December 2009 - Oregon
Taking License | by Kraig Bohot
If you missed the Board of Cosmetology meetings on November 2 and 9, the announcement this month that the Oregon Health Licensing Agency (OHLA) and board have decided to return to the state-prepared examination might have come as a surprise.
But the 5-1 decision by the board in a conference call meeting on November 9 to go back to the state examination while using the National-Interstate Council of State Boards of Cosmetology (NIC) examination on a limited basis has been months in the making.
Since concerns over examination security caused OHLA to switch to a paper-and-pencil format in August, the agency has been closely reviewing its options for providing the best examination possible with the least potential for further security issues.
Due to time and space considerations, I can’t provide you with all of the great comments from OHLA staff, board members and stakeholders during the November 9 meeting.
However, because both were public meetings, you can request a digital audio file by contacting OHLA. We charge only for our costs to transfer the file, which is rather large, to a disk.
Or, if you have specific questions about the change, just call or e-mail us. Our goal is to make the regulatory decision-making process as transparent and inclusive as possible.
What are your views on the return to the state-prepared examination?
Kraig Bohot is public information officer at the Oregon Health Licensing Agency (OHLA), a state consumer protection agency providing centralized regulatory oversight of multiple health and related professions. He can be reached at (503) 373-1939 or at kraig.bohot@state.or.us.
After more than four years of offering a written examination produced by the National-Interstate Council of State Boards of Cosmetology (NIC), the Oregon Health Licensing Agency (OHLA) and Board of Cosmetology have switched back to the state-prepared written examination.
After OHLA Director Randy Everitt brought up the possibility of going back to the state-prepared examination at the Board of Cosmetology meeting on November 2, the board voted in favor of doing so in a conference call meeting on November 9.
“I think this provides us the opportunity to better control examination content and security,” said Everitt at the November 9 meeting. “It puts Oregon in the driver’s seat as to how the test looks and is administered.”
Concerns were raised at the Nov. 9 meeting over whether or not switching back to the state examination would affect the quality and integrity of examination content, the cost, and how licensing reciprocity would be affected.
The board is reestablishing its item-writing sub-committee to address the content and quality of test questions and answers and would draw on the expertise of the state’s school instructors, some of whom are already participating in test development with the NIC.
Everitt said that the cost to switch back to the state examination would be approximately $5,000.
OHLA will continue offering the NIC examination in Vietnamese and Spanish as well as to applicants who are considering moving to another state after becoming certified in Oregon.
OHLA is exploring options to have the state-prepared examination translated into Vietnamese and Spanish.
“We will continue to partner with the NIC, which has value as a national organization,” said Everitt. “However, we believe that returning to the state examination at this point is in the best interest of the agency, the industry, and the public.”
Beginning in December 2009, the Oregon Health Licensing Agency (OHLA) will be administering a state-prepared examination for cosmetology fields of practice through computer-based testing.
This will allow for expedited certification and same-day licensing for those who meet qualifications. The agency will continue to offer the National-Interstate Council of State Boards of Cosmetology (NIC) written examination (paper and pencil) on a limited basis.
Information regarding examination domains, question format, examination sources and number of questions per examination is available at http://www.oregon.gov/OHLA/COS/how_to_get_licensed.shtml.
Candidates will NOT be allowed to review the state-administered or the NIC examination. Under Oregon Administrative Rules (OAR) 817-030-0065, applicants who fail the examination have the opportunity to review failed sections of the examination at the conclusion of each examination. As an agency business practice and for security of the examination, OAR 817-030-0065 will be changed during the 2010 rulemaking cycle to reflect the changes.
Under OAR 817-030-0065, the agency may determine the date and time for retaking failed sections of the examination. The retake policy has been revised to the following:
Copies of the retake policy are enclosed and can be downloaded at http://www.oregon.gov/OHLA/COS/how_to_get_licensed.shtml.
OHLA and the Board of Cosmetology will file permanent administrative rules to change fees on December 15, 2009. The new rules can be accessed after December 15, 2009 at http://www.oregon.gov/OHLA/COS/COSlaws_rules.shtml
The Board of Cosmetology will be implementing new fees on December 15, 2009.
For questions regarding the above information please contact Cerynthia Murphy, Licensing Supervisor at (503) 373-1816 or Cerynthia.murphy@state.or.us or Samantha Patnode, Policy Analyst at (503) 373-1917 or Samie.patnode@state.or.us.
How many practitioners and facilities are active in Oregon? (Numbers in parentheses +/- change from previous month.) According to Oregon Health Licensing Agency (OHLA) records as of December 1, 2009:
Practitioners 30,944 (+14)
Facilities 4,541 (+45)
Independent contractors 7,077 (+132)
Certificate of ID 241 (+17)
Barbering 5,171(-11)
Esthetics 13,336 (+3)
Hair Design 21,017 (+67)
Nail Technology 14,405 (-16)
Oregon Health Licensing Agency
700 Summer Street NE, Suite 320 • Salem, OR 97301-1287
Licensing Office (503) 378-8667 • Enforcement Unit (503) 378-4294
www.oregon.gov/OHLA
OHLA Agency Staff:
Randy Everitt, Director
Tim Molloy, Regulatory Operations
Board of Cosmetology:
Michael D. Snook, Salem - Chair
Debora Masten, Salem - Vice Chair
Linda Bergmann, Florence
Patricia A. Hall, Pendleton
Herb Hirst, North Plains
Sharon Wiser, Lake Oswego
Shelly Couch, Gladstone
