The Association of Fundraising Professionals this month announced that it is revising the certification examination for its highest credential, known as the Advanced Certified Fundraising Executive designation.

No longer will fund raisers seeking advanced certification be expected to answer questions on the exam about federal tax laws or bequests and other types of planned gifts.

Michael Nilsen, the association’s senior director of public affairs, said in an e-mail message that the goal of the changes is to prevent bias against test takers from outside the United States.

But some fund raisers wonder whether taking those questions away makes sense, given the importance of tax laws and planned gifts to fund raising — and the potential for scams to erupt when fund raisers don’t have the skills they need.

If the association is worried about bias against fund raisers from outside the United States, some experts say, why not develop different versions of the exam? Or the association could find another way for test takers to demonstrate knowledge of planned giving and tax law in their own countries.

Other fund raisers support the revisions. “If AFP is going to continue its global leadership, they need to develop a culturally sensitive exam and think how it can be made more accessible for people who don’t practice in the U.S.,” said Marianne Briscoe, who holds the advanced credential and is president of Brakeley Briscoe, a San Mateo, Calif., fund-raising consulting company.

What do you think: Is it a good idea to remove questions on tax law and gift planning from the exam for senior fund raisers?

(For more about the certification system, see this article from The Chronicle of Philanthropy’s archive.)