ACMPE Continuing Education Requirement – 2009 Policy Changes
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. What are the policy changes to the continuing education requirement?
In June 2009, the ACMPE Board approved the following changes to the ACMPE continuing education requirement:
- The continuing education “advancement” requirement (i.e. 50 cumulative credit hours) was affirmed and will remain unchanged. The advancement portion of the requirement will continue to apply to Nominees seeking to attain Certified Member status.
- The continuing education “maintenance” requirement (i.e. 50 credit hours every three years) has been modified to apply to only Certified Members and Fellows and will not apply to Nominees. The Board affirmed that this requirement serves as a “maintenance of certification function” and applies to members only after they have achieved Certified Member and Fellow status.
- The consequence of membership cancellation for not meeting the continuing education maintenance requirement has been eliminated. For those Certified Members and Fellows that do not meet the requirement, their ACMPE status will revert to Nominee but their membership will not be cancelled.
- A new activity eligible for ACMPE continuing education credit was added. The new activity is reading a published article that includes a quiz or assessment.
Q. What is the rationale for the changes?
As part of ACMPE’s yearly continuous process improvement program, a Task Force of members reviewed the maintenance of certification requirements and policies. The focus of the Task Force was to ensure that the requirements and policies protect the integrity and value of the ACMPE certification program and credentials. The Task Force review included an analysis of certification standards and a comparison of industry trends. The Task Force affirmed the effectiveness of many of the requirements and presented the recommendations to the ACMPE Board to improve and strengthen the program.
Q. What is the difference between the advancement and maintenance portions of the continuing education requirement?
- Continuing education advancement requirement: A cumulative total of 50 credit hours must be earned to advance to Certified Member status, as one of the board certification requirements. This is a cumulative total from a member’s join date.
- Continuing education maintenance requirement: Certified Members and Fellows must earn 50 credit hours every three years to maintain their CMPE and FACMPE designations.
Q. What happens if a Certified Member or Fellow finds they cannot meet the continuing education maintenance requirement?
- Members have the option to request a one-time, one-year extension to the continuing education requirement. This will allow one year to earn the required hours.
- If the member has already take advantage of the extension, their ACMPE status will revert to Nominee and they will no longer be entitled to use the designation of CMPE or FACMPE. Upon successfully re-completing the objective and essay exams, their CMPE or FACMPE designation will be restored.
Q. How do I restore the use of my CMPE or FACMPE designation?
- You must retake and pass both the objective and essay exams.
- The process is the same to restore both the CMPE and the FACMPE designations. There are no additional steps to restore the FACMPE designation.
Q. What if I am retired or getting close to retirement?
- An individual may be eligible for Life membership. ACMPE has two Life membership categories: Life CMPE and Life Fellow. Once an individual has retired and their ACMPE Life membership has been approved, they no longer need to meet the continuing education maintenance requirement.
- Contact ACMPE staff to review the qualifications and apply for ACMPE Life membership.