EDUCATION FAQS

Frequently Asked Questions

Answers to the following Questions are listed below:

• Q: What are the MAAO week long courses?
• Q: When and how do I register for a course?
• Q: When will I get my exam results?
• Q: If I fail the final exam can I re-test?
• Q: Can I challenge a week long course?
• Q: Who are the approved proctors for exams?
• Q: Who do I contact if I have a question regarding a course?
• Q: What courses do I need to obtain an assessor’s license?
• Q: Are scholarships available for the courses?
• Q: Who maintains my records of attendance and exam scores?
• Q: How do I submit a recent course completion for Continuing Ed credit?
• Q: How can I get the 15 hour USPAP? 
• Q: Does MAAO offer any on-line courses?
• Q: I’ve passed the classes required for the CMA (Certified MN Assessor), what do I do next?

 Question & Answers

QUESTION: What are the MAAO week long courses?
ANSWER: MAAO sponsors six 30-hour courses as follows:

Assessment Laws and Procedures 

MAAO Appraisal Principles

MAAO Appraisal Procedures

MAAO Basic Income Approach

MAAO Mass Appraisal Basics 

Minnesota Assessment Administration 

Please refer to the list of current Educational Offerings to see when and where each course will be offered in the future. The location and number of offerings of each course varies based on need.  If you are interested in sponsoring a course in your area, please contact MAAO's Education Coordinator at [email protected].

A variety of IAAO courses will be offered based on demand. IAAO 102 - Income Approach to Valuation is offered each year. 

All of these courses are twenty-eight in length plus an exam and have been approved for a total of 30 hours of continuing education by the Minnesota Board of Assessors.

MAAO Appraisal Principles, MAAO Appraisal Procedures, MAAO Mass Appraisal Basics, and IAAO 102 Income Approach to Valuation have been approved by the Department of Commerce for 30 hours of appraiser continuing education.  The final exam is required to receive the 30 hours of appraiser continuing education.

QUESTION: When and how do I register for a course?
ANSWER: The course schedule and registration is posted the November prior to the next year's offerings. Registration is available on the MAAO website and instructions are included. Payment, cancellation, refund information, course schedules, course requirements and lodging information are also available on the webpage for each course.

QUESTION: When will I get my exam results?
ANSWER: Exam results will be sent via email to the registrant at the email address provided on the registration form.  The results are sent to the registrant, typically within 30 days of the final examination. Do not contact the instructor; the exam results will not be provided over the phone and will be supplied only to the registrant. Results are pass/fail only. Individual scores are not provided. Seventy percent is the minimum passing score, except for the 15-Hour USPAP exam which varies from year to year. For IAAO courses, results are e-mailed from IAAO to the recipient within four to six weeks. Exam results from Appraisal Institute co-sponsored courses will be e-mailed from the Appraisal Institute.

QUESTION: If I fail the final exam can I re-test?
ANSWER: An attendee is allowed to re-test the final exam one time. The attendee should arrange a re-test time with an approved MAAO proctor and complete the online form to register and pay for the re-test ($50 for MAAO Members, $100 for non-members). The re-test must be within 1 year of the course although MAAO recommends that re-tests are taken within 90 days of the course.  Application for the re-test is available on the MAAO website. For IAAO re-exams, an application for the special examination (re-examination) is included with the exam results.  

QUESTION: Can I challenge a week long course?
ANSWER: Yes, you can challenge any of the MAAO week long courses final exams and 2-day electives with the exception of Assessment Laws and Procedures with Ethics, MN Assessment Administration and USPAP courses. The fee is $150.00 for MAAO members and you can apply online through the MAAO website. Times and locations for course challenges should be arranged with one of the approved proctors. Course materials are also available for purchase, and can be ordered through the MAAO website. No continuing education hours are given for course challenges. If an applicant fails the course challenge he/she is required to attend the course to get credit for the course.

QUESTION: Who do I contact if I have a question regarding a course?
ANSWER: Questions or comments about courses should be referred to the MAAO Education Coordinator at [email protected].

QUESTION: What courses do I need to obtain an assessor’s license?
ANSWER: The MN State Board of Assessors website provides information about the different levels of licensure and the requirements for each level of licensure. A visual course map can be viewed here.

QUESTION: Are scholarships available for the courses?
ANSWER: MAAO does provide a limited number of scholarships for the week long courses. Eligible courses are: Assessment Laws and Procedures; Appraisal Principles; Appraisal Procedures; and Mass Appraisal Basics. Information and scholarship applications are available on the MAAO web site.

QUESTION: Who maintains my records of attendance and exam scores from these courses?
ANSWER: Attendees are responsible for maintaining their own educational records including exam results. Each attendee of an MAAO course will receive a letter documenting their hours of attendance and exam results.  It is each attendees' responsibility to submit this documentation of course attendance and exam results to the Assessor Licensing System.

QUESTION: How do I submit a recent course completion for Continuing Education credit?
ANSWER:The first step you will take is to check the board approved continuing education course list on the Minnesota State Board of Assessors website to see if the course/seminar has already been approved. If the course/seminar you attended is on the board-approved list, upload the completion certificate to your education records on the Assessor Licensing System. If the course/seminar you attended or want to attend is not on the approved course list, you will need to complete the Request Form and submit it to the Minnesota State Board of Assessors for approval.  If you have questions, contact Nicole Halling by e-mail: [email protected] or by phone: (651) 556-6086.

QUESTION: How can I get the 15 hour USPAP (Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice) required for the AMA level of licensure?
ANSWER: This course is offered through Kaplan Schools www.Kapre.com, the Appraisal Institute www.AppraisalInstitute.org and McKissock Education www.Mckissock.com

QUESTION: Does MAAO offer any on-line courses?
ANSWER: MAAO does not offer any online courses at this time. The Appraisal Institute www.appraisalinstitute.org offers 30 hours of online education for Basic Appraisal Principles, Basic Appraisal Procedures and the 15-Hour USPAP course as well as other 30 hour courses that could be used as State Board electives. McKissock Education www.mckissock.com also offers online courses. These courses must be pre-approved by the State Board. These courses also require a proctored offline exam to meet MN State Board of Assessor requirements.

QUESTION: Now that I’ve passed the classes required for CMA (Certified MN Assessor), what do I do next?
ANSWER: Please refer to the Certified Minnesota Assessor (CMA) page located on the Minnesota State Board of Assessors website. The CMA page contains the CMA requirements document, a link to the Assessor Licensing System, details about what duties and requirements apply to to the CMA license.  The board’s policy document addresses assessment experience, this document can found in the Related Information section on every home page on the website.  Once all of the requirements are met, an application to the State Board of Assessors with payment is required.