"Being a legislator is supposed to be a part-time job, and most of the Legislature was away two days this week (in Logan meetings), and for many to take a third day off (work) was asking a lot," he said.

Such was the case for Rep. Ron Bigelow, R-West Valley.

"I thought about it. I thought it would be kind of fun," he said. "But we (citizen legislators) go to the things we feel are absolutely critical to perform our function. This one was nice, but not critical."

Others said they couldn't fit it into their schedules.

Sens. Patrice Arent, D- South Cottonwood, and Karen Hale, D-Salt Lake, were addressing teachers at the Hinckley Institute of Politics at the University of Utah. Arent had meetings afterward, and Hale left town, Arent said.

Rep. Margaret Dayton, R-Orem and committee co-chairman, said she is in Texas for American Legislative Exchange Council meetings. But she says she's curious to hear what the test was like.

Rep. Carol Spackman Moss, D-Holladay, planned to go, but had last-minute family matters to attend to. "I would certainly like to take it another time."

Sen. Howard Stephenson, R-Draper, committee co-chairman, also hopes to reschedule.

But it has nothing to do with family or work conflicts.

He says he simply didn't know about the test.

Ditto for Rep. LaVar Christensen, R-Draper, who coincidentally was at the State Office of Education discussing other school matters while state education officials were across town giving — and taking — his test.

"Oh, dang. I would love to take it, and I would like to see other legislators take it," Stephenson said, adding he's said as much for years. "It was poor communication, because I wasn't aware of it. I have to admit, I have a thousand things coming at me at once, but something that important, I usually get it."

Still, a wide variety of education chiefs did take the test. They included South Summit Superintendent Timothy Smith and Davis Superintendent Bryan Bowles, who says he took it so he could better relate to student experiences.

State associate superintendent Ray Timothy and State Board of Education chairman Kim Burningham, men who help inform and make decisions about the UBSCT, also took the test.

Kevin McVicar, director of outreach services for the charter school American Preparatory Academy, also was there. McVicar says his background is in remediating students who struggle, and he wanted to explore the skills measured on the test.

Nobody complained about participating. Burningham and Ferrin even said the essay writing part was kind of fun.

And now, Ferrin can say he is the only one of 104 legislators who have weathered the test.

"It was a good experience to gain that familiarity with the exam," he said. "We (test-takers) have perhaps a unique perspective now others don't have."

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E-mail: jtcook@desnews.com