It shall be unlawful for any person in the State of Oklahoma to act as superintendent, mine foreman or shot firer without first having obtained a certificate of competency from the State Mining Board as herein provided for.

The examination given by the State Mining Board to an applicant for a certificate of competency as superintendent, mine foreman or shot firer shall include a written or oral or written and oral examination to determine that he fully understands the requirements of the mining laws of Oklahoma.

Each applicant shall hold a first-aid certificate issued to him within two (2) years previous to the date of the examination by an organization recognized by the State Mining Board.

Certificates of competency for the positions enumerated shall be granted to persons who have given the Chief Executive Officer of the Board satisfactory evidence of their ability to perform the duties of the positions applied for and who have obtained the necessary grades as determined by the Board for respective positions. In determining the grade of each applicant, due respect shall be given to the applicant's previous experience and record of service which shall have equal weight with the oral or written examination given to test the practical and technical knowledge of the applicant for the certificate of competency being sought. Provided, however, successful completion of the course of instruction provided by the Oklahoma Miner Training Institute (OMTI) or other courses of instruction provided by other training facilities and approved by the Board shall be considered as having met this examination requirement.