Aloa and the PRP

ALOA stands for the Associated Locksmiths of America. They are the largest organization of locksmiths in the United States, with nearly 8000 members.

Aloa employs a set of examinations to determine knowledge level of locksmiths on many different subjects. This program is called the PRP or Proficiency Registry Program.

The PRP results in various designations based on an individuals record of passing the various exam categories.

The designations awarded through PRP are RL (Registered Locksmith), CRL (Certified Registered Locksmith), CPL (Certified Professional Locksmith) and CML (Certified Master Locksmith). The organization SAVTA (Safe and Vault Technology Association) also has two designations CPS (Certified Professional Safe Technician) and CMST (Certified Master Safe Technician).

The following is from the ALOA certification FAQ:

The Registered Locksmith (RL) designation does not require testing. Is this designation a certification?

The Registered Locksmith (RL) designation is recognition of experience or training but because there is not an examination it is not a certification. It has been awarded for various accomplishments such as 10 years of ALOA membership which provided for grandfathering when the program was first initiated in 1985, the taking of 12 ALOA Continuing Education(ACE) classes (since 1992) or equivalent and successfully completing the ALOA Basic Locksmithing Course. It is not a path towards certification. It is an ALOA recognized designation and thus meets the requirements of achieving an ALOA recognized designation for ALOA membership.

Certified Registered Locksmith (CRL)
The first level testing for locksmith certification is Certified Registered Locksmith (CRL). A Certified Registered Locksmith is required to pass the ten mandatory categories and at least two specialized electives of his choice. The mandatory section covers the following topics:

Codes and Code Equipment
Cylinder Servicing
Key Blank Identification
Key Duplication
Key Impressioning
Professional Lock Opening Techniques
Lockset Functions
Lockset Servicing
Basic Master Keying
Cabinet, Furniture and Mailbox Locks


Certified Professional Locksmith (CPL)
The 2nd level of locksmith testing for certification is Certified Professional Locksmith (CPL). To qualify for the designation Certified Professional Locksmith an individual has had to earn the CRL designation and have passed examinations in an additional twelve elective categories.

Certified Master Locksmith (CML)
The last tier of testing of locksmith certification is Certified Master Locksmith (CML). To qualify for the designation of Certified Master Locksmith and individual must have earned the designation of CPL and passed an additional 9 electives from the list below.

So a CML will have passed the 10 Mandatory categories + 2 Electives (CRL Level) + 12 Electives (CPL Level) and 9 Electives (CML Level) for a total of : 22 electives. There are currently 26 electives total so 84.6% of the total electives will have been passed to obtain the CML. Aloa may in the future add electives.

Domestic Automotive
Foreign Automotive
Door Closers
Life Safety Codes
High Security Cylinder Servicing
Special Application Cylinder Servicing
Tubular Key Cylinder Servicing
Basic Electricity
Exit Hardware and Exit Alarms
Keyless Mechanical Locks
Lever Tumbler/Non-Safe Deposit Locks
Motorcycle Locks
Safe Combination Locks
Safe Deposit Locks
Time Locks
Lockset Installation
Advanced Master Keying
Safe Installation
Safe Opening and Servicing
Interchangeable Core Fundamentals
Small Format Interchangeable Core
Large Format Interchangeable Core
Electromechanical Access Control
Related Door Hardware
Alarms
Detention Locking Systems

The intent: The PRP system serves a number of purposes. It has helped to organize locksmith education by identifying specific categories that should be common to all locksmiths, it gives locksmiths a rough measure of their own knowledge so they can identify areas that require further study and ultimately can provide consumers with some information about the knowledge level and test taking ability of a locksmith when making a decision to contract for service.

Controversy: The PRP system has received multiple criticisms from the locksmith community because it is a pencil and paper test with no hands on portion. Some locksmiths have vocalized that the test is not a fair measure of their competency because they don't perform well on written examinations but through the evidence of their longstanding operation as a locksmith they are competent despite not doing well or not participating in the exams.

I have personally heard from test developers working in the code industry that the PRP system and grading procedures should be reviewed by professional psychometricians periodically for revision. I do not know the entire history and development of the PRP from a test development standpoint but I do know that the development of testing is a hard science with many techniques for validating questions, answers and scoring procedures. Testing Measures Standards


Personal Opinion: The PRP is a great start to an otherwise herculean task. No testing system is perfect and the deployment of a hands on portion of the exam would be financially and logistically challenging to say the least. The implementation of task, conditions and standards hands on testing would be most easily accomplished as 'end of class' or 'during class' exams that are performed within the context of an educational event. Adding new dimensions to the designations such as a numbering system indicating completed hands on exams would be possible.

Based on the general lack of recogntion from the general public to the existing PRP, the addition of this modification to the system would not be likely to result in much greater public awareness of the PRP system. However, this type of testing would benefit the locksmith community through improved classes and educational milliues ultimatley resulting in better locksmiths to serve the community.

On licensing: The PRP is used by some states and accepted by most states as evidence of competency for licensing purposes. This changes the nature of the PRP from being a system of professional development and a marketing tool for locksmiths into a legal requirement to operate a locksmith business in states that require it. This aspect of the PRP being used in trade regulation then invites new criticism to take on new standards.

The inclusion of hands on competency portions such as those used by many welding certificaiton systems, becomes more relevant to the intent of state licensing, which is to protect the public good and to attempt to ensure that locksmiths are at least prepared to perform a minimum standard of quality work.

The other side of the argument on the use of the PRP in locksmith licensing comes from veteran locksmiths who despite being in business for a long period of time, cannot pass the state based exams and may not be able to operate in their trade unless they pass some portion of an exam.

In essence, the question becomes: How do you create a fair system for all parties which measures 100% what is required but does not exclude competent indviduals that may not have the test taking skills or particular skills measured by the system, some of which may not be applicable in their business or may not be viewed as critical by fire, life safety or code officials within a state, who may be tasked with trying to regulate the trade.

For example a test of a persons ability to generate or fit a key to vehicle, may have little relevance to a locksmith who only installs commercial and residential hardware and who may in fact not even advertise the service of automotive key generation to the public nor intend to do that task.

Some of the most critical applications such as exit device service and installation, ironically is often exhempted in most states for employees of general contractors who often have little or no training on installation of these systems.

Summary: The ALOA PRP system provides the locksmiths, the public and public officials with a tool to guage the competency of locksmiths, the degree to which that system does that has not been formally studied by a standards organization such as ISO to yield meaninful quantitative data that yields correlations to rate of failure, quality of work or other objective data. However, in the abscence of any system that has met the strictest criteria of test standards, a PRP designation does what it ultimatley purports to do: It indicates that an individual has participated in a systematic testing system and has met the requirements of that testing system.