Why are there testing fees?

[Beka]

I know some schools may not have them (lucky devils ), but many of us do have these dang things. Mine are $20 a test, until Brown belt, and then i think brown belt and above tests are $25, but black may be more I think. I can understand test fees for black belt tests, since they take several hours, and the tester may have to travel a far distance to administer the test. Brown belt tests also take a couple of hours, but below that, they're done just fine in the normal hour of class. It's business, I guess, but why??

 

I'm testing tomorrow, so I should probably have other things on my mind

[equaninimus]

The only place I have studied that had kyu (giup) test fees was the Uni club at UMBC. The $35.00 fee paid for the belt, the cert, and the pizza afterword. If you did not pass, you did not pay.

 

If you were broke, you did not pay.

[WolverineGuy]

Just another way for your club to make money. Remember, sometimes they keep tuition low, so they have to make up for it in other ways. I wouldn't sweat the testing fees of under fifty bucks.

[karatekid1975]

My TSD school had testing fees. But that paid for the belt, the cert, the instructors and some of the cash went back into the school. My tuition there was cheap, so I had no complaints.

 

My dojang now doesn't have testing fees till BB. My tuition here is also cheap, but I wouldn't mind paying it (a testing fee) cause the work (and instructors) that go into it (testing).

[TangSooGuy]

Depends on the situation really.

 

If your tuition is already high, then you might have something to complain about, but frankly those fees are actually pretty low.

 

Some reasons that your instructor may need to charge for testing include:

 

1. Belts cost money. If the monthly tuition isn't covering it, that money has to come from somewhere.

 

2. If you are part of a larger organization, that organization may charge the instructor for processing and certification. Again, that money has to come from somewhere, and isn't always covered by tuition.

 

3. Do you have to break at your testings? If so, does your instructor provide the wood? Wood is getting to be very expensive, and cutting it is very time intensive...

 

4. Does your instructor ever bring in outside guests to sit on the panel? If so, it is correct protocol to take care of all the guests' expenses while they are visiting. More money that has to come from somewhere...

 

5. On a more philosophical level, is your rank and all that you have learned with it worth what you have to pay for it?

 

Frankly, if someone offered me millions of dollars, but the catch was that I had to not only give up my rank, but all the knowledge that came with earning it, I'd never take them up on the offer.

 

Just something to think about. Often testing fees can be a rip-off. If none of the above is true for you, AND your tuition is already pretty high, then maybe you have something to be a little bit upset about.

 

However, in my experience, testing fees are often justified as well. It bothers me when people just assume that simply because an instructor charges for something, that automatically means that he is out to get you.

 

I charge $40 for testing, because I HAVE to. All of the above cases are true for me, and in addition, I always take my testing panel out to eat afterwards. You may say that my students shouldn't have to pay for that, but I'm inclined to disagree. The testing panel is serving the students by being there and helping them to learn some valuable lessons through testing.

 

I don't make any money off testing fees, but I do have to charge for testing. I would not be able to provide a test that is run nearly as well or provides anywhere near the positive experience I strive to make it if I did not charge these fees.

 

Let me say that I am not trying to pass judgement on you, as it is possible that you are getting ripped off, depending on other factors. However, $20-25 is a very low fee for testing. I know schools that charge in excess of $100 for every test, on top of over $100 each month for tuition. It is those schools that tend to make me cringe a bit, and not the ones where the instructor is simply trying to make ends meet.

[italian_guy]

Yes I also pay testing fees in my Tai chi chuan school but it is only 20 Euros and you get belt and certificate. As other people stated if is not a big amount of money and it does not happen too frequently ( I'm talking about schools that have more then 10 belt level before black and test every 3 months) I would not bother.

[Mc. Steve]

Our testing fees are £15 then go up a quid each Gup advancment. Sposed to be for processing all the paperwork in America + the belt.

[XeDa]

I help out alot behind the desk. Some of those charges are for "AKKF" . But it dependes like others said what you are training in...I can et a full list of the prices and everything tommarrow. P/S I fell alsleep at comp on the forum...lol

[aefibird]

Kyu grade testing fees in my Shotokan organisation are £15. This is because the kyu and dan grade tests are held in regional locations. The money is to pay for the cost of hiring the venue and for the cost of belts and also for an hour and half training beforehand. The 'extra' cash thats left over after everything has been paid for goes back into the clubs who attended the testing. My club instructor saves all the money up and we have a meeting every so often and decide between us what we want to do with the extra cash. Sometimes we buy something for the dojo and sometimes we all go out for a meal together.

 

Kyu grade testing fees in my Aikido club are £6 - the cost of the lesson beforehand and the remainder for a certificate for passing and admin. Its cheaper than my shotokan club because we grade in our own dojo, rather than having a central grading and hiring a big venue.

[DarkAngel_Azrel]

At my Dojo the last grading fee was £7 including certificate but u hand to pay fro belt septrately