| AICP Certification Information |
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The American Institute of Certified Planners is American Planning Association's professional institute, with responsibilities for accreditation, compliance, certification, ethics and continuing education. Information about the AICP can be found at www.planning.org/aicp
To become a certified planner and use the AICP designation, one must be a current member of the American Planning Association, submit an application meeting certain education and experience requirements, pass an examination, and be a fully paid member of APA and AICP. More information about the exam process can be found at http://www.planning.org/certification/.
See below for more exam prep information.
The Virginia Chapter of the American Planning Association's Professional Development Officer is available to help answer VAPA member questions about AICP and the exam process. VAPA's current PDO is:
Glenn Larson, AICP
(804) 748-1970
aicp@vaplanning.org
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| AICP Exam Information |
To become a certified planner and use the AICP designation, one must be a current member of the American Planning Association, submit an application meeting certain education and experience requirements, pass an examination, and be a fully paid member of APA and AICP. More information about the exam process can be found at http://www.planning.org/certification/.
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| AICP Exam Preparation |
Exam Update Email List
VAPA members interested in taking the AICP exam can receive a semi-monthly email update containing information on Virginia area study sessions, study guides, deadlines, scholarship opportunities, etc. Contact Glenn Larson, VAPA’s Professional Development Officer by email to receive these email updates.
APA Chapter President’s Council AICP Exam Prep Manual
The VAPA Chapter Office has copies of the 2007-2008 edition of the Chapter President’s Council AICP Exam Prep Manual. It is only available in CD format, and can be purchased through the Chapter Office for $18, which includes postage. Email the Chapter Administrator or call (804) 754-4120 to order a copy.
AICP Study Guide Manual/CD-ROM
This study guide is published by APA and is available to order here.
VAPA’s AICP Exam Orientation Session
VAPA holds an AICP exam orientation session each fall. The purpose of this session is to provide VAPA members who are interested in taking the AICP exam an overview of the exam application process and available study resources. Specific topics reviewed include eligibility and application requirements, as well as available study guides, study courses and other exam study resources. This orientation session is designed to complement VAPA's more comprehensive one-day exam prep course held each spring (see below). There is no charge for this orientation session, but registration is required.
AICP Exam Study Courses/Sessions
For the last few years, the Virginia and National Capital Area Chapters of APA have jointly sponsored two area AICP exam preparation workshops. Identical workshops are held in March of each year in Richmond and Washington, DC. Registration for the one-day session is approximately $100. If you are planning on taking the AICP exam in May or November, or are considering AICP certification at some future point in your career, we encourage you to attend one of these sessions.
Other available AICP exam study courses include:
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AICP Exam Prep Session At the 2006 and 2007APA Conference
AICP holds a four-hour AICP exam prep session each year at the national APA conference. The slides used for the 2006 San Antonio conference session are now available at: http://www.washington-apa.org/career/aicp.shtml . The slides used for the 2007 Philadelphia Conference are available at: http://www.planning.org/certification/.
Other APA Chapter Exam Prep Sites
AICP exam prep information posted at various APA chapter websites can be a good study resource. Here are a few worth exploring:
Reduced Exam Fee Scholarship Program
AICP provides two reduced exam fee scholarships annually through the Virginia Chapter of APA to those VAPA members facing financial hardships who wish to become AICP members. This program offers assistance to those individuals who may defer taking or are unable to take the AICP exam because of the high cost. The scholarship selection criteria established by AICP states:
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Members of ethnic or racial minorities shall be given preference.
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The applicant(s) selected will be otherwise unlikely to take the exam without the reduced fee.
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The applicant’s employer will not subsidize the exam fee
VAPA members interested in applying for this scholarship should contact Glenn Larson, Virginia Chapter AICP Professional Development Officer, at (804)748-1970 or email.
AICP Exam Prep Sessions At the APA Conference
AICP holds a four-hour AICP exam prep session each year at the national APA conference.
The slides used for the 2007 Philadelphia conference session are now available at www.planning.org/certification/.
The slides used for the 2006 San Antonio conference session are available at: www.washington-apa.org/career/aicp.shtml.
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| AICP Certification Maintenance |
It’s here! By December 31, 2009, AICP members must earn a total of 32 credits under the new Certification Maintenance (CM) program. While we don’t have room here to go into the details of CM (more on that at www.planning.org/cm), we do have some suggestions about developing a strategy to compile needed credits. If you are an AICP member, you need to start now on your CM credit strategy. Take some time to think about how and when you can accumulate the credits you’ll need. Because so many CM credit opportunities are tied to scheduled events, even procrastinating a few months could jeopardize your ability to compile 32 credits needed by December 2009.
If you go the AICP’s Certification Maintenance program web site, you’ll see the following tips on how to earn CM credits:
- Attend your state APA chapter conference
- Ask your favorite providers to register their courses
- Tap into APA's educational resources
- Enroll in online courses
- Sign up for podcasts and webcasts
- Seek out university courses
All good suggestions, but perhaps lacking in detail. Here are some additional things to consider:
- If you can, attend at least one of the two national APA conferences set between now and December 2009. I estimate that, with significant commitment to attending as many qualifying conference sessions as possible, you can qualify for at least 25 credits by attending a national APA conference, if not more. I know the national conference is expensive and many planning departments/offices don’t have that kind of travel budget, so it may not be a viable option for some. Given the two-year timeframe, it may be a good idea to talk to your boss about the possibility of including national or state conference attendance in next year’s budget. The earlier the better.
- Can’t go to a national planning conference? Consider attending the annual VAPA planning conference. VAPA is working to provide at least 16 CM credit opportunities at the March 2008 conference in Reston. If you are fortunate enough to go both the 2008 and 2009 VAPA annual conferences and attend all sessions qualifying for CM credits, you will be well on your way to obtaining the credits you will need by December 2009.
- Look for other CM credit options provided by VAPA. We are working on offering APA audio/web training sessions at a number of Virginia locations in 2008. In addition, VAPA plans to set up a “lending library” of CD ROM training packages for AICP members. While still a preliminary estimate, we’re hoping that VAPA can offer up to ten CM credits in 2008 through these two initiatives. Stay tuned.
- Keep an eye out for other CM credit announcements made in Newsbrief, at the VAPA website (www.vaplanning.org) and through VAPA’s e-mail announcements.
- If you find a training session from a non APA/VAPA provider that you think could qualify for Certification Maintenance program credits (see the qualifying criteria at www.planning.org/cm/activities.htm) contact Glenn Larson at aicp@vaplanning.org before registering for the session and Glenn will ask AICP to contact the provider. He’ll need to know the name of the session, the date it is taking place and the provider’s e-mail address.
Yes, all of these CM credit options involve a significant commitment of time and/or money, which is all the more reason to develop your CM credit strategy. Once you’ve done so, meet with your supervisor and discuss the commitment necessary for you to maintain your AICP certification. Hopefully, with advance planning and the commitment of your employer, you’ll have a much better chance of obtaining all the credits you’ll need while minimizing your time and financial obligations.
AICP Professional Practice Center
Your online resource for information about the profession of planning and AICP. Sections cover certification, licensing, planners' job descriptions and salaries, comparisons with allied professions and international organizations, and much more. Click Here
Page Last Updated November 2007
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