigned to a future exam date. 

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Exam Day 

How to Access the online Guardianship Certification Exam (pdf)

When taking the test, you shall follow the established exam security protocols. This includes, but is not limited to, the following:
(See Exam Security and Cheating section of this page for additional information)

  • No others are allowed in the room where you’re testing.
  • No prohibited items are allowed in the room. (Refer to the Prohibited Items section of this page.)
  • You can only take the exam once. You cannot logout, then login and take it again.
  • No taking screenshots of the test.
  • No talking during the exam, including reading exam content aloud.
  • No note taking of any kind during or after the exam. 

To take the written exam online, you must do the following:

  • Login to Blackboard using the link in your confirmation email.
    • Do not use a tablet or mobile device.
    • We strongly advise against taking the exam in a work environment, unless it meets the requirements established for testing, such as no others in the room, no electronic devices of any kind, etc.
    • We recommend not testing on a work computer or laptop because you must download the secure browser, and most employers have security measures that prohibits downloading on their equipment.
  • Go to the "Texas Judicial Branch Certification Commission" page.
    • It’s imperative that you read all information under the "Guardianship Certification Examinee Information" section.
  • Write down the help desk contact info in case you run into any issues testing.
    • JBCC staff cannot provide technical support. You must contact the help desk for Blackboard.
  • After reading all information, go to the “Installing Lockdown Browser” section of the page and click the link to install the browser.
  • Open Respondus Lockdown to get started on the test.
    • You will be prompted to login again (so that you’re logged in using the lockdown browser). You will not be able to test if not logged into the lockdown browser.
    • Read/agree to the terms of service.
    • You must complete the webcam check.
    • You must scan the entire room with your webcam, including the workstation where you are testing. 
      • If you do not have a detachable camera, you must place a mirror that is big enough to see your workstation in camera view so that your workstation (monitors included) is clearly visible for the duration of the exam.
    • You must display your government issued ID and take a picture of it using Respondus Lockdown.
  •  Click the link to take the test (i.e., click on the test name)
    • You may see an External URL message. Click on the hyperlink displayed to be taken to the page to download the lockdown browser.
  • Click Begin Test
    • Questions are displayed 1 at a time.
      • Save the answer, then click the arrow to go to next question.
    • There will be a running clock that you can see to keep track of how much time you have left to finish the exam.
      • When time runs out, your exam will automatically stop and be submitted.
  • If finished prior to time running out, click Ok, then click to save and Submit the test.
  • You will be able to see your preliminary test results immediately. 
  • Logout.

Prohibited Items 

No personal items are allowed in the exam room except your keys (without a key FOB), your wallet, and a jacket (with empty pockets). This includes, but is not limited to:

  • electronic devices of any kind, inclusive of:
    • cell phones,
    • pagers,
    • cameras,
    • watches (analog included),
    • recording devices of any kind,
    • portable fans (non-electric fans included),
  • note taking items of any kind, inclusive of:
    • paper, and
    • writing utensils
  • purses,
  • backpacks,
  • bags, and
  • food or drink.

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Results

Inquiries for exam results will not be replied to unless exam results have already been issued and your inquiry would notify JBCC that you must have missed the results email. We receive many of these inquiries after each exam and each email takes time to research for response. Thank you for your understanding.

  1. You can see your preliminary exam results immediately after submitting your online exam.
  2. Official exam results will be sent to you to the primary email address on file for you.
    • Exam results are automatically re-checked prior to release for examinees who failed by 5 points or less.
    • Official results will be provided to you within 30 days of the exam date, as provided by Rule 3.11(a) of the JBCC Rules.
    • Exam results will not be released or discussed by telephone.
    • Exam results will not be provided to, or discussed with, a third party, including your employer.
  3. Exam result notifications indicate if you passed or failed as well as your score.
    • 75 or more is a passing score.
  4. You may take the exam four times.
    • If you are not successful after four attempts, you must petition to the JBCC for permission to take the exam for the fifth time; see Rule 7.2(d) of the JBCC Rule
  5. Per section 152.201 (c-1) of Chapter 152 and section 3.10 (e) of the JBCC Rules, passing exam scores are valid for a period of 2 years after the date of the examination.
    • If you've not become certified within 2 years of passing the exam, you must retake the exam passed.
  6. Requests for examination regrades must be submitted via the online system within 30 days after receiving notice of the initial exam results (i.e., the date your official results were emailed to you by the licensing specialist).
    • Refer to the Fees section below for the regrade fee.

Certification

After you have passed the exam, your application for certification will be processed.

Allow up to 30 days from the date you receive your official exam results for your certification card to be issued.

  • Certification cards will be issued by regular mail to the primary mailing address on file.
  • We do not recommend using business contact information for your primary mailing address.
  • Once you’re certified, you will receive an automated email from our system advising that your new certification application has been approved.
    • Please check your inbox (and spam folder) for this correspondence.
    • Once you receive this email, or you get your certification card in the mail or verify your certification online, whichever comes first, you may begin to provide professional guardianship services. 

Exam Security and Cheating

Per section 3.7 of the JBCC Rules, the contents of any examination that is required for the issuance of a Commission certification or license are confidential.

Except for those whose ADA accommodations have been pre-approved by the JBCC, applicants testing for certification may only use methods of assistance that are available to, and authorized for, other persons taking the examination. 

Violation of exam security includes, but is not limited to, the following:

  • obtaining or attempting to obtain from any source examination questions or answers for use by an applicant, prospective applicant, or any other person, including a person associated with a school or examination preparation course;
  • providing or attempting to provide examination questions or answers to an applicant, prospective applicant, or any other person, including a person associated with a school or examination preparation course;
  • presenting a falsified or fraudulent document to gain entry to an examination;
  • presenting a falsified or fraudulent document concerning an individual's results from an examination;
  • taking an examination for another person;
  • an applicant or prospective applicant, knowingly allowing another person to take an examination for the applicant or prospective applicant;
  • while taking an examination, using any materials not authorized by the Commission or testing service for use in the examination, including but not limited to notes or study aides;
  • bringing to the examination site or leaving the examination site with examination questions or answers obtained from the current examination or from previous examination attempts;
    • This includes writing down questions or contents of the exam after completing testing (for any reason).  
  • while taking an examination, communicating with any person, other than an authorized representative of the Commission or testing service, about the examination; 
  • bringing any items into the examination, including hand-written notes, not pre-approved by the Commission or testing service, as well as any items from the prohibited items list.
  • disclosure of exam contents including subject, questions, answers, formatting, etc. with any person, organization, or agency would be a violation of the exam security protocols and would result in disqualification of your exam and you would not be able to test again until two years from the disqualification date.

An applicant who cheats on an examination will be disqualified and may not take the examination again until two years have elapsed from the date of the examination at which the applicant was disqualified.

Send questions or concerns related to the exam to guardians@txcourts.gov to ensure all matters are timely addressed.

Fees

All fees are non-refundable. However, if you have a fee dispute you must submit it to guardians@txcourts.gov for resolution. 

Examination Fee: $175.00

Examination Regrade Fee: $35.00

Acceptable forms of payment: Credit Card or Debit Card

Updated: 12/18/2024