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KEEPING YOUR WCP CREDENTIAL CURRENT
Passing the IEEE WCET® examination means that an individual has demonstrated mastery of the wireless communications body of knowledge. However, passing the examination is only one portion of certification. The wireless communications field is constantly changing and requires that wireless communications professionals keep current with changes in the profession. Maintaining an active certification status through recertification is the way in which certified professionals demonstrate their currency and preserve their professional edge.
Recertification is required every five years, determined by the expiration date of your current certification (shown on the passing candidate certificate). For example, credential holders who earned their certification in 2008 need to recertify by the end of 2013. There are two ways of earning recertification: by passing the current WCET certification exam or by earning Professional Development Units (PDUs) through contributions to the profession and/or personal professional development. The recertification fee is $300 for IEEE/IEEE ComSoc members and $350 for non-members. The same fee applies whether you take the certification exam or submit an accounting of PDUs earned since your certification.
The first option for earning recertification is to pass the current WCET certification examination. The exam is updated regularly, and the current exam will test a candidate's knowledge of developments in the field since his or her previous certification.
The second option is to earn PDUs through teh WCET Continuing Certification Program (WCCP). PDUs quantify a candidate's professional and educational/learning activities. PDUs can be earned through participation in activities related to contributions to the profession and/or professional development in the area(s) covered by WCET.
A minimum of 100 PDUs, distributed over a minimum of three years, must be earned during each five-year recertification cycle in order to maintain certification. To ensure that the candidate has a broad knowledge in the field, these activities must be related to at least three of the seven areas tested on the WCET exam.
The following tables outline a variety of ways in which PDUs can be earned and the maximum number of PDUs that can be earned through each activity. Candidates will have access to an online database into which they can submit their information to apply for PDUs. Inputs will be monitored and are
subject to audit at any time. If an application is selected for audit, evidence validating the claimed PDUs will be required. Such evidence may include attestation by a candidate’s manager regarding work completed, proof of attendance at a training course or conference, or other similar verification. Details
regarding the procedure for submitting information to apply for PDUs, as well as what evidence is required and how to submit it, will be announced via the WCET website, www.ieee-wcet.org, in the coming month.
Read pages 36 and 37 of the Candidate's Handbook for details on what "Contributions to the Profession" include.
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