Essentials is designed to allow you to work on the subject matter, ideas, concepts, and skills at your own pace. There are questions scattered throughout to assist you in testing your knowledge and to encourage work elsewhere using other learning resources.

Eventually most people like to know how well they are doing. Have they mastered the material? Can they "get it right"e; in the field where it is important to the resource and fellow people? Some people need to demonstrate a level of knowledge to their agencies or clients. Some colleges and universities will accept recognized distance-learning courses and award "credit" for evidence of having mastered the material.

Exams are important but always limited.

Five exams have been created. The exams are in English. These are multiple choice tests, exams, or evaluation instruments and each contains 70 questions about topics only within Essentials (at this web site)or listed as pre-requisites (e.g., elementary math and statistics and ecology. After you have paid fees, you will be given a password that allows you to access the single exam. One of the exams (randomly selected or in series) will be available to you. You take the exam in the presence of a respected observer who must certify that you took the entire exam without the assistance of any materials or notes, any personal assistance, or any electronic or technological aids. The exams are not timed but a maximum of 3 hours is suggested (2 is likely). Once we receive such certification, the exam will be graded and you will be presented your score. If it is a passing score (greater than 75), you will be sent a certificate of success, a document describing the course and the exam, and your score (if high and with your permission) will be posted at this site. Should your score be 75 or less, then you may request another exam following the identical procedure as for the first exam. Each exam has the same cost.

Your score will written on your certificate. It may be increased by further study and reflection and then taking another exam.

You may take the exam as many times as you wish. You are not likely to receive the same exam for each session.

Comments are made about improper answers so that learning may be continued.

Exam scores rarely reflect competency in integrating materials, in ability to deal with whole systems, with creative abilities, or with group and inter-personal abilities. The scores are performance measures, mere indices. They suggest minimum competence in one alternative way of managing the wild faunal resource.