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Preparing for Committee Examination

Committee Examination typically takes 3-4 hours during the morning or afternoon of the exam date. The date and time of your exam will usually be established several weeks beforehand. Please keep in mind that up to nine Exam Committee members (TEs and REs) participate in every oral examination. We consider this task a high privilege and we are glad to do it, but we don't want to be poor stewards of the time and energy God has given us and you. Therefore, we kindly ask that you take this exam very seriously and not use it to "test the waters" to see where you are weak so you know what to study for later. We want this to be a positive experience for you and for us. Please come well-prepared.

 

Before the Exam

  • Get a good night's sleep the night before. We suggest you eat something prior to the exam to maintain appropriate energy levels.

  • The attire is business casual. Wear something comfortable. Ties are not required.

  • Please arrive 15 minutes prior to the start time. This will give you time to find the exact location and get "settled in."

 

During the Exam

  • We always start with the Bible knowledge portion of the exam (Old and New Testaments) and then decide whether to move on to the remaining exam topics. If the Candidate is not solid in his Bible knowledge, then there is no point in continuing with the rest of the topics. We have a very strong conviction that a man called to ministry must know his Bible.

  • When you get to the Theology portion of the exam, we do not expect you to quote memorized answers from the Westminster Standards, although that is fine. We want to make sure you really do understand the theological concepts for yourself, and can establish them from Scriptures. With almost every theology question, we will require Scripture proofs (book and chapter at a minimum).

  • If you don't know the answer to a question, don't guess. Just say, "I don't know." Don't be discouraged if you have to say this more than you expected. We intentionally ask you some questions like this to test the limits of your knowledge.

  • During the exam, you may take brief breaks to use the restroom or clear your head.

 

 

Exam Results

  • At the end of your exam, we will ask you to leave the room briefly while we confer as a Committee.

  • We will then call you back in and discuss the results for each portion of your exam. You will know before you leave whether you passed or not. Either way, we will give you feedback on areas we felt were weak.

 

 

Licensure Exam Topics. If you are pursuing licensure, you will be examined in the following areas:

  • Bible - Old Testament

  • Bible - New Testament

  • Theology

  • BCO

 

Ordination Exam Topics. If you are pursuing ordination, you will be examined in the following areas:

  • Bible - Old Testament

  • Bible - New Testament

  • Theology

  • BCO

  • Sacraments

  • Church & PCA History

 

Additional Topics. Be prepared to also discuss aspects of your testimony, experience, call, experiential religion/moral questionnaires, exceptions, views papers, and your exegetical and theological papers.

 

A Final Word. Most importantly, relax! You are being examined by your brothers in the Lord who have been in your shoes and who readily admit that it's only by the sheer grace of God that we are in ministry at all. We also recognize that fitness for ministry does not consist entirely in theological knowledge, but more fundamentally in God's intimate knowledge of you. Remind yourself often of who you are and whose you are in Christ. You can be certain that if God is calling you to vocational ministry in the PCA, He will make it happen in His time.

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