URGENT PETITION TO RECA FOR INDUSTRY COUNCIL SUB-COMMITTEE LICENSING EXAM AUDIT AN

The Issue

Attention:

All Alberta Condominium Management Industry Brokers and Associates

RE: URGENT PETITION TO RECA FOR INDUSTRY COUNCIL SUB-COMMITTEE LICENSING EXAM AUDIT AND EDUCATIONAL ALIGNMENT

To our esteemed colleagues in Condominium Management,

We’re writing to you all following discussions with industry professionals, advisors and affiliates this past week at the Alberta Condominium and Real Estate Conference. One of our goals at this event was to gain additional insight on the progress of associates and brokers completing required education and / or exams for the removal of conditions to their licensing for Condominium Management. Discussions with RECA representatives, industry members, board members from REIC & CCI as well as concerned partners from the condominium law and insurance communities sought the perspective of these stakeholders on what main challenges are contributing to the upheaval and instability our industry at this time. Our board has identified one singular issue above all others as urgent to the ability of professionals to satisfy their licensing conditions; faulty licensing exams.

Despite thorough completion of licensing courses, extensive study and preparation for exams, completion of practice exams and the weight of experience behind many professionals taking these exams, the pass rate of the exams is currently so low that our industry seems at risk of collapse should this not be corrected without further delay. This is NOT an implication that those taking the exams are not fully capable, competent, knowledgeable, experienced and trustworthy professionals. In fact, this is a reflection of the flaws in the exam question banks and the failure of those exam question pools to address relevant industry knowledge and expertise.

The consistent feedback of professionals taking these exams, regardless of any other factor affecting their perceptions (educational program, length of time in the industry, field of expertise etc.) can be summarized as:

1) Neither the practice exams nor the actual exams are aligned with educational programs, expected learning outcomes or professional competencies;

2) The actual exams are nothing like the practice exams, which seems to make the “practice” pointless;

3) The number of questions available to be randomly chosen for the actual exams which relate to rare activities, obscure legislation / law or responsibilities outside the scope of a condominium manager seems inordinately high;

4) Professionals who have taken the exams have noted numerous instances of conflicting wording, “tricky” or “misleading” response options and even statements within questions or that are false.

Despite repeated advice of these concerns being submitted to RECA through exam feedback, discussions with the Industry Council and discussions with members of the Board of Directors, the exam issues persist. This could be for a variety of reasons, none of which are believed to be intentional on the part of the team in Education at RECA or the Directors involved in these processes. However, it’s evident to many that the testing process is in desperate need of support to correct the course of licensing efforts. We believe that industry professionals are the most logical and accessible resource available to get this fixed.

It is therefore with all due respect that we would demand, on behalf of all industry Associates and Brokers, that RECA and the Residential Property Management Industry Council take the following measures by no later than October 4, 2022:

1) Implement an Industry Sub-Committee for the purpose of auditing the entire databank of exam questions for the Fundamentals of Condominium Management, Practice of Condominium Management and Condominium Management Broker exams;

2) Distribute a call for appointment of a representative to this committee for each of the following proposed seats within the sub-committee:

· One (1) unconditionally licensed management professional from the Association of Condominium Managers of Alberta (ACMA);

· One (1) unconditionally licensed management professional from the Canadian Condominium Institute – Southern OR Northern Alberta Chapter (CCI);

· One (1) unconditionally licensed management professional from the Real Estate Institute of Canada (REIC);

· One (1) legal professional specializing in condominium law;

· One (1) insurance professional specializing in condominium insurance;

· One (1) representative from the board of Directors of the Condominium Owners Forum Society of Alberta (COF);

· One (1) member of the Residential Property Management Industry Council;

· One (1) member of the Credentialing department of RECA;

· One (1) member of the Regulatory Compliance department of RECA;

3) Provide the appointed members of the committee with a non-disclosure agreement as deemed appropriate by the Board of Directors of RECA, to be completed by all committee members, allowing them secured access to the questions databank for review, fact checking, suggestion of amendments and flagging of questions to be considered for removal from the pool.

Respectfully,

Jen Martin, Chair

The Board of Directors

Association of Condominium Managers of Alberta (ACMA)

PETITION TO THE REAL ESTATE COUNCIL OF ALBERTA

AND RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT INDUSTRY COUNCIL

SEPTEMBER 23, 2022

As professionals in the Condominium Management industry and dedicated service providers to condominium corporations, owners and residents within the province of Alberta, we respectfully request the following action be taken by no later than October 4, 2022. We make this request in the interests of upholding the stability of our industry, our professional designation and our ability to serve the consumers who rely on our support.