Important
Upcoming Changes for the Certified Retirement Counselor® (CRC®)
Certification
Last August, we
announced that InFRE had begun the process of accrediting the CRC with the
National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA).
Independent third-party accreditation will signify that CRC
certificants are an elite group of qualified retirement professionals
among the array of retirement-related designations available today. Thanks
to a group
of highly-committed volunteers
and a dedicated InFRE staff, we have made significant progress toward
accomplishing this important goal.
To help the CRC meet
NCCA accreditation standards, there are several important changes
beginning October 1, 2008 that will affect existing
certificants, current
enrollees and future
CRC candidates.
Important
initiatives for existing CRC
certificants
-
If
you are an existing CRC certificant, you recently received an email
from InFRE@proexam.org inviting
you to participate in an online survey of the practice of Certified
Retirement Counselors (CRCs).
The purpose of the practice analysis is to identify the domains, tasks
and knowledge currently utilized by Certified Retirement Counselors so
that the CRC exam can be revised to accurately represent what is
required of a retirement professional today. Your
participation and feedback in this survey will help ensure the
validity of the examination for future CRC candidates, as well as
provide an opportunity for you to win one of five waivers of the
annual InFRE renewal fee for the coming year.
-
Also,
you will soon receive an invitation to indicate your interest in
helping develop questions for the new CRC examination scheduled for
completion later this year. Your
expertise is needed in creating and modifying examination questions to
ensure they accurately test the requirements of the practice analysis.
Existing certificants who participate in
writing exam questions can earn continuing education credit for their
contribution.
Important
changes that might affect current CRC enrollees
If you are already enrolled in the CRC program you will continue to have
the option of completing four separate or serial exams instead of one
comprehensive exam, based on the following conditions:
-
You
must pass at least two out of the four exams by March 1, 2009.
If you do not pass two exams by this date, you will be required to
take the new comprehensive exam.
-
You
must pass all four exams before September 1, 2009, after which the
option of completing the four separate or serial exams will cease and
only the comprehensive exam form will be administered to all
enrollees.
At most, two serial exams may be taken during a scheduled exam date.
To help plan your exam schedule, please refer to the
following:
Remaining 2008 – 2009 Serial Exams Schedule:
-
July 18, 2008
-
October 17, 2008
-
January 16, 2009
-
March 27, 2009
-
May 15, 2009
-
July 17, 2009
Alternative exam dates may be scheduled for groups of five or more.
Important
changes that affect future CRC enrollees
For individuals
considering CRC enrollment or for organizations that require or endorse
groups of employees or advisors to obtain the CRC, the following new
policies regarding the certification process and exam administration
requirements are effective October 1, 2008.
-
New
Examination Procedure – There will be only one exam form
consisting of 200 multiple choice questions that test the relevant
competencies as listed in the InFRE Standards, Policies and Guidelines.The
option of taking four separate or serial exams to earn the CRC will
cease.
-
Background
Check – Prior to conveyance of the CRC certification, all
candidates will be required to pass a background check.
-
Fees
and Study Materials – InFRE’s current practice of bundling
examination fees and study guides will cease. Examination fees
will be paid separately and study materials will be available on an
optional (though recommended) basis. The combined fees for
examination and optional study materials will increase from the current
$695 bundled price.
We will
keep you informed as additional changes to CRC policies are instituted,
including new pricing schedules to reflect the separation of study materials
and exam fees. We are confident these changes and the attainment of accreditation for
the CRC will strengthen the credibility of the certification within the
retirement industry and help increase your recognition among the general
public, industry and state regulators as a dedicated retirement
professional.
Sincerely,
Kevin S. Seibert,
CFP®, CRC®, CEBS
Managing Director, InFRE
International
Foundation for
Retirement Education
P.O. Box 1860
Lubbock, TX 79408-1860
Ph.
847-756-7350 FAX:
806-742-6102
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