How do I earn CEUs?

We've started fielding additional questions from PMPs about how they are supposed to maintain CEUs. "Does (insert activity here) count? ... what about (insert different activity)?"

The Maintain my ACE page lists all of the eligible activities that can earn you CEUs. There really are a lot of options and any PMP who is earning CEUs to maintain a state license should be able to earn their 18 CEUs during the 3-year period.

All ACEs are encouraged to document their activities as they occur so that you don't need to go back and recreate them later. A small percentage of all reports will be audited (random selection) so you are strongly encouraged to maintain back-up proof of your activities.  A spreadsheet is a simple way to keep track of your CEUs. A sample sheet might look something like this:

Date	Description	Location	Hours (total)	Hours to claim	Backup
Example	Purdue Pest Management Conf 2013	West Lafayette, IN	16	6	Program, receipt, and name badge
etc	etc	etc	etc	etc	etc

For 2014 ACEs will have the option to renew for just 2014 and not submit CEUs or to renew for 2014-2016 and submit a CEU report. We cannot accept a 3-year renewal without a CEU report. Look back through your records for training you attended from 2011-2013. If you can come up with 18 hours, renew for 3 years.  Some examples of how a PMP might earn credits are below.

Example #1:
Jane Doe, ACE rarely makes it to any of the big pest management conferences, but did attend a 1-day short course one year. She attends quarterly hour-long training sessions with her firm, though was unable to attend them at all one year. Every three years her job administers a competency exam. She spends about a half hour a month reading PCT Online. Assuming nothing else, she can claim 20 CEUs:

• Year #1 -- (4 CEUs for Training Attended) + (2 CEUs for Reading) = 6 CEUs
• Year #2 -- (2 CEUs for Reading) + (3 CEUs for Job Related Exams) = 5 CEUs
• Year #3 -- (4 CEUs for Training Attended) + (2 CEUs for Reading) + (3 CEUs for Professional conferences) = 9 CEUs

Training Attended is a broad category that would include inter-company training as long as it is conducted by a trained professional (ideally this would be an ACE or BCE). Reading is a little ambiguous, but ESA recognizes that a lot of good information comes out monthly in the trade publications. If you claim hours for reading, you'll want to document extensively (e.g., "What's in a Name?", Pest Control Technology, May 2013, pp 70-74, 20 minutes). Note that in many categories you can only claim a certain number of CEUs per year, regardless of how much time you spent on that activity.

Example #2:

John Doe, ACE is a regular at NPMA's PestWorld conference. Assuming nothing else, he can claim 18 CEUs.

• Year #1 -- (3 CEUs per day for Conferences Attended) x 2 days = 6 CEUs
• Year #2 -- (3 CEUs per day for Conferences Attended) x 2 days = 6 CEUs
• Year #3 -- (3 CEUs per day for Conferences Attended) x 2 days = 6 CEUs

The large pest management conferences are a wealth of information and a person can learn a lot by attending. Documentation for CEUs like this should be as detailed as possible. You may want to maintain your receipt, program that indicates which sessions you attended, and perhaps your name badge.

Example #3:

Jean Doe, ACE maintains the pest management blog for her company (spending about an hour a month on it), served on the board of her state pest management association for two years (she attended 6 hour long conference calls per year), and watches the occasional hour-long pest management webinars. Assuming nothing else, she can claim 18 CEUs.

• Year #1 -- (2 CEUs for Pest Control Blogging) +  (4 CEUs Committee Service) = 6 CEUs
• Year #2 -- (2 CEUs for Pest Control Blogging) +  (4 CEUs Committee Service) + (1 CEU for webinars) = 7 CEUs
• Year #3 -- (2 CEUs for Pest Control Blogging) +  (3 CEUs Webinars) = 5 CEUs

Pest management training has changed over the years and there are now lots of opportunities to earn CEUs over the internet. In addition to those listed in Example #3, a PMP could also earn ACE CEUs by taking distance learning courses toward a biology degree.

These quick examples should highlight that attaining the 18 required CEUs is not hard and should be a part of every PMPs training regimen. The list of CEU activities was designed by the ACE Support Committee in the Spring of 2013. The committee presented their suggestions to the ESA Certification Board and they approved the list of CEUs in June 2013. 

The last category in the list is "special activities" and we've had some people wondering what that might be. The truth is that we don't yet know. But we know that our ACEs are an innovative group of professionals who will continually be pushing the known boundaries. We want to have a way to recognize that effort and award CEUs as appropriate.

What doesn't count?
A rule of thumb could be this ... Does this activity help me do my job better?  If it does and is not a part of your regular daily duties, then it will likely count in at least one category. If it doesn't, then you may need to look elsewhere for more credits. This statement is overly broad, but it will mostly hold true.  Some examples of activities that may not count for hours would include

• attending webinars that are unrelated to pest management
• reading articles that are unrelated to pest management
• hours spent at conferences where you are not actually in training sessions (remember that one hour of activity equates to one CEU. You won't earn CEUs by sitting in the hotel bar!)
• standard job-related activities (filling out service reports, making calls on clients, etc) that don't meet one of the criteria on the creditable hours table.
• community service that is not related to your job. For example, if you volunteer at your daughter's school as a playground monitor that would not count. But if you do a volunteer inspection at her school or if you give an hour-long talk for Career Day, that might be a creditable hour.

Who decides what counts?

ESA headquarters will initially review the CEU reports. Additionally, a percentage of all reports received will be randomly selected for an audit and those will be bumped up to the ACE Support Committee for a deeper review and backup documentation may be required at that time. If your report is selected for an audit, you will be notified, but there may be nothing further required of you if your report is found to be in good order. It will be up to the reviewer to determine if any additional documentation would be required.

If you have any questions about what qualifies, please first consult this list of creditable hours, and then contact ace@entsoc.org if you still have questions.

Newest certified ...

Every month or so we try to list the newest BCEs and ACEs. Please join ESA in congratulating these professionals for earning their certification.

• Daniel Kuzma, ACE, (Industrial Fumigant Company), Woodhaven, MI  USA.  Certified on 1/24/13. 
• Ronald Dean Mann, ACE, (Mann vs Pest Inc), San Diego, CA  USA.  Certified on 1/30/13. 
• Robert Glenn Greer, ACE, (Rove Pest Control), Woodbury, MN  USA.  Certified on 6/28/13. 
• Ricky Roberts, ACE, (Orkin Commercial Services), Houston, TX  USA.  Certified on 7/11/13. 
• David Lynn Rice, ACE, (EnviroCon Termite & Pest, Inc.), Hockley, TX  USA.  Certified on 7/11/13. 
• David Lee Henderson, ACE, (Spring Independent School District), Houston, TX  USA.  Certified on 7/11/13. 
• Scott Robert Lupo, ACE, (Batzner Pest Management, Inc.), New Berlin, WI  USA.  Certified on 7/16/13. 
• Cindy L Lambert, ACE, (Sprays Termite Control & Insulation), Hazel Green, AL  USA.  Certified on 7/23/13. 
• William Richard Chandler, ACE, (Ecolab Pest Elimination), Murfreesboro, TN  USA.  Certified on 7/23/13. 
• Steven B Shepherd, ACE, (Interstate Exterminators), Pittsburg, KS  USA.  Certified on 7/23/13. 
• John Paul Myers, ACE, (Gunter Pest Mgmt), Lees Summit, MO  USA.  Certified on 7/23/13. 
• Jeremy Matthew Schultz, ACE, (Enviro-Tech Pest Services), Brunswick, MD  USA.  Certified on 7/23/13. 
• Jeffry K Schnelting, ACE, (Rottler Pest and Lawn Services), Saint Charles, MO  USA.  Certified on 7/23/13. 
• Glen Sweikata, ACE, (Massey Services), Jacksonville, FL  USA.  Certified on 7/23/13. 
• Russell James Anderson, ACE, (Western Exterminator), Anaheim, CA  USA.  Certified on 7/30/13. 
• Thomas R. Estill, ACE, (Ensystex), San Diego, CA  USA.  Certified on 7/31/13. 
• Stephen Adrian Tanksley, Sr., ACE, (Pinpoint Pest Control), Oceanside, CA  USA.  Certified on 7/31/13. 
• Shane D. Lopez, ACE, (Western Exterminator Co.), Huntington Beach, CA  USA.  Certified on 7/31/13. 
• Jason M. Bennett, ACE, (Western Exterminator Co.), Anaheim, CA  USA.  Certified on 7/31/13. 
• John Samuel Bell III, BCE, ACE, (Scotts Lawn Service), Orlando, FL  USA.  Certified on 7/17/13.
  (John has been ACE certified for some time and now joins a very small group of individuals who are both ACE and BCE certified)

Your co-workers are getting certified. Your competition is getting certified. Your boss is getting certified. When are YOU going to take the plunge and advance your career?

Applying to become an ACE is easy.

What is a Content Outline?

The ACE exam is being updated with a new content outline.  Which begs the question, perhaps, what is a content outline (CO)?  

The ACE exam (indeed, all of the ESA Certification exams) are all based on a pre-determined set of topics. For ACE, these were originally established back in 2004 when the program was initiated. The current CO is online here and will be the testable subject matter until December 31, 2013 at which point it will expire (and this link will be no longer valid). The new CO to debut on January 1, 2014 is here.

The process of developing the new CO was very regimented so as to be certain that the ACE exam is testing on knowledge that a trained PMP should have to perform their daily jobs at the highest levels. 

In April of 2012 and working with a certification consultant, the ESA convened a panel of experts to review the existing CO. This group essentially tore apart the current CO, examined it in minute detail, and then reassembled parts of it. What emerged were four key areas of knowledge that a PMP should have. We call these the CO Domains.

• Inspection and Identification
• Monitoring
• Selection and Implementation of Control Methods
• Evaluation

Within each of these Domains there are abilities that a PMP needs to have in order to demonstrate mastery of the Domain knowledge. These we call Skills and they are an integral part of the CO.

Following the April 2012 meeting, our consultant developed the new material into a survey that we then emailed to many hundreds of professionals across the country. For each skill identified on the CO, we asked them (a) how often they performed this task and (b) how critical it was to their job.  The results of that survey are what is going to form the basis of the new exam.

As for the insects covered in the exam, they fall into these categories:

• Biting and Stinging pests
• Flies (Order Diptera)
• Ants (Family Formicidae)
• Cockroaches (Order Dictyoptera; Alt. Blattaria)
• Stored product and fabric pests
• Wood destroying insects
• Occasional invaders and general household pests
• Common Commensal pests*

The specific pests that could be found on the exam are listed on the CO in order of descending importance. For example, under the biting and stinging insects section, bed bugs are listed at the top and chiggers are listed at the bottom. So while it is possible that an ACE applicant could get a question on both arthropods on the exam, it is far more likely that a question on bed bugs would appear. 

Speaking of questions, in exam-writing parlance, a question is usually referred to as an Item. Just last week we brought another group of experts to Annapolis to the ESA HQ. They went through all of the existing Items on the current ACE Exam to determine if they fit into the new CO as-is, with some modifications, or if the Items simply did not fit the exam any longer. 

The experts chosen were all BCEs from a variety of personal and professional expertise. They all signed documents of confidentiality which precludes them discussing the exam and Items with anyone outside of the group. On a personal note, I have seldom worked with a more professional group of people. ESA, the Certification programs, and I personally all owe them a debt of gratitude. 

The result is a new question bank where the Items upon which the new ACE exam will be based have been verified to be of high frequency and importance to practicing PMPs. Over the next few months the refined, tested, and then edited again until we launch the new exam on January 1.

So all you prospective ACEs out there ... start studying the new content.  Your testing matter has been vetted against the best in the business.



* I've received some questions about what kinds of questions are apt to be found on the ACE Exam for vertebrate pests. Watch for a future blog post about this topic.

Dropping Fees!

In case you missed it, the ESA Certification Board has voted unanimously to drop fees on submitting the re-certification report (the tri-annual Professional Maintenance and Certification Report).

Yes, you read that right. Dropping the fee. Like in getting rid of it altogether.

From here on, you'll pay no fee for submitting your CEU report to renew your BCE IF ....

• The report is submitted on time, and
• The report is submitted electronically.

Otherwise the fees are actually increasing, albeit slightly. Here is what's going on ...

The CEU report fee has been $25 for ESA members and $50 for non-members for pretty much forever (certainly it has not changed in the past 12 years at least). The original reason for the fee was due to processing of paper. But then somebody went and invented the internet and increasingly we're finding that more and more of the reports are being submitted electronically and the ESA workload for each report is pretty negligible. So we are encouraging all BCEs to submit their report electronically to (a) smooth out the workload, and (b) save the BCE some cash.

What does "on time" mean?

For those who don't know, the Professional Maintenance and Certification Report (PM&C) is a tri-annual report that documents CEUs earned during the prior three years. It is due on December 31st of the year and must be submitted by March 15th of the following year. For example, if your report is to cover the years 2012-2014, it is technically due on Dec. 31, 2014, but it will be considered "on time" up until March 15th, 2015.

What does "submitted electronically" mean?

The PM&C report is available in three formats (click on the link below and choose "save as" to see a sample):

• MS Excel
• PDF
• MS Word

If the report is submitted to ESA in such a fashion as to allow us to store it electronically without intervention, then that is considered electronic. Examples include PDF, Excel file, MS Word file, and jpegs. Our faxes come to us as PDFs, so even a fax is acceptable (faxed to 301-731-4538).

What if I cannot submit electronically and/or on time?

The fees are going up slightly for those reports that are not submitted this way. The PM&C fee for ESA members will be $30 as of Jan 1, 2014 and it will be $60 for non-ESA members as of the same date. However, we feel that virtually every BCE can avoid paying the fee by submitting on time and electronically.

Be warned, however, BCEs who cannot submit their report on time MUST contact ESA and request an extension. If your report is not received in a timely fashion, it can result in the revocation of your certification.

When Can I Submit my report?
Now. As soon as you earn enough CEUs to cover the period in question you can submit your report.

So what do I do now?

A primer for those currently studying for the ACE exam:

ESA is changing the ACE exam. A new content outline for the ACE has been announced and a new exam will debut on January 1, 2014.  If you are one of the several hundred people who either have recently applied or are thinking about applying to become an ACE, you may be wondering how you'll be impacted.  This blog post is designed to help you figure that out.

If you have already applied:
All current applicants are either awaiting their first test attempt or have already tested at least once and are awaiting a 2nd (or 3rd+ attempt at the ACE exam). Regardless, the following holds true and creates a "must test by" date for each applicant:

• All applicants must test within one year of their application's acceptance, and 
• Those who did not pass their ACE exam must wait at least 3 months but not more than 12 months to retake the ACE exam.

If your "must test by" date is December 31st or sooner, then you will test on the existing exam. If your "must test by" date is on or after January 1, 2014, you will test on the new exam. There is a retesting form to be filled out.

If you have not applied but are going to this year:
The new applications are going to be for a three-year period. As soon as an applicant passes their exam they will be ACE-certified for the balance of those three years.  So the sooner that you take and pass the exam, the longer you get to rest on your well-earned laurels.

The new application rates are simply the same fees that exist today broken out over three years.  Those who apply between now and the end of 2013 will have two options for application.

• A single-year application is how the program exists today and is still a valid option for the remainder of 2013. If the applicant passes their exam in the first three quarters of the year, their ACE certification remains in force for the duration of that calendar year. If they pass in the 4th quarter of the year, their application fee also covers the ACE certification for the coming year. This application is via PDF and is online here.
• New applicants will also (very soon) have the option to complete a three-year application. Upon acceptance of the application, a "clock" will start ticking off the three years. An applicant can take the exam as many times as they are able/need to within the three year window (following the guidelines above). In theory, a person can take the ACE exam up to twelve times this way (if they wait exactly the required three months minimum between exams). However, if the full three years elapse and the applicant has not passed the exam, the application automatically expires and a new application would be required to pursue ACE certification.

If you have not applied yet and are going to wait until next year:
Starting on January 1st the only option for applying to become ACE certified will be the three-year application described above in the 2nd bullet point.


If you are already an ACE:
The only ACEs that this won't apply to are those that take and pass the ACE exam from October 1, 2013 through December 31, 2013 (4th quarter). Those folks will be current for the remainder of 2013 and all of 2014.

For everyone else, there are two options. Both use the same renewal form (found here).

• Renew for one year (2014).  If you choose this option you are paying for just 2014 and do not yet need to file CEUs.
• Renew for 2014-2016. If you choose this option you are paying for three years and you will need to file CEUs.

Starting in 2015 the single-year option will go away and all ACE renewals will be for a three-year period.

If you are a former ACE or former ACE applicant:
You can reapply for ACE at any point. Your prior ACE-applicant or ACE status would neither help nor hinder your application. All applications will always be reviewed on their own merit.

If you have questions about the ACE process, contact me (Chris Stelzig) the Director of Certification for ESA.

Big Improvements coming to ACE

There are several important improvements coming soon to the Associate Certified Entomologist (ACE) program. They include
•    Requiring Continuing Education Units (CEU) for ACE renewal
•    ACE applications and renewals moving to a three-year renewal cycle
•    A new ACE exam to debut in January 2014
•    The debut of a new ACE Award

Requiring CEUs for renewal:
Starting in January 2014, a new requirement for renewing ACE certification will be launched. To maintain certification, ACEs will need to document a minimum of 18 hours of continuing education units earned during the prior three years.  CEUs can be earned for common activities such as attending conferences, training, etc. A full list of eligible CEUs can be found at www.entocert.org/maintain-my-ace-certification.

ACE applications and renewals moving to a three-year renewal cycle:
Effective January 1, 2014, an application for ACE will be effective for three years. Those applying for ACE certification will have to pass their exam and become ACE certified within three years of the application’s acceptance, with the first attempt occurring within the first year. During the three- year period, as soon as the applicant passes the exam, they will be ACE certified for the balance of the three years. They can take the exam as many times as needed during the three-year period, but failure to pass the exam within three years’ time will nullify the application. Applicants must wait at least three months between exam attempts, but not more than a year.

Also effective in 2014 is a move to a three-year renewal cycle. ACEs will no longer have to renew annually, but will still be required to maintain state pesticide applicators’ licensure continually. A random audit of current ACEs will ensure compliance. The annual fees for ACE renewal have not changed.

This aspect of the ACE process will be phased in to allow time for ACEs to accommodate the larger one-time fee in their budgeting process. For the calendar year 2014, ACEs can renew for just 2014 or they can renew for 2014-2016. ACEs who choose a single-year renewal must submit a photocopy of their pesticide applicator’s license, reaffirm personal compliance with the ACE Code of Ethics (www.entocert.org/ace-code-ethics), and pay the requisite fees of $100 (ESA members) or $125 (non-ESA members).  ACEs who choose the three-year renewal option will also submit their CEU reports identifying 18 CEUs earned during the prior three-year period. The renewal fee is the annual rate for three years: $300 for ESA members or $375 for non-ESA members.

New exam to debut in January 2014:
Completing a process that started in April, 2012, the content for the ACE exam has been reviewed and revised to better match the daily work of pest management professionals. A panel of experts developed a new content outline which was validated via a survey to hundreds of PMPs. In August, 2013, the ESA convened an ACE Exam Writing Summit at their new headquarters in Annapolis, MD. During the next few months those questions will be reviewed, revised, and validated, with the new exam set to debut in January, 2014.  The ESA is developing a new ACE Study Guide, which should be available for sale in November, 2013. The new exam will based on the ACE Content Outline available here.

The current ACE Exam (based on the prior content found online at www.entocert.org/standards-associate-certified-entomologists) will be in force until December 31, 2013, at which point it will be retired.

Debut of a new ACE Award:
The ESA Certification Board, which leads the development and implementation of ACE initiatives, has approved the development of a new ACE Award to recognize those ACEs who exemplify superior performance. PMPs who have been certified as ACEs for at least three years, can document extraordinary service to the pest management industry, and can document in an essay how they have increased professionalism in the industry will be eligible for this award. Judging criteria are being developed now and the award will launch in 2014.

The changes in the program are designed to strengthen the credentials of the ACE certification by adding additional rigor, accountability, and recognition. While ACE has been recognized as a pillar achievement in the careers of PMPs since its introduction in 2004, these changes will strengthen the program further and allow for continued expansion.

Everyone involved with ACE certification has the same goal in mind – the enrichment and development of the structural pest management industry. Adding the CEU requirement to the three-year renewal will ensure that the ACE logo on a PMP’s sleeve something: it means that the individual has proven themselves as among the most capable professionals in the business.

The new ACE Award is going to be a great way to recognize that achievement. Watch for future posts about that program!

Becoming An ACE: Acquiring Excellence! (guest article)

Dr. Stuart Mitchell, BCE

On one the hottest days of the summer; at one of the top training facilities in the northeastern U.S., thirty seasoned and “combat-hardened” pest management professionals ((PMPs) assembled for a challenging, yet fulfilling, day of intense review training.

The Associate Certified Entomologist (ACE) 8 Hour Review Course 2.0 was held at Andy Linares’ renowned Bug Off Training Center in New York City on July 18, 2013. Sponsored by the Entomological Society of America’s ACE Program, Bug Off Pest Control Center, Pest Management Professional Magazine, and PestWest Flying Insect Science, the course covered the major categories of pest management science competencies.

The ACE examination is designed to recognize practicing PMPs whom have a solid comprehension of the practical aspects of applied entomology.

• The content of the ACE review course covers basic entomology, biology, life cycles, identification, and practical management for important structural pests.
• Ecological principles and environmental impacts pertaining to pest management.
• Integrated pest management (IPM) principles and pesticide technology.

As much as ACE demonstrates a higher reasoning and competency, possessing the certification also enhances our “power posing.”

• Body language affects how others see us, but it may also change how we see ourselves.
• Research on body language reveals that we can change other people’s perceptions, and even our own body chemistry, simply by changing body positions.
• Social psychologists show that standing in a posture of confidence, even when we do not feel confident, can affect testosterone (confidence hormone) and cortisol (stress hormone) levels in the brain, and might even have an impact on our chances for success.
• Power posing is the exploded pose vs. the imploded pose.

The confidence that arises from competence allows our bodies to change our minds. Our minds change our behavior, and our behavior changes our outcomes. Chance favors the prepared mind!

Thirty pest management professionals go forward with improved competence. The “hot” time these PMPs invested in the ACE review course will bring “cool” confidence on the day of their ACE examinations!

For more information on the ACE program, please visit www.entocert.org/ace-certification today!