Section 1455.370  Qualifying Course Curriculum

a)         The overall content for qualifying education courses shall not be repetitive and shall represent a progression of instruction in which the appraiser's knowledge is increased.  The core curriculum for qualifying education courses shall be the core curriculum as approved and revised by AQB.

b)         Qualifying education course work to obtain a license as an Associate Real Estate Trainee Appraiser shall consist of 75-classroom hours of instruction, which must include the 15-hour national USPAP course or its AQB approved equivalent.

c)         Effective January 1, 2026, a trainee applicant must complete a total of 83-classroom hours of qualifying education, which shall include the 15-hour national USPAP course or its AQB equivalent, with an additional eight-hour course and examination on valuation bias and fair housing laws and regulations approved by the AQB.

d)         Subject to the AQB, federal, and State law requirements, the remaining 60-hours of instruction may include, but are not limited to, the following topics:

1)         influences on real estate value;

2)         legal considerations in appraisal;

3)         types of value;

4)         economic principles;

5)         real estate markets and analysis;

6)         valuation process;

7)         property description;

8)         highest and best use analysis;

9)         appraisal statistical concepts;

10)       sales comparison approach;

11)       site value;

12)       cost approach;

13)       income approach;

14)       valuation of partial interests;

15)       appraisal standards and ethics;

16)       valuation bias and fair housing laws and regulations;

17)       other topics approved by the Division; and

18)       any other topics required by the AQB.

e)         Qualifying education course work to obtain a license as a State Certified Residential Real Estate Appraiser shall consist of a total of 200 classroom hours of instruction, which includes the 75-hour requirement for an Associate Real Estate Trainee Appraiser License within those hours.  The 75-hour trainee course requirement shall contain the mandatory 15-hour national USPAP course or its approved AQB equivalent.

f)         Qualifying education course work to obtain a license as a State Certified General Real Estate Appraiser shall consist of a total of 300 classroom hours of instruction, which can include the 200-hour requirement for a State Certified Residential Real Estate Appraiser License within those hours.  The 75-hour requirement for an Associate Real Estate Trainee Appraiser License shall be included within the 300-hour requirement.  The 75-hour trainee course requirement shall contain the mandatory 15-hour national USPAP course or its AQB approved equivalent.

g)         Effective January 1, 2026, the 83-hour qualifying education requirement for a trainee shall contain the mandatory 15-hour national USPAP course or its AQB approved equivalent and will apply toward the 200 classroom hours required for a state certified residential real estate appraiser license and toward the 300 classroom hours required for a State Certified General Real Estate Appraiser License.  The additional eight-hour course and examination on valuation bias and fair housing laws and regulations does not increase the total number of required hours for either credential.

(Source:  Amended at 48 Ill. Reg. 14553, effective September 24, 2024)