Thank you, Shannon.  You answered my question regarding the differences that exist among various states.  Having been involved with other associations that certify, I would say that the most valuable aspect of certification by an association is one's promise to work within common ethical standards.  That alone, with that little green dot announcing as much to anybody searching the SOT database for abstractors, makes certification worthwhile to our company. 

Not to diminish the other aspects of the certification.  Our company is a licensed title agent which happens to put alot of energy into providing abstracts to our friends who don't happen to employ their own searchers in our coverage area.

It sounds like an enormous task to put together test questions for each state.  When you are ready with Illinois, we will be eager to apply for certification.