The ATA Chronicle - May/June 2017 - 34

CERTIFICATION FORUM

BY MICHÈLE HANSEN, ATA-CERTIFIED FRENCH>ENGLISH TRANSLATOR

You Do the Math: Continuing Education Points

W

hether your certification
certificate is newly minted or
dusty, all ATA-certified translators
(CT) must maintain their CT credential
by accruing continuing education points
(aka CEPs). This process is known as
"re-certification." Since re-certification is
not an annual occurrence, some of us lose
track of what we need to do and when we
need to do it. So, here's a brief rundown
of what you should know.
Who, What, When: ATA-certified
translators must submit proof of 20 CEPs
every three years.
Why: Certification is not "one and done."
Like other professional certifications,
it requires us to stay current with the
profession and expand our knowledge.
How: Any number of ways!
 All ATA national and chapter educational
events qualify for CEPs automatically.
 Taking and/or teaching a course or
seminar related to translation and
interpreting is another excellent way
to get points.
 Acquiring business skills also counts,
such as workshops through SCORE (the
Service Corps of Retired Executives) or
your local Chambers of Commerce.
 Release your inner author and write an
article for The ATA Chronicle or another
professional publication.
 Commit to ATA's School Outreach
Program or become a Mentoring Buddy.
All of these activities will garner
you CEPs.
Who is responsible for tracking and
reporting CEPs? You are. ATA should
notify you before your CEP report is
due, but you can easily check your status
on ATA's website. Just log in under the
"Members Only" section and check your
membership information. You'll see
something like this:
Your Membership Expires on 01-01-2018
You Belong to 4 Division(s)
Your Last Invoice was Dated 08-24-2016
Your Continuing Education Points expire
on 07-01-2017 Submit Now
34

The ATA Chronicle | May/June 2017

Simply click on "Submit Now" and
you'll be directed to the appropriate
online page. You can download the CEP
form as a Word or PDF file to track your
activities over the three-year period so
you don't forget anything when your
expiration date rolls around. This form
contains all the information you need
about the CE requirements and the types
of activities that qualify. (These guidelines
can also be accessed by selecting the
following: Already Certified-Report your
CE Points-then, at the end of the text,
click on-Approval Request Form for ATA
Continuing Education Points.)
Once you've filled out the form, the final
step is payment. Payment? Yes, there is a
$30 charge for re-certification to cover the
time Headquarters staff spend verifying and
processing the CEP records. Verifying? Yes,
again! ATA audits a random selection of the
records submitted, so be sure to keep your
own records of the activities for which you
are claiming credit.
When you've finished and submitted
the form, you'll get a confirmation email
that reads as follows:
Dear ATA member,
This message is to inform you that we have
received your online continuing education
record. ATA will contact you only if there are
questions about your submission or if you are
selected for audit. Here is a quick summary of
what you have submitted:
Category A: x
Category B: x
Category C: x
If you don't receive this email, an error
may have occurred, so be sure to contact
ATA's Certification Manager, Caron
Mason (caron@atanet.org). Note that
your submission will take 7-10 business
days to be processed, so your profile
won't immediately appear to be updated
on the website.
If you're planning an event or applying
for CEPs for individual activities, be sure
to consult ATA's guidelines cited above on
how to assess the number of CEPs you
may offer or claim. Note that a university
course has a maximum of five points, and
a single event, even if it lasts several days,
has a maximum of 10 points. ATA's Annual

Conference, for example, which spans three
days, is worth 10 points. If you indicate a
number that is higher than the maximum
allowed for a field, the CE report will be
rejected automatically. If you're claiming
CEPs for an event or activity not covered in
the guidelines, check with Caron Mason at
Headquarters first.
The easiest way to track your CEPs is
to keep a folder (paper or electronic) as
soon as you get your initial certification
(or when you re-certify). Put a copy of the
CEP record form that you downloaded
from the ATA site in that folder. Every
time you complete a continuing education
activity, put the backup paperwork in the
folder and record it on the CEP record.
This way you'll always know how many
CEPs you have and how many more you
may need. When it's time to turn them in,
you'll have everything in one place ready
to input online. If audited, you'll also have
everything together in one folder with
no need to "dig things up" from the past
three years.
All CEPs must have been earned
within the three-year period beginning
with certification or re-certification.
So, in the example above, where the
CEPs expire in July 2017, only activities
performed between July 2014 and July
2017 can be claimed. You cannot claim
credit for activities or events that took
place before you were certified or before
your previous re-certification deadline.
After all, the purpose of continuing
education is to stay current!
As with all rules, this one has an
exception: certified members who have
reached age 60 are exempt from this
requirement. ATA Headquarters also has
the authority to extend the deadline for
accruing CE points, upon request, for
up to one year based upon extenuating
circumstances, such as long-term illness,
undue hardship, and military duty.
All the information you need can be
found on ATA's website under the FAQ
section of the Certification tab (http://bit.
ly/FAQ-certification). If you have further
questions, the staff at ATA Headquarters is
there to assist. With a little planning, this
math shouldn't be a problem. 
www.atanet.org
http://bit.ly/FAQ-certification http://bit.ly/FAQ-certification http://www.atanet.org
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