Society for Range Management

UNDERGRADUATE RANGE MANAGEMENT EXAMINATION

Eligibility

Teams-Each University may enter one team composed of three or four members. If the team consists of four members, the three highest scoring individuals will be considered the team for the university. The contestants must be enrolled undergraduates in any regular university course of study at the time of the contest or must have been enrolled as undergraduates in the fall semester or quarter immediately preceding the contest.

Individuals-Any undergraduate student in any regular university course of study may compete for individual honors. Team members will be automatically entered in the individual competition.

1. Coaches are asked to sign up participants via email prior to the exam. At that time each participant is assigned a number that must be entered on the exam and answer sheet.

2. Participants must be registered for the annual meeting and wear their name tag to the contest. Anyone without a name tag will not be admitted to the exam.  Participants should be present at the door to the room where the exam is being held at least 15 minutes prior to the start of the contest.
 
3. The contest lasts for 120 minutes. Hand-held calculators are allowed; those that make sounds are not allowed. Each participant should bring plenty of pencils. Books, notebooks, and extra paper will not be allowed into the exam area.

4. The contest is divided into six categories: Range Ecology (60 points), Grazing Management (60 points), Range Improvement (60 points), Range Regions (30 points), Range Inventory and Analysis (60 points), and Multiple-Use Relationships (30 points). The exam consists of multiple choice questions in the six areas. In addition, problems are given in the grazing management, range improvements, and range inventory and analysis sections. Questions are selected from material submitted by university faculty members, government agency personnel, industry personnel and ranchers.

5. Coaches, participants, and anyone else are allowed into the contest area immediately (usually within 10 minutes) after the exam is finished. A copy of the exam with the key will be spread out over the tables. It is important that coaches and participants use this opportunity to view the exam.

6. Immediately following the open viewing of the exam, there will be a Coach's Critique of the URME. Here, the questions on the exam are discussed.  A simple majority vote of the coaches present is needed to remove any question or change an answer.  This is the only opportunity to challenge a question before grading occurs.

7. Examination copies are not allowed to be removed from the exam area or distributed to schools. Likewise, no copying of questions will be allowed during the review/open period. Old exams and newly submitted questions make up the test question bank and are kept confidential (similar to the plant mounts).

8. Reference material for the URME include range textbooks by Holechek, Pieper, and Herbel; Heady: Stoddart, Smith, and Box; Heitschmidt and Stuth; Vallentine; Workman.  Journal articles and other reference material may also be used.

9. Every effort is made to remove regional questions (except in the Range Regions section).

10. Copies of the exam are printed in English and Spanish.
 

Sample URME Questions

Sample Range Improvement Problems

Sample Grazing Management Problems

Contest Awards

1. Team and individual awards will be given for the first five places. In the event of tie scores for team or individual places, duplicate awards will be given.
2. Plaques for permanent possession will be awarded to the first through fifth place teams.
3. The five highest scoring individuals will each be awarded a plaque for permanent possession.
4. Each contestant will receive a certificate.