(a) An applicant otherwise eligible shall be admitted to registration as a professional soil classifier if he or she has successfully passed an examination in the principles and practice of soil classifying as prescribed by the Arkansas State Board of Registration for Professional Soil Classifiers and has one of the following additional qualifications:

(1) Is a graduate of a soils curriculum approved by the board as satisfactory and with a specific record of an additional one (1) year or more of experience of a grade and character which indicates to the board that the applicant is competent to practice soil classifying and who holds a valid soil classifier-in-training certificate;

(2) Is a person who has satisfactorily completed a soil curriculum not approved by the board and two (2) years or more of experience in soil classifying work of a character and grade which indicates to the board that the applicant is competent to practice soil classifying; or

(3) Is a person who holds a valid soil classifier-in-training certificate with a specific record of one (1) year or more of experience as a soil classifier-in-training of a grade and character which indicates to the board that the applicant is competent to practice soil classifying.

(b) An application otherwise qualified shall be admitted to registration as a professional soil classifier without examination if he or she is a person who holds a certificate of registration in the practice of soil classifying on the basis of comparable qualifications issued to him or her by a proper authority of another state, possession, or territory of the United States and who, in the opinion of the board, meets the requirements of this chapter.