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Qualify for Exams

Apply online using the Board's Applicant Portal. There, you can pay the application fee and check your application's status easily. If online application is not possible for you, you can download the forms below and apply by other methods. The Board prefers online submissions.​


Who can apply?

To take the Fundamentals of Geology (FG) exam, you must have one of the following:

  • An undergraduate degree in geology, engineering geology, earth science, or a related field
  • Or, you must have finished the required geology courses

All applicants need to complete at least 45 quarter hours of geology classes. Out of these, at least 36 quarter hours (which is 80%) must be upper-level courses. The equivalent in semester hours is 30, with 24 from upper-level courses. You can find examples of acceptable upper-level coursework in OAR 809-030-0025.

Transcripts

When you apply, you must submit your official transcript. You can do this in one of two ways:
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To qualify for the Practice of Geology (PG) exam section, an applicant must have a minimum of seven (7) years of qualifying experience. This experience is gained through both university studies and work experience.

NOTE: An applicant must have either passed the Fundamentals of Geology (FG) exam section or be approved to sit for the FG section concurrently with the PG section. 

University studies

  • Completed at least 45 quarter hours of geology coursework, of which at least 36 hours (80%) must be upper-level coursework. The equivalent in semester hours is 30, with 24 from upper-level courses.​ See OAR 809-030-0025 for sample acceptable coursework. Applicants shall submit an official transcript in the Registrar's original sealed envelope. Alternatively, the Board will accept transcripts sent by secure PDF direct from the Registrar's office. NOTE: If you submitted a transcript as part of a previous application to the Board, check with the Board office to confirm that the transcript remains on file. You will not need to resubmit any transcripts already on file.
  • Each year of undergraduate study in the geological sciences shall count as 1 year of training up to a maximum of 2 years, and each year of graduate study may count as 1 year of training up to a maximum of 3 years. However, total credit given for undergraduate and graduate study shall not exceed 4 years toward meeting the 7-year requirement. With respect to determining graduate study credit, a year of post-baccalaureate study is defined in Board rule as 22.5 quarter hours or 15 semester hours. However, crediting will be different if graduate coursework must be used to meet the 45 quarter hours baseline.

Experience

  • 1 year of experience is granted for each year spent working under the supervision of a (a) Registered Geologist, (b) Certified Engineering Geologist, (c) Geologist registered in another jurisdiction with licensing requirements comparable to Oregon, or (d) Geologist in charge of geologic work in a situation or another jurisdiction that does not require licensure; however, a minimum of 3 years must be completed before any credit is granted. 
  • 1 year of experience is granted for each year spent in responsible charge; however, a minimum of 5 years must be completed before any credit is granted. NOTE: To be in responsible charge of work, an individual must have worked in a situation where it was legal to conduct geologic work in Oregon or another state without being under the supervision of a licensed geologist. Contact the Board office if you have questions about this.
  • Supervised work experience and responsible charge work experience cannot be combined. You must qualify on one or the other pathway.
  • Individuals working as geology faculty are advised to contact the Board office regarding credit for professional faculty activities other than teaching or administrative duties. 

Other evaluation criteria

  • Duplicate credit will not be given for experience and education gained concurrently.
  • Experience of less than one month will not be recognized.
  • Full-time is considered an average of 40 hr. per work week.  Experience granted for part-time work will be prorated.

Applicants also need to submit

  • Experience Record Form - If NOT applying online, this form must be included with your application and should give a complete chronological record of your experience since your baccalaureate degree was granted.** Include all time, even if work was outside of the geology field, or otherwise explain gaps, for example, from extended travels.  **For individuals holding geologist registration in another state obtained based on a non-ASBOG exam or for individuals applying for cooperative registration, please include employment information for at least the last 10 years.  
  • Verification of Experience, Registered Geologist​ - Your supervisor for the geologic work experience necessary to meet the requirements to sit for this exam must complete the Verification of Experience form. If you had more than one supervisor for your qualifying work experience, have each supervisor complete a separate form. These must come directly to OSBGE from the supervisor(s).
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Qualify

To qualify for the Engineering Geologist (EG) exam, an applicant must: 
  • Be an Oregon Registered Geologist first.
  • Meet one of the following experience requirements:
    • Standard Supervision Pathway: 3 years of experience under the direct supervision of an engineering geologist, or
    • Responsible Charge Pathway: 5 years in responsible charge of engineering geological projects, or
    • Combined Experience Pathway: 5 years of experience from a combination of 1. and 2.
    • Alternative Experience/Education Pathway: 5 years of experience under qualifying geotechnical engineer supervisors or a combination of experience gained under qualifying geotechnical engineer and engineering geologist supervisors, plus 12 quarter hr. (or 8 semester hr.) of engineering geology coursework
  • Engineering geology experience used to meet Registered Geologist experience qualifications can also be used to qualify for the EG exam.
  • For pathway 4 listed above, engineering geology coursework used to meet Registered Geologist education qualifications can also be used to qualify for the EG exam. Engineering geology coursework is defined as such in the Board rule.
  • For pathway 4, more information about obtaining Board approval of geotechnical engineer supervisors can be found in Board rule 809-030-0022​.

Other evaluation criteria

  • Duplicate credit will not be given for experience and education gained concurrently.
  • Experience of less than one month will not be recognized.
  • Full-time is considered an average of 40 hr. per work week.  Experience granted for part-time work will be prorated.

Applicant must also submit

  • Experience Record form - If NOT applying online, this form must be included with the application and should give a complete chronological record of experience since your baccalaureate degree was granted. Include all time, even if work was outside of the geology field, or otherwise explain gaps, for example, for extended travels.
  • Verification of Experience, Certified Engineering Geologist - Your supervisor for engineering geology work experience necessary to meet the requirements to sit for this exam must complete the Verification of Experience form. If you had more than one supervisor for the qualifying work experience, have each supervisor complete a separate form.
  • Selected Geotechnical Project List (optional) - The Selected Geotechnical Project List should accompany applications if the required experience is not clearly supported through the Verification of Experience forms.
 


SUBMIT APPLICATION HERE