2410
THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE
No. 81

(2) The Oral and Practical examinations shall be combined, and shall be designed to test the candidate's practical ability in horticulture and appreciation and understanding of horticultural operations and activities normally carried out on nurseries.

(3) Each of the subjects 1 to 8, 10 to 13, 15 to 18 shall each be examined by one 3-hour examination.

(4) Candidates must demonstrate a knowledge of safe practices in all examinations.

Conduct of Examinations

4. The examinations for the Institute's Certificate, Diploma and Diploma with Honours shall be held at such times and at such centres as shall be decided by the Examining Board. All examinations other than Oral and Practical examinations shall be held in November. Oral and Practical examinations may be held in November or in any other month specified by the Examining Board.

Examination Fees

5. Every candidate for any examination for the Institute's Certificate, Diploma, and Diploma with Honours conducted by the Institute shall pay to the Institute such fee as the Examining Board may prescribe in respect of each subject the candidate wishes to be examined in. The fee may not exceed $120 for each subject.

Equivalent Status

6. For the purpose of the award of a Certificate, Diploma or Diploma with Honours the Examining Board may, in its discretion:

(a) Except with respect to Oral and Practical examinations, accept a pass in an equivalent or higher examination, or in subjects of such an examination held by some competent public authority as equivalent to a pass in one or more corresponding subjects of the Institute's examinations. The Examining Board will consider the horticultural content of such examinations when making its decision.

(b) Waive any of the conditions of the examination, including a period of practical experience, if the Examining Board is satisfied that substantially equivalent conditions have been complied with by the candidate.

(c) Adopt a system of cross-crediting whereby a candidate, having obtained a pass in any subjects in the schemes of examinations held under the Royal New Zealand Institute of Horticulture Examinations Approval Notice No. 1954/207, 1957/149, 1961/122, 1968/122 and 1971/231, or any other examinations conducted by the institute, may be credited with a pass in any one or more corresponding subjects examined under this scheme.

General Requirements

7. (1) In order to sit examinations conducted by the Institute, a candidate shall:

(a) Be a member of the Institute.

(b) Register with the Institute by 31 May in the year the first examinations are to be taken, and pay the prescribed registration fee which shall not exceed $100;

(c) Be aged 15 years or over;

(d) Submit evidence of being or having been engaged in horticulture when registering with the Institute.

(e) Submit for the approval of the Examining Board on such occasions as it may require, evidence of appropriate practical experience in a form as required by the Examining Board;

(f) Give written notice to the Examining Board of intention to sit examinations in such manner as the Examining Board may determine not later than the 31st day of July preceding the date fixed for the conduct of the examinations. Such notice shall be accompanied by payment of the prescribed fee.

(2) One or more subjects may be taken at a time, and a candidate may be credited with a pass in one or more subjects.

(3) The Certificate may be awarded only to a candidate who has passed all subjects 1 to 14 in clause 3(1) of this scheme and has satisfied the Examining Board of having completed at least the equivalent of 3 years full-time (5400 hours) practical experience, of which 2 years (3600 hours) has been obtained on one or more nurseries.

(4) The Diploma may be awarded only to a candidate who has passed all subjects 1 to 20 in clause 3(1) of this scheme and has satisfied the Examining Board of having completed at least the equivalent of 4 years full-time (7200 hours) practical experience, of which 4 years (7200 hours) has been obtained on one or more nurseries.

(5) The Diploma with Honours may be awarded only to a candidate who has passed all subjects 1 to 21 in clause 3(1) of this scheme and has satisfied the Examining Board of having completed at least the equivalent of 5 years full-time (9000 hours) practical experience, of which 4 years (7200 hours) has been obtained on one or more nurseries.

(6) Where the required period of practical experience will end not later than the 31st day of May in any year it may be assumed, but only for the purpose of entering for an examination, to have ended on the 31st day of October of the preceding year if the candidate undertakes to continue in his employment until the required period of practical experience is completed.

(7) In the event of a candidate producing evidence to the Examining Board, in such a form as it shall consider sufficient, of an intention to leave New Zealand to pursue horticultural studies, the Examining Board may approve of the candidate taking either of the Oral and Practical examinations although the candidate's practical experience is up to 1 year (1800 hours) less than that prescribed for the examination. If in any such case the candidate passes the examination, the pass shall be provisional only and the appropriate Certificate or Diploma shall not be issued until the candidate produces to the Examining Board, satisfactory evidence of having completed the required period of practical experience.

(8) The Work Record Report (subject 9 in clause 3(1)) shall be submitted to the Examining Board not later than the 31st day of October in the year the candidate wishes to be examined for this subject.

(9) The Oral and Practical examination I shall not be taken until the candidate has passed subjects 1 to 9 inclusive, and has had at least 5400 hours of appropriate practical experience as provided for in 7(3).

(10) The Oral and Practical examination II shall not be taken until the candidate has passed subjects 1 to 14 inclusive, and has had at least 9000 hours of appropriate practical experience as provided for in 7(4).

(11) A candidate shall not take a second or third stage of a subject until having passed the previous stage of that subject, except with the approval of the Examining Board.

(12) The Project (subject 19) must be on a horticultural topic of the candidate's own choice. When the Project is submitted for examination the candidate shall be required to declare in a form as required by the Examining Board that the project is substantially the candidate's own work. The project must be submitted not later than 31 October in the year that it is to be examined.

Thesis

8. (1) Every candidate for the Diploma with Honours shall submit a thesis dealing concisely with a selected aspect, or with some portion of a selected aspect, of nursery production. The candidate's topic must be submitted for the approval of the Examining Board at least 12 months before the date of examination.

(2) In the thesis the candidate shall describe some original work undertaken by the candidate personally. The Examining Board will appoint an adviser whom the candidate may consult at any time regarding the thesis material and who may suggest to the candidate appropriate approaches to thesis-related matters and the presentation of material. The credit to be assigned to the thesis shall depend upon the candidate's ability to summarise previous knowledge, carry out research work, make independent observations, and to present results accurately, clearly and concisely.

(3) Two copies of the thesis, together with a statutory declaration by the candidate (in a form as required by the Examining Board) to the effect that the thesis is substantially the candidate's own work, shall be submitted to the Examining Board not later than the 30th day of September in the year of examination. In exceptional circumstances, a candidate may be granted approval by the Examining Board to submit the thesis after the 30th day of September but not later than the 31st day of October in the year of the examination.

(4) Each copy of the thesis presented to the Examining Board must be typed and permanently bound within a cover so that sheets cannot be lost or displaced.

(5) The Examining Board shall examine the thesis, and decide whether it is satisfactory. One copy of the thesis shall be returned to the candidate as soon as the decision of the Examining Board is made. The top copy shall be deposited in a library determined by the Examining Board.

Prescriptions of Subjects

9. The prescriptions in the subjects of the examinations shall be as follows:

(1) Horticultural Botany—As prescribed for Horticultural Botany in Schedule 1, clause 9(1).

(2) Plant Pests and Disorders—As prescribed for Plant Pests and Disorders in Schedule 1, clause 9(2).

(3) Soil Properties and Processes—As prescribed for Soil Properties and Processes in Schedule 1, clause 9(3).

(4) Horticultural Practices—As prescribed for Horticultural Practices in Schedule 1, clause 9(4).

(5) Plant Classification—As prescribed for Plant Classification in Schedule 1, clause 9(5).