How to Become a Licensed Battlefield Guide

By Karen Hendricks
Photo by Casey Martin

Licensed Battlefield Guide Tom Vossler leads a tour group. 

About 560 people have become licensed battlefield guides since 1915. Joining their elite ranks requires dedication in many ways. The first step is contacting Supervisory Ranger Angie Atkinson of the National Park Service (NPS) to submit your name as a candidate. She will begin accepting names this summer, in preparation for the next written exam, which is not yet scheduled. If there is a need for additional guides, exams are typically given on the first Saturday in December. During the past dozen years, the three-hour written exam has been offered every other year.

According to Licensed Battlefield Guide and ALBG Vice President Steve Slaughter, the exam covers the Battle of Gettysburg, the Civil War in general, the chronology of events, battle action, locations, maps, and identification of monuments—a comprehensive collection of information.

It’s also a highly-competitive process. Recent exams have been attracting between 200-300 candidates, with only the top 20 candidates moving on to oral examinations. Candidates are given two chances to pass the oral exam. The format is a two-hour “trial run” tour presented to two examiners—a NPS ranger and a current licensed battlefield guide.

If licensed, a guide must annually conduct a minimum number of tours and pay a guide fee. Guides are not required to become members of the ALBG; about 75 to 80 percent of current guides are also ALBG members.

The following advice is offered by current licensed battlefield guides:

• Take tours with current guides.
• Once the date of the next written test is announced, take advantage of a series of classes offered by the ALBG.
• A sample guide exam, along with guide reference books, are located on the ALBG website at www.gettysburgtourguides.org/faqs.html.
• “Successful guides are people persons—you have to have the right personality—be outgoing and enjoy people of all ages from kids to seniors—you have to enjoy people,” emphasizes Slaughter.