Secretariat
Frequently asked questions
Compiled by the General Secretariat from correspondence received. This page is revised when the volume of correspondence on a given subject makes revision unavoidable.
The Association
What does the Association do?
It maintains the reference standard for the morphological classification of specimens, and certifies the personnel who apply it. It does not analyse, collect, store, transport or dispose of anything.
Is the Association concerned with wind?
No.
This is a persistent and regrettable misconception. It was addressed in Circular 2014/07, again in Circular 2019/02, and in an open letter to the membership in 2021. Correspondence on this subject is no longer acknowledged.
Then what does "Back Sneezing" refer to?
An involuntary reflex first described in 1994. The Association has received four requests to reconsider the designation and has declined each of them. A fifth request is pending and will be considered at the 2027 General Assembly, as the fourth was, and the third.
Why is the arrow in the association mark positioned as it is?
The mark was designed in 1997 by a member of the founding board. It has not been revised. The Board considers the matter closed.
The member concerned left the Association in 1999 and was not replaced on the working group responsible.
Can I visit the Association?
The Secretariat occupies part of a floor in Vaduz and is not open to the public. There is no laboratory, no collection, and nothing to see. Visitors who have travelled to Vaduz for this purpose are given a copy of the standard.
The standard
Why are there seven types?
Because there were seven.
Is there a Type 8?
No. Two proposals for an eighth type have been examined. Both were found to describe a Type 6. The second proposal was submitted by the author of the first.
Who decides what a type is?
The Standards Committee (SC-7). It meets twice a year. Its minutes are not published, following the 2011 proceedings.
Can a specimen belong to two types at once?
No. A specimen assigned to two types has not been classified. See §6.2 of the examination regulations.
Does the standard apply to animals?
Under Annex C, yes. The Association was not consulted on the drafting of Annex C and records this fact in every edition.
Is odour taken into account?
No. Odour is not a surface characteristic. This was settled in 1999 and is not reopened. Submissions on the subject are filed without reply.
Certification and examinations
Do I need a medical or clinical background?
No. The credential attests that the holder can classify a specimen. It does not attest to a reason for wishing to do so, and the Association takes no position on the reasons of individual candidates.
Is the examination held online?
No.
Remote examination was trialled once, in 2020. The trial was discontinued before the session concluded. The Association has published no findings from it and does not intend to.
How long does certification last?
Twenty-four months, after which the holder recertifies or lapses. Lapsed holders remain on the register, marked as lapsed, indefinitely.
What is the practical component?
Candidates are informed of the nature of the practical component at the examination.
It comprises seven stations, presented one at a time (§4.3). Nothing further is published. Former candidates describe it variously, and the Association neither confirms nor corrects their accounts.
Is refreshment provided?
A light lunch is served between the written and practical components. Attendance at lunch is not compulsory and the Association does not record who attends.
May I bring my Reference Set into the examination?
No. See §5.3. The Reference Set is study material. Possession of it confers no entitlement to consult it at the point where consulting it would be of use.
What happens if I fail?
The candidate may sit the next session on payment of the resit fee. There is no limit on resits. The Association does not publish pass rates and has declined to state whether it calculates them.
The Reference Set
My set is damaged. Can I obtain a replacement?
No. Sets are numbered and issued to a single candidate. The Association does not issue replacements, and has not done so since 2009, for reasons set out in Circular 2009/11.
May I lend my set to a colleague?
No. Sets are non-transferable. Sets recovered from persons other than the holder are destroyed, and the holder is notified.
Correspondence
May I send a specimen to the Secretariat for classification?
No.
Material received by the Secretariat is disposed of unopened. The sender is invoiced for disposal at cost. Repeat senders are invoiced in advance.
May I send a photograph instead?
The Examinations Office stopped accepting photographs in 2018. The Association thanks the membership for its enthusiasm and asks that it be directed elsewhere.
I wrote to the Association and received no reply.
The Secretariat answers correspondence Monday to Thursday, 09:00 to 11:30, in the order received. Enquiries about the subjects listed above are not answered and do not join the queue.
This page does not form part of the standard. Where it differs from the standard or from the examination regulations, those documents prevail. Where it differs from an earlier version of itself, no inference should be drawn.