Recertification FAQ

To maintain certification, you are required to pay dues annually and earn 40 continuing education points in a five-year period. You will be sent a letter every year (near the end of June) requesting dues payment and with attached Annual Update Submission Forms. Dues are paid online or directly to the Corporate Office.

The points you claim on your Annual Update Submission Form are for activities you participated in from July 1st of the preceding year through June 30th of the current year.

Completed Annual Update Submission Forms with supporting documentation are sent to your Recertification Manager. The list of activities and earnable points are found on the Annual Update Submission Form. See the answer to the “What do I submit” question below for more information on what documentation to submit.

After five years, you are required to complete an Application for Recertification. Your Recertification Manager will check that you have earned the minimum 40 points and have paid your annual dues. Once it is determined that you have met the qualifications for recertification, you will receive a letter stating that your certification has been extended for five more years, and the Corporate Office will send you a new ABFDE Membership card. Your accumulated points are reset to zero, and you have five years to accumulate another 40 points.

Note that for your first year, you can only request points for activities done after you became certified.

Forms and documentation are due at the same time as your dues are paid, typically by August 15th of the same year. If no annual update documentation is submitted by an extended due date communicated to you in writing by the Recertification Manager and approved by the Recertification Chairperson – barring extenuating circumstances – all recertification points earned during the year will be forfeited.

Email (or mail) your completed and signed Annual Update Submission form and supporting documentation to your Recertification manager. The points you claim on your Annual Update Submission Form are for activities you participated in from July 1st of the preceding year through June 30th of the current year. In general, supporting documentation should include the following, at minimum:

• Conference attendance: proof of registration and agenda to show how many technical sessions were attended
• Workshop attendance: ABFDE Workshop Attendance Record for 3 points per half day or see the Workshops Approved for the Current Year page.
• Paper or poster presentation: copy of the paper or presentation (electronic or hard copy)
• QD-related article published in a non-QD publication: copy of the paper (electronic or hard copy)
• Presentation of QD workshop: a copy of the presentation or summary of the information conveyed
• Completion of QD-related course: copy of the course outline and documentation of grade earned
• Proficiency test: copy of successful completion of test
• Preparing an accepted Practical Case Assignment or written test question: copy of the acceptance correspondence sent to you from the Testing Committee Chair

All recertification forms and the link to pay your dues are in the Recertification section of the website, found in the Diplomates menu.

No, you do not need to send update forms for the remainder of the current five-year period if you already have at least 40 points. Please let your Recertification Manager know that you will not be sending update forms for the past year.

No, but you should let your Recertification Manager know that you will not be sending update forms for the past year.

Yes.

Your Recertification Manager or the Recertification Committee Chairperson are available to help answer any questions.