Under state law (sec. 73.09, Wis. Stats.), each individual who completes assessment work must have an assessor certification from the State of Wisconsin. Certification helps ensure a minimum knowledge of those who complete assessment work.
Five Levels of Assessor Certification in Wisconsin
- Assessment Technician
- Property Appraiser
- Assessor 1
- Assessor 2
- Assessor 3
Required Certification Level
Each town, village, and city has an assessor with a specific certification level depending on the property's complexity. See Chapter 2 of the Wisconsin Property Assessment Manual for a list of assessor certification levels by municipality.
Certification level required is determined by the work:
- Each certification level is authorized to complete specific types of assessment work
- The assessment work is progressively more complex as the level of certification becomes higher
- An individual certified at the higher level is allowed to perform work of any lower level certification. An exception is the Assessor 3 level. An Assessor 3 can only perform work associated with the Assessor 3 certification.
- Assessor Certification is not required for clerical work.
Temporary Certification
Certification Exams
- Register for the exam at Pearson VUE
- On the right side of the web page, click "Sign in" or "Create account"
(Note: If you do not have an account with Pearson VUE, you must create one before registering for an exam) - Click "View Exams" and then select "Wisconsin Assessor Certification - DOR"
- Select the appropriate certification exam; then click "Schedule this Exam"
- You are asked for pre-licensing training information - this is not applicable to assessors. Leave both areas blank and click "Next."
- Select the appropriate test center; then select the date and time
- Click "Proceed to Checkout" to pay exam fee and confirm exam registration
- Study for the exam - materials
- Take the exam on scheduled date and time
- Apply for certification with a passing exam score
Continuing Education
Recertification
Annual Assessor Meetings
Educational/Reference Materials
Questions?
If you have questions, contact us at bapdor@wisconsin.gov.