{
 "topic": "FOIA section 7(1)(q) - Licensing/employment exam questions and scoring keys",
 "statute": "5 ILCS 140/7(1)(q)",
 "family": "FOIA exemptions (section 7)",
 "page": "https://illinoisfoia.org/issues/foia-7-1-q/",
 "note": "Determination letters are non-binding. Verify against the source PDF before citing.",
 "counts": {
  "violation_found": 1,
  "no_violation": 2,
  "no_determination": 0,
  "other": 0
 },
 "challenge_notes": null,
 "issues": [
  {
   "issue": "Withholding license application records under section 7(1)(q)",
   "outcome": "violation_found",
   "rule": "Routine factual background documents about an applicant are not examination data and do not fall within the section 7(1)(q) exemption.",
   "decision": {
    "title": "Records on business transfer verification and tobacco licensing",
    "date": "2025-04-22",
    "binding": false,
    "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-86063/"
   },
   "authorities": [
    {
     "text": "Ill. Att'y Gen. PAC Req. Rev. Ltr. 71541, issued February 13, 2022, at 3",
     "url": null
    },
    {
     "text": "Ill. Att'y Gen. PAC Req. Rev. Ltr. 26217, issued July 10, 2014, at 2",
     "url": null
    },
    {
     "text": "Ill. Att'y Gen. PAC Req. Rev. Ltr. 40721, issued July 21, 2016",
     "url": null
    },
    {
     "text": "Ill. Att'y Gen. PAC Req. Rev. Ltr. 18783, issued March 8, 2013, at 3",
     "url": null
    },
    {
     "text": "Ill. Att'y Gen. PAC Req. Rev. Ltr. 61662, issued January 22, 2021, at 4",
     "url": null
    }
   ]
  },
  {
   "issue": "Withholding interview questions under section 7(1)(q)",
   "outcome": "no_violation",
   "rule": "Interview questions are 'other examination data' exempt from disclosure because future applicants could exploit them to gain an advantage.",
   "decision": {
    "title": "Interview questions for teacher candidates",
    "date": "2025-04-03",
    "binding": false,
    "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-85882/"
   },
   "authorities": [
    {
     "text": "Ill. Att'y Gen. PAC Req. Rev. Ltr. 71541, issued February 13, 2022",
     "url": null
    },
    {
     "text": "Ill. Att'y Gen. PAC Req. Rev. Ltr. 64023, issued August 4, 2020",
     "url": null
    }
   ]
  },
  {
   "issue": "Redaction of examination data under section 7(1)(q)",
   "outcome": "no_violation",
   "rule": "Section 7(1)(q) exempts test questions, questionnaires, and other records relied upon to formulate promotional examination results, so redaction was proper.",
   "decision": {
    "title": "Redacted qualification test questions from emails",
    "date": "2024-05-03",
    "binding": false,
    "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-80480/"
   },
   "authorities": [
    {
     "text": "Lieber v. Board of Trustees of Southern Illinois University, 176 Ill. 2d 401, 407 (1997)",
     "url": null
    },
    {
     "text": "Roulette v. Department of Central Management Services, 141 Ill. App. 3d 394, 398-99 (1986)",
     "url": null
    },
    {
     "text": "Kopchar v. City of Chicago, 395 Ill. App. 3d 762, 768 (2009)",
     "url": "https://illinoisfoia.org/cases/1-08-1835/"
    },
    {
     "text": "Ill. Att'y Gen. PAC Req. Rev. Ltr. 72138, issued June 15, 2022",
     "url": null
    },
    {
     "text": "Ill. Att'y Gen. PAC Req. Rev. Ltr. 26217, issued July 10, 2014",
     "url": null
    }
   ]
  }
 ]
}