|
Both options have significant advantages.
Therefore, the Academy recommends you choose both.
Learn
how you can earn certification maintenance points by serving on a petition
review team.
The archival certification examination is the most
important self-evaluation tool archivists possess.
Recertification by petition provides the only
professional forum for recognizing and rewarding the normal professional
activities in which archivists routinely engage.
The opportunity to be recognized and rewarded for
your professional activities is unique within the archival profession.
There is never a recertification fee. |
| "Recertification"
does not mean retaking the test. Instead, it is shorthand for
the procedure certifying and licensure bodies commonly
call "certification maintenance."
Certification
maintenance helps ensure that archivists keep up with developments in their
field. Academy members must verify their certification maintenance
activities every five years to retain the title of Certified
Archivist. Using the honor system, members simply list on a form
(called a "petition") their professional development and
continuing education activities during the previous five years.
However,
members who prefer may recertify by simply taking the archival
certification examination again. Whether you choose to maintain your
certification by petition or exam, there is never a recertification
fee.
Which is option right for you? |
Option
A: Recertification by Examination
You may recertify by
again sitting for the archival certification examination. This has several
advantages:
- Minimal fuss.
Simply taking the examination is the fastest and easiest way to
recertify. Most persons complete the examination in about an hour to an
hour and a half. Furthermore, if you normally attend the Society of
American Archivists annual meeting, or if the examination is held in
your area (such as through our "Pick Your Site" program), then
you incur no additional travel expenses.
- Minimal paperwork.
All Certified Archivists are forever qualified to sit for the
examination. You therefore do not need to resubmit the examination
application or complete lengthy petition forms. To recertify by
examination you need only notify us of your intent to do so.
However, the most
important benefit of recertification by examination is:
- Self-evaluation.
The certification examination is your best available method for
comparing your professional knowledge to a consensus view of archival
standards. It is also an excellent way to gauge the impact of emerging
technologies and research on the archival profession. This makes the
archival certification examination the most important self-evaluation
tool archivists possess.
Option
B: Recertification by Petition
Recertifying by
petition uses a point system to reward experience, continuing education,
and contributions to the profession. Every archivist engages in some of
these activities, depending on their resources, opportunities, and
personal interests. For example, you may attend an archival meeting,
participate in a workshop, present a paper, serve on a committee, etc.
Such activities are
important for maintaining your skills and advancing the profession.
Recertification by petition provides the only professional forum for
recognizing and rewarding the normal professional activities in which
archivists routinely engage. This makes recertification by petition one of
the greatest benefits of being a Certified Archivist.
Recertifying by
petition involves taking approximately two hours to complete a petition
form once every five years. On the form, you will briefly describe the
activities for which you claim credit. This is on the honor system; unless
a question arises you need not submit evidence of your activities.
However, the Academy recommends you maintain a file of your activities (in
which you save programs of meetings you attended, workshop agenda, etc.)
as a personal aide-mémoire to help you complete your petition.
Which
recertification option should you choose?
Both options have
significant advantages. Therefore, the Academy recommends you choose both.
That is, because the self-evaluation benefits of the examination are so
great, we hope all Certified Archivists will choose to recertify by
examination once or twice during their careers. Likewise, the opportunity
to be recognized and rewarded for your professional activities is unique
within the archival profession. We encourage Certified Archivists to take
advantage of this important benefit at least once during
their careers.
One scenario is to
begin with recertifying by petition and then alternate between the two.
Regardless which option you choose, however, the Academy will always
consider both alternatives equally valid. Your recertification choice
should be determined solely by your preferences, circumstances, and goals.
There is no recertification fee.
You must
maintain your annual dues, but, regardless which certification
maintenance option you choose, there is never a recertification fee.
|
