Certification FAQ

Yes, the current fee for renewal is US $250.00.

No, SWANA does not require you to take any courses to take a certification exam. SWANA training courses are a great way to help you prepare to take our exams. Passing a certification exam requires amassing knowledge, skills, and abilities over time from a variety of sources; no one course provides all of the knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to pass a certification exam. Knowledge is gained over time from years of experience in the field; online courses, webinars, and podcasts; in-person seminars and events; hands-on workshops; on-the-job training; local, regional, and national conferences; mentoring programs; trade publications; and more.

Hours are determined by the Certification Staff—usually on an hour for hour basis if the materials relate directly to a specific discipline. Individuals seeking to receive credit for non-SWANA courses must submit an agenda prior to the event and the Certification Staff will provide the individual with a CEU form. Send the agenda/program with detailed descriptions and timelines of the sessions of the event to certification@swana.org.

You can register for single sessions. It is not necessary to register for the complete certification prep package.

A SWANA CEU stands for Continuing Education Unit. To become re-certified you need to receive 30 SWANA CEUs within the three year validity period of your certification. CEUs can be earned by attending training courses, events, conferences, etc. All SWANA CEU hours must be pre-approved by the SWANA Certification Staff prior to the event.