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Wisconsin Assessment Technician Certification
Exam QUESTIONS AND VERIFIED ANSWERS WITH
RATIONALES JUST RELEASED
Wisconsin Assessment Technician Certification Exam: Exact Coverage & Outline
Based on the Wisconsin Department of Revenue (DOR) certification requirements and the Wisconsin
Property Assessment Manual (WPAM), the Assessment Technician exam is the entry-level certification
in Wisconsin's five-level assessor certification system .
Exam Format & Passing Score
• Total Questions: 50
• Time Limit: 1 Hour
• Passing Score: 70% (35 correct answers)
• Registration: Pearson VUE (Wisconsin DOR - Assessor Certification)
• Prerequisites: High school diploma or equivalent
Exact Exam Coverage by Subject Area
Subject Area Number of Questions Weight
Math 20 40%
Legal Descriptions 10 20%
Wisconsin Assessment Law 12 24%
Construction Terms 8 16%
Appraisal 0 0%
Statistics 0 0%
Administration 0 0%
TOTAL 50 100%
*Source: WPAM Chapter 2, Figure 2-1 and PM-201 *
Module 1: Math (20 questions - 40% of exam)
Exact Topics Covered:
• Mean, Median, and Mode Calculations: Central tendency measures for assessment data
• Coefficient of Dispersion (COD): Absolute COD calculation; measure of assessment uniformity
• Price-Related Differential (PRD): Calculation and interpretation (progressive vs. regressive)
• Assessment Ratio Calculations: Assessed value ÷ market value
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• Percentage Calculations: Tax rates, value changes, depreciation percentages
• Area and Volume Calculations: Square footage, cubic feet for building measurements
• Unit Pricing: Cost per square foot, land valuation calculations
Key Formulas:
text
Mean = Sum of all values ÷ Number of values
Median = Middle value in ordered array
Mode = Most frequently occurring value
Absolute COD = (Sum of |ratio - median|) ÷ n
Relative COD = Absolute COD ÷ Median
PRD = Mean Ratio ÷ Aggregate (Weighted) Ratio
PRD > 1.03 = Regressive (higher-value properties under-assessed)
PRD < 0.98 = Progressive (higher-value properties over-assessed)
Module 2: Legal Descriptions (10 questions - 20% of exam)
Exact Topics Covered:
• Rectangular Survey System (PLSS): Township, Range, Section descriptions (e.g., "NW ¼ of NE ¼,
Section 12")
• Metes and Bounds: Boundary descriptions using monuments, bearings, and distances
• Lot and Block (Platted Subdivisions): Subdivision plat references
• Property Classification by Use: Residential, Commercial, Agricultural, Manufacturing,
Undeveloped
• Assessment Classification: Understanding use-based classification for assessment purposes
• Reading and Interpreting Legal Descriptions: Converting written descriptions to parcel
identification
PLSS Structure:
text
Township = 6 miles × 6 miles (36 sections)
Section = 1 mile × 1 mile (640 acres)
¼ Section = 160 acres
¼ of ¼ Section = 40 acres
NW ¼ of NE ¼ = 40 acres
Module 3: Wisconsin Assessment Law (12 questions - 24% of exam)
Exact Topics Covered:
• Wisconsin Statutes Chapter 70: Primary property tax law; assessment authority
• Statutory Assessment Ratio: 100% of market value (full value) for most real property
• Assessment Date: January 1 (property valued as of this date annually)
• Assessment Roll Completion Deadline: May 1 (with finalization by June 30)
• Property Record Cards: Legal requirement to provide to property owners upon request
• Board of Review (Wis. Stat. § 70.47): Appeal procedures and taxpayer rights
• Department of Revenue (DOR) Role: Oversight, training, equalization, WPAM publication
• Tax Exemptions: Religious, educational, benevolent organizations; government properties
• Administrative Code Tax 12: Assessment practices and assessor certification rules
• Assessment Technician Duties: Under direct supervision: measuring, listing, cost data
calculation, map posting, data collection, property description verification, use classification
Key Legal References:
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Statute/Code Purpose
Wis. Stat. § 70.32 Full value assessment requirement
Wis. Stat. § 70.36 Assessment roll completion deadline
Wis. Stat. § 70.47 Board of Review procedures
Wis. Stat. § 73.09 Assessor certification authority
Wis. Adm. Code Tax 12 Assessment and certification rules
Wis. Stat. § 70.10(1) Uniformity requirement
Module 4: Construction Terms (8 questions - 16% of exam)
Exact Topics Covered:
• Building Components: Foundation types (full basement, crawl space, slab), framing, roofing,
siding
• Quality Ratings: Excellent, Good, Average, Fair, Poor (based on materials and workmanship)
• Gross Living Area (GLA): Finished, heated, above-grade area (excludes unfinished, unheated,
below-grade)
• Depreciation Types:
o Physical Deterioration: Wear and tear from aging and use
o Functional Obsolescence: Loss due to outdated design or layout
o External Obsolescence: Loss due to external factors (neighborhood decline, economic
conditions)
• Effective Age vs. Chronological Age: Age indicated by condition versus actual years since
construction
• WPAM Glossary Terms: Definitions for construction and assessment terminology
GLA Exclusion Examples:
• Unfinished attics
• Unfinished basements
• Garages (attached or detached)
• Porches (unless enclosed and heated)
• Sunrooms (unless heated)
Assessment Technician Authorized Duties
Per Wis. Adm. Code Tax 12.06, an Assessment Technician may perform, under direct supervision of a
Property Appraiser or Assessor :
1. Measuring and listing property characteristics
2. Calculating building cost data
3. Posting maps/plats/charts
4. Collecting relevant assessment data
5. Assisting with physical inventories
6. Verifying property descriptions
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7. Classifying real property according to use
Cannot perform: Independent market value analysis; signing assessment rolls; hearing appeals
Study Materials
Source Content
Wisconsin Property Assessment Manual (WPAM) Vol. I Chapters 2, 4, 5, 6, 11, 17
WPAM Vol. II Chapters 1, 2, 3, Mathematics in Appraising
Wisconsin Statutes Chapter 70 Primary property tax law
Wisconsin Administrative Code Tax 12 Assessment rules and certification
PM-201 (Exam Study Guide) Sample math and statistics problems
DOR Website Assessor training and certification materials
Recertification Requirements
• Certification Expiration: 5 years from issuance
• Continuing Education: 0 hours required for Assessment Technician level
• Annual Assessor Meeting: Must attend 4 of 5 most recent annual meetings (available online)
*Note: The Assessment Technician exam does NOT test Appraisal Theory (0 questions) or Statistics (0
questions). These subjects begin at higher certification levels (Property Appraiser and Assessor 1-3).*
250 Scenario-Based MCQs with Rationales
Questions are organized by the 4 exam modules, following the exact question distribution: Math (20
questions), Legal Descriptions (10 questions), Wisconsin Assessment Law (12 questions), Construction
Terms (8 questions). All questions exceed 15 words and include rationales based on Wisconsin Statutes,
WPAM, and DOR guidelines.
Wisconsin Assessment Technician Certification
Exam QUESTIONS AND VERIFIED ANSWERS WITH
RATIONALES JUST RELEASED
Wisconsin Assessment Technician Certification Exam: Exact Coverage & Outline
Based on the Wisconsin Department of Revenue (DOR) certification requirements and the Wisconsin
Property Assessment Manual (WPAM), the Assessment Technician exam is the entry-level certification
in Wisconsin's five-level assessor certification system .
Exam Format & Passing Score
• Total Questions: 50
• Time Limit: 1 Hour
• Passing Score: 70% (35 correct answers)
• Registration: Pearson VUE (Wisconsin DOR - Assessor Certification)
• Prerequisites: High school diploma or equivalent
Exact Exam Coverage by Subject Area
Subject Area Number of Questions Weight
Math 20 40%
Legal Descriptions 10 20%
Wisconsin Assessment Law 12 24%
Construction Terms 8 16%
Appraisal 0 0%
Statistics 0 0%
Administration 0 0%
TOTAL 50 100%
*Source: WPAM Chapter 2, Figure 2-1 and PM-201 *
Module 1: Math (20 questions - 40% of exam)
Exact Topics Covered:
• Mean, Median, and Mode Calculations: Central tendency measures for assessment data
• Coefficient of Dispersion (COD): Absolute COD calculation; measure of assessment uniformity
• Price-Related Differential (PRD): Calculation and interpretation (progressive vs. regressive)
• Assessment Ratio Calculations: Assessed value ÷ market value
, Page 2 of 140
• Percentage Calculations: Tax rates, value changes, depreciation percentages
• Area and Volume Calculations: Square footage, cubic feet for building measurements
• Unit Pricing: Cost per square foot, land valuation calculations
Key Formulas:
text
Mean = Sum of all values ÷ Number of values
Median = Middle value in ordered array
Mode = Most frequently occurring value
Absolute COD = (Sum of |ratio - median|) ÷ n
Relative COD = Absolute COD ÷ Median
PRD = Mean Ratio ÷ Aggregate (Weighted) Ratio
PRD > 1.03 = Regressive (higher-value properties under-assessed)
PRD < 0.98 = Progressive (higher-value properties over-assessed)
Module 2: Legal Descriptions (10 questions - 20% of exam)
Exact Topics Covered:
• Rectangular Survey System (PLSS): Township, Range, Section descriptions (e.g., "NW ¼ of NE ¼,
Section 12")
• Metes and Bounds: Boundary descriptions using monuments, bearings, and distances
• Lot and Block (Platted Subdivisions): Subdivision plat references
• Property Classification by Use: Residential, Commercial, Agricultural, Manufacturing,
Undeveloped
• Assessment Classification: Understanding use-based classification for assessment purposes
• Reading and Interpreting Legal Descriptions: Converting written descriptions to parcel
identification
PLSS Structure:
text
Township = 6 miles × 6 miles (36 sections)
Section = 1 mile × 1 mile (640 acres)
¼ Section = 160 acres
¼ of ¼ Section = 40 acres
NW ¼ of NE ¼ = 40 acres
Module 3: Wisconsin Assessment Law (12 questions - 24% of exam)
Exact Topics Covered:
• Wisconsin Statutes Chapter 70: Primary property tax law; assessment authority
• Statutory Assessment Ratio: 100% of market value (full value) for most real property
• Assessment Date: January 1 (property valued as of this date annually)
• Assessment Roll Completion Deadline: May 1 (with finalization by June 30)
• Property Record Cards: Legal requirement to provide to property owners upon request
• Board of Review (Wis. Stat. § 70.47): Appeal procedures and taxpayer rights
• Department of Revenue (DOR) Role: Oversight, training, equalization, WPAM publication
• Tax Exemptions: Religious, educational, benevolent organizations; government properties
• Administrative Code Tax 12: Assessment practices and assessor certification rules
• Assessment Technician Duties: Under direct supervision: measuring, listing, cost data
calculation, map posting, data collection, property description verification, use classification
Key Legal References:
, Page 3 of 140
Statute/Code Purpose
Wis. Stat. § 70.32 Full value assessment requirement
Wis. Stat. § 70.36 Assessment roll completion deadline
Wis. Stat. § 70.47 Board of Review procedures
Wis. Stat. § 73.09 Assessor certification authority
Wis. Adm. Code Tax 12 Assessment and certification rules
Wis. Stat. § 70.10(1) Uniformity requirement
Module 4: Construction Terms (8 questions - 16% of exam)
Exact Topics Covered:
• Building Components: Foundation types (full basement, crawl space, slab), framing, roofing,
siding
• Quality Ratings: Excellent, Good, Average, Fair, Poor (based on materials and workmanship)
• Gross Living Area (GLA): Finished, heated, above-grade area (excludes unfinished, unheated,
below-grade)
• Depreciation Types:
o Physical Deterioration: Wear and tear from aging and use
o Functional Obsolescence: Loss due to outdated design or layout
o External Obsolescence: Loss due to external factors (neighborhood decline, economic
conditions)
• Effective Age vs. Chronological Age: Age indicated by condition versus actual years since
construction
• WPAM Glossary Terms: Definitions for construction and assessment terminology
GLA Exclusion Examples:
• Unfinished attics
• Unfinished basements
• Garages (attached or detached)
• Porches (unless enclosed and heated)
• Sunrooms (unless heated)
Assessment Technician Authorized Duties
Per Wis. Adm. Code Tax 12.06, an Assessment Technician may perform, under direct supervision of a
Property Appraiser or Assessor :
1. Measuring and listing property characteristics
2. Calculating building cost data
3. Posting maps/plats/charts
4. Collecting relevant assessment data
5. Assisting with physical inventories
6. Verifying property descriptions
, Page 4 of 140
7. Classifying real property according to use
Cannot perform: Independent market value analysis; signing assessment rolls; hearing appeals
Study Materials
Source Content
Wisconsin Property Assessment Manual (WPAM) Vol. I Chapters 2, 4, 5, 6, 11, 17
WPAM Vol. II Chapters 1, 2, 3, Mathematics in Appraising
Wisconsin Statutes Chapter 70 Primary property tax law
Wisconsin Administrative Code Tax 12 Assessment rules and certification
PM-201 (Exam Study Guide) Sample math and statistics problems
DOR Website Assessor training and certification materials
Recertification Requirements
• Certification Expiration: 5 years from issuance
• Continuing Education: 0 hours required for Assessment Technician level
• Annual Assessor Meeting: Must attend 4 of 5 most recent annual meetings (available online)
*Note: The Assessment Technician exam does NOT test Appraisal Theory (0 questions) or Statistics (0
questions). These subjects begin at higher certification levels (Property Appraiser and Assessor 1-3).*
250 Scenario-Based MCQs with Rationales
Questions are organized by the 4 exam modules, following the exact question distribution: Math (20
questions), Legal Descriptions (10 questions), Wisconsin Assessment Law (12 questions), Construction
Terms (8 questions). All questions exceed 15 words and include rationales based on Wisconsin Statutes,
WPAM, and DOR guidelines.
