Continuing Education

Each certificant who acquires 100 Continuing Education (CE) Credits over the five year certification period will be eligible for automatic recertification. An applicant for recertification may accrue points in any of nine different Categories. All 100 points must meet the criteria listed under one of the nine categories; however, no more than 50% of points during the five year period may come from a single category. Credit will only be given for activities and experiences that have occurred during the five year certification period. Additionally, applicants are required to obtain at least 10 points of CE credit from the area of Professional Ethics.

Application for Recertification

All individuals seeking recertification through accrual of continuing education credits must:

Currently possess a valid NOMC certificate
Submit a completed Recertification Application form along with appropriate Fees
Submit a Continuing Education Credit form that documents the earning of at least 100 CE points
Read, agree to, and sign the NBPCB Code of Professional Ethics

Reporting of Points

During January of the year that certification is set to expire, a packet will be sent out that contains the guidelines for reporting CEC and a form for recording accrued points. The applicant is responsible for noting all CE credit earned along with sufficient documentation to verify those points. It is important to note that an individual may earn 100 points of CE credit during a single calendar year; however, at least 10 points of credit must be accrued during each of the five years in order to remain current. It will be the responsibility of the certificants to track his/her credit balance and insure that sufficient points are earned each year.

At least three (3) months prior to the expiration date printed on the NOMC certificate, individuals will be mailed a recertification packet. The applicant for recertification must obtain a final summary of CE points documenting all credit earned from the NBPCB office to be submitted with the application for recertification. All applications for recertification must be received at least thirty (30) calendar days prior to the expiration date listed on the original certificate. Any application received after the expiration date will be assessed a late fee, and the applicant will not hold valid certification until all forms have been received and processed.

The recertification packet includes:

One (1) Application for Recertification
A summary of points earned to date
Verification of employment or professional activities
One (1) copy of the NBPCB Code of Professional Ethics
One (1) signed agreement to abide by the Code of Ethics

Documenting Points

All points earned must be approved by the Certification Committee and appropriate documentation must be provided for each. A list of pre-approved CE opportunities can be located on the certification web page www.nbpcb.org . It is also possible to seek pre-approval to earn points for other activities and conferences-please see the NBPCB Approval guidelines for more information. The Certification Committee should be contacted at least 30 days in advance of the event for approval of all activities. The following documentation is required for each category of CE credit.

Direct Service Provision - A completed Verification of Employment Form must be provided by the employer
Academic Coursework - A copy of a transcript must be provided
Published Articles and Book Chapters - A copy of the work must be provided
Workshops or Seminars - A certificate of participation must be signed by an approved sponsor
Published Research or Assisted in Published Research - A copy must be provided - if assisted, a letter from author of research must be provided
Reading Orientation and Mobility Articles or Books - A one page summary must be provided

Each certificant who does not acquire 100 points must go through the original application and examination process to retain certification. If the applicant chooses this option, he/she must:

Complete the recertification application
Return the application with a $50 application fee
Schedule and take performance and written examinations (a $100 examination fee will be assessed at that time)

NOMC certification will be invalid during the time of any lapsed expiration date on the NOMC certificate. The applicant will be recertified once the application and examination process is completed.