State Exams

Alabama graduates who would like to work as professionals in their field must take and pass the AL state exams as the final proof of their knowledge, readiness and professionalism. There are three main state exams:

• The AL State Bar exam
• The Social Work Exam
• Onsite Wastewater Exam

Alabama State Bar Exam

Law school graduates in Alabama who would like to practice law in the future are required to pass the state bar exam which is the final law-practicing exam conducted by a state board of bar examiners. Every state in the U.S. has its own eligibility requirements and there are two areas of licensing: character and fitness, and competence. Competence is defined as proof that an applicant is actually appropriately educated to take the exam i.e. that holds a law school graduate degree and by passing the bar exam. For Alabama, the requirements to take a bar exam are:

• The applicant must be at least 19 years old.
• The applicant must be registered as a law student.
• The applicant must be graduated from an accredited law school.
• The applicant must be approved in terms of Character and Fitness by the Alabama State Bar Committee.

There is a total of three tests in the AL Bar Examination:

• Multistate Performance Test
• Multistate Essay Examination
• Multistate Bar Examination

Note: Payment for application fees is no longer done online. According to the new rules, you must submit payment with a check or money order together with your bar application to the AL State Bar Admissions Office or contact them at 334-269-1515.

Social Work Exam

To be a legit social worker in AL, you must first pass a social work exam with the Alabama State Board of Social Work Examiners. To do this, you must meet the following eligibility requirements:

• You must be at least 19 years old.
• You must be a U.S. citizen or a legal immigrant (and provide proof for both instances).
• You must meet the requirements for the level of education from an accredited educational institution:
  • A Master’s Degree or a Doctorate plus post-master/doctorate experience and a current Graduate level license for a Certified Social Worker
  • A Bachelor’s Degree for Bachelor Social Worker
  • A Master’s Degree or a Doctorate for a Graduate Social Worker
• You must pay $75 application fees

Onsite Wastewater Exam

The Onsite Wastewater Exam is organized by the AL Onsite Wastewater Board and its main goal is to examine and give licenses to workers in installation, manufacturing, cleaning or servicing systems for onsite wastewater. According to the type of work done by the applicant, there are several license types available:

• Basic Level Installer
• Advanced Level I and II Installer
• Manufacturer License
• Pumper License
• Portable Restroom Operator License

Note: The fee for applying to this license is different for every license type. It costs $100 to apply for a Basic Installer, Pumper, Manufacture and Portable Restroom exams, $150 for an Advanced Level I and $200 for Advanced Level II test.