There are five classifications of officials in the Iowa High School Athletic Association. These classes are: temporary, approved, recognized, certified, and superior.

1) Temporary Status (No Badge)
-Temporary Status is given after successfully completing an unsupervised (open-book) exam.
-Contact the IHSAA for a copy of the NFHS Rule Book and an exam. You must recieve 75% or higher on the exam in order to be certified. Temporary Certification is good for a three (3) year period only, and the exam must be taken prior to each season.

2) Approved Status (Green Trim Badge)
-Approved Status is given after recieving a score of 70% or greater on a supervised examination.
-Contact the IHSAA or your local association for examination dates and locations.

3) Recognized Status (Gold Trim Badge)
-To become a recognized official, you must serve at least one year of as an approved official, receive a score of at least 85% on the supervised rules examination and obtain at least 80 points on the promotional scale.

4) Certified Status (Blue Trim Badge)
-To become a certified official, you must serve at least two years of as a recognized official, receive a score of at least 90% on the supervised rules examination and obtain at least 85 points on the promotional scale.

5) Superior Status (Purple Trim Badge)
-To become a superior official, you must serve at least one year of as a certified official, receive a score of at least 95% on the supervised rules examination and obtain at least 90 points on the promotional scale.