2021 USGA Rules Exam Information

We are excited to announce that we have a new partner for offering our digital Rules of Golf exam. Additionally, we’d like to apologize for the exam process to date. Offering the Rules exam digitally was new for us and necessary due to COVID-19. While we made every effort to make it work, we recognize that the previous vendor was not an effective solution for our use case, and we hope you’ll be open to trying out the new exam and proctoring platform.

We also recognize that you may have questions about the new process. This page will provide detailed information on both scheduling and taking the exam.

We can be reached directly any time at rules@usga.org or 908-326-1850 if you have any questions.

The New Exam and Proctoring Platform

• Platform – It is web-based so there is no software to download, and launching the exam is a fast process.
• Scheduling – We provide a schedule of available exam times for you to choose from below as well as a simple process to sign up for your chosen slot.
• Security – You will only be required to take a photo of your face and your ID when signing in. No additional environment or security checks will be required.
• Proctors – USGA Rules staff will proctor the exam, enabling us to provide a consistent experience for all exam-takers.
• Monitoring – USGA proctors will have access to exam-taker’s video and computer screen to ensure the exam is conducted in a secure and equitable fashion.
• Disconnections – The platform is stable and disconnections are a rare occurrence. If one does occur, the re-entry process is designed to be simple and fast. Time while disconnected does not count against your allotted exam time.

Exam Schedule and Registration Links (For Both 80Q and 100Q)

Please select your preferred date for taking the exam and click on the link to register via short survey. Each date will be limited to 40 candidates on a first-come, first-served basis.

*If you need to register to pay for the exam, please do so here.*

System Compatibility Check

Any time before your exam, please CLICK HERE and then click the "Launch Test" button. This will take you through a sample of the full system check and registration process detailed in our video below.

Before the Exam

• After scheduling above, you will receive an email confirming your registration. 
• System Check - Any time before your exam, please run the system compatibility check linked in the section above.
• Then approximately 24 hours in advance of your exam, you will receive an email that will include:
  • Another link to check your system compatibility (if you successfully ran the Mock Test above, you should not need to check your system compatibility again, but there is no harm in doing so).
  • The link to launch and take your exam.
• The exam must be taken on a laptop or a desktop – mobile devices and tablets (iPads) can NOT be used.
• The exam is compatible with both PC and Mac computers.
• You can only have one computer monitor/screen – if you have a dual monitor set-up, you will need to disconnect the second monitor.
• Supported browsers – You will need to use either Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox only.
  • Google Chrome can be downloaded here.
  • Mozilla Firefox can be downloaded here.
• You will need a webcam – This can either be built into your computer or purchased and plugged into your computer externally.
• During set-up, the platform will walk you through how to share your screen, and also how to allow access to your webcam and your microphone for proctor monitoring purposes.
• If you log in early, you will have to wait until the scheduled start time to begin your exam.
• To access the exam, you will be asked:
  • To show your photo ID.
  • To take a photo of your face for ID verification purposes.

During the Exam

• The exam will be administered in two parts (closed book and open book) with a simple transition between the two. After the transition to the open book portion, you will not be able to return to the closed book portion.
• You will have 1.5 hours for part one (closed book) and 2.5 hours for part two (open book), for a total of 4 hours.
  • A clock of your remaining time (specific to when you began your exam) will be visible on the screen.
• Materials for open book portion of exam – you can use any books, printed materials and handwritten notes, but you may not use any electronic or digital resources.
  • Note that you are not allowed to navigate away from the exam window on your computer – this will be tracked by the AI software described below.
• Scratch Paper - You are free to use as much scratch paper as needed during both parts of the exam.
• Food and Drink - Feel free to have food and drink with you during the exam.
• AI Monitoring – The system uses AI monitoring to provide warnings both to the student and to the proctor when prohibited actions are detected. These include things like navigating away from the testing window, taking a picture of the screen with a mobile device, etc.
  • Warnings will be reviewed by USGA proctors and exams can be ended for inappropriate actions.
• Text Sizing – The exam is offered through a web browser, meaning that the browser’s view/zoom tool can be used to increase (or decrease) the size of the text in the exam window.
• Chat – You will be able to send chat messages to your proctor if you need assistance.
• Bookmarking – The system provides a “Re-Visit” feature to mark questions that you would like to return to. Remember that you are unable to return to the closed book section after moving on to the open book.
  • Note that this feature only pertains to revisiting questions within the part of the exam being taken currently (open book or closed book).
• Breaks – You can take breaks any time as needed. Please just message your proctor that you are taking a break. You do NOT need to wait for a response from the proctor. The allotted time for your exam will continue to run during breaks.

Video Overview of Exam Process

See below for a video overview of the exam process.