USPSA National Range Officers Institute

Certification and Recertification Policy

Note:  These policies are effective as of January 31, 2019.

How to Obtain and Maintain Certification Within NROI

These policies apply to the following certification levels:

1.   Range Officer

2.   Chief Range Officer

3.   Range Master

RANGE OFFICER (RO)

Certified by NROI, Range Officers perform most of the officiating seen at a USPSA match. They carry the timer, check equipment, score targets, and help make sure the competitor competes in a safe manner.

To obtain certification as a RO, simply find and attend a Level One seminar in your area. There are no previous requirements to take the class, although we do prefer that you have at least some shooting experience. Monitor seminar schedules at this link. Alternatively, you may also schedule a seminar in your area if there doesn't appear to be one coming to an area near you anytime soon. Details on how to go about doing this can be found here. Scheduling a seminar for your club is easier than you might think and will result in many highly trained range officers for your club or section.  NROI offers several programs to aid in organizing a seminar.

How to Gain Certification

• Take a Level One (RO) Seminar
• You MUST BE a member of USPSA and have a USPSA or SCSA classification to attend the seminar. 
• Age restrictions: 
• Juniors under the age of 13 may audit the seminar at no cost, space permitting, but cannot gain certification. 
• Juniors between 13 and 18 may attend and become certified, provided:
• they are endorsed by at least 2 certified range officers that are not family members,
• are accompanied by a parent or legal guardian during the seminar, and
• will be supervised by a parent or legal guardian while serving as a Range Official until they reach the age of 18
• The instructor will have the final say regarding certification, based on the student’s abilities and aptitude during the seminar.  Please note:  we cannot do delayed certifications. 
• Currently certified range officials may audit a seminar at no cost, if space permits and the Instructor approves.
• Complete the pre-seminar exercises (online)
• Participate in the seminar, and pass the live fire range exercise
• Final Exam: 50 question final, online
• Maintain certification by taking an annual 20 question online exam
• Maintain work record for matches at level II and above.
• Next level of certification: Chief Range Officer, CRO

Retaining Certification as a Range Officer:

Once you've become certified as a RO through a seminar you will need to take an annual exam to maintain this certification. We are currently using an online exam system for NROI-certified officials. You will receive a postcard and email notification 30 days prior to expiration, informing you that your exam is ready.  This notice will also show up on your USPSA.org profile.  Here are some general guidelines on how this will work:

1) Membership must be current to access this feature.

2) Members will get instant results once an exam is submitted for scoring, and certification is immediate. No more waiting for the mail to find out if you passed!  You may also print out your new certification card.

3) Exams can be started, saved, and completed at a later time, and reviewed forward and backward as needed. If you don't get it all done in one sitting, no worries, the system will save your progress and allow you to go back to finish later.

4) If you have difficulty with an exam, or a question about your results, we will be able to log in and see exactly what you're seeing.  Simply email [email protected] with any questions or issues.

5) Officials will have three (3) chances to pass the exam. This should be more than adequate. If you find that you are unable to pass the exam within three tries, we will be happy to hook you up with an instructor for some remedial training. We want to help you succeed!

6) Exams can be printed so you can work them out on paper if you wish, and then enter your answers online.  NROI no longer mails hard copy exams, however.

7) Members must be logged in to USPSA.org to access the exam.  It will not be available until 30 days prior to your NROI certification expiration date, and once begun, you will have 30 days to complete the exam.

8) If you have been expired for more than six months, you'll need to take the long version of the exam as per NROI policy. The system will notify you of this, and you will have to contact [email protected] to have your exam reset.  Officials expired for more than a year may be required to take the seminar again. Keeping your NROI work history current may help in this regard.

9) Once you successfully pass the exam, NROI HQ will be notified and will send out your new packet confirming recertification. You will NOT need to call HQ to inform us that you passed or failed.

CHIEF RANGE OFFICER (CRO) –

CROs are the Sergeants of the Range Officer corps. They have supplemental training in course design and stage operations. The Chief Range Officer oversees the other Range Officers assigned to his stage.

How to Gain Certification

• Take a Level Two (CRO) seminar
• At least one year’s experience as a RO is required, Level II and III match experience is desirable.  As a Range Official you may enter your work history when you log into your profile.  Minimally less than one year’s experience may qualify you to attend a level two seminar, provided you have served at an adequate number of Level II or III matches after gaining RO certification.  Your instructor will decide.
• Age Restrictions:  you must be at least 18 years of age to attend and gain certification as an NROI Chief Range Officer.  There are no exceptions to this policy.
• Seminar requirements:
• Design 1 Course of fire for critique in the seminar
• Take the pre-seminar exam (online)
• Participate in the seminar exercises as part of a stage officiating team, including building and operating a level II style stage in a range exercise
• Maintain certification by taking annual exam
• Next level of certification: Range Master, RM

In order to obtain certification as a CRO attend a CRO seminar in your area, just as you attended the RO seminar. Again, just monitor the seminar schedule here. You may also choose to schedule one in your area if there isn't one available. Because the CRO course deals primarily with course design and stage operation, the final for this course is participation based, although there is a written exam involved.

Retaining Certification as a Chief Range Officer:

This is done in the same manner as a Range Officer, with an online exam. See above for details if you are unfamiliar with the process.

• If your certification has lapsed the following policy is in place: If the CRO is expired for more than 6 months, but less than a year, they must take the 50 question exam. If your certification is expired for over one year, you may be required to retake either the Level I or Level II seminar again, to regain your level II certification. If there have been no major rule changes since the date of expiration it is also possible to take the CRO recert program via correspondence. The Director of NROI will determine what constitutes a major rule change. 

RANGE MASTER (RM)

Range Masters Have extensive supplemental training in range operations, arbitrations, staff management, squadding, and the various fine points of the rules. RMs oversee the range officers at major matches. The nationals, for example, employ two -- one assigned to each half of the range.

The RM program is up to a year-long intensive correspondence program. You must have a minimum of 2 years in service as a CRO in order to start the RM program. There are no exceptions to this rule. If you have not completed two full years as a CRO, with Level II and III match experience during that time period, you cannot begin your RM training. The training culminates with the candidate's service as a CRO or assistant Range Master at a Level III or National Championship match and a review before a panel of your peers at the match.

How to Gain Certification:

• Complete the correspondence course portion of the program with guidance from an RMI mentor
• Final: Work as a CRO or higher at a Level III or National Championship and a review before a panel of peers at the match.
• Maintain certification (see below for requirements).
• Log matches worked online.
• Note:  your acceptance and continuation in this program are dependent on more than just time as a CRO.  Your online presence, general demeanor, and behavior at USPSA events all factor in. 

• Retaining Certification as a Range Master:
  
  ANNUALLY Complete ONE of the following:

·       RO or higher at USPSA Nationals

·       CRO or higher at a Level III USPSA match

·       RM at a Level II USPSA match
Failure to do so will result in your certification being changed to CRO. At such time as your certification is changed, you will be subject to CRO recertification procedures.

If a Range Master wishes to regain his certification at RM he must, within the calendar year in which he lost RM certification, meet the following requirements:

Work as:
CRO or higher at USPSA Nationals
--OR--
RM some other Level III USPSA match

Upon completion of one of those tasks RM status will be reinstated. If completion of those tasks is not completed, the Range Master will remain CRO indefinitely or until such time as he completes the RM training again. If RM does not complete requirements to maintain CRO certification (annual exam), he will lose all certification completely and will no longer be a certified official with the NROI.

·       Note—for hardship or exceptional circumstances, please contact DNROI: [email protected]

Work History Procedure:

The process for logging matches worked is as follows: log in to your personal profile and click the link that says, "NROI Work Record" in the Range Officer Certification section and enter your work history there. Sanctioned Level II and III matches, as well as Nationals, will appear there.  If you are a certified Range Master, the NROI coordinator will track your work history and recertify you accordingly.  If you are certified at the RO or CRO level, your work history can be used to determine eligibility to obtain higher certification.

Obtaining a Steel Challenge or Multigun Endorsement

NROI offers additional training in the rules and procedures of the Steel Challenge Shooting Association and our Multigun Rules.  To obtain an endorsement in either or both, you must first be certified at some level, or attending a seminar to become certified.  NROI currently conducts these endorsement seminars in conjunction with in-person seminars, but we are currently working on online Learning Management System courses for members.  All certification levels, (RO, CRO, RM) are eligible for endorsement.  There may be an additional nominal fee involved.  If you are planning to attend a seminar, and want to gain an endorsement in either SCSA or MG, contact your seminar coordinator and request that he add it onto the scheduled seminar.