Becoming an APAC-BE shows your commitment to the accessibility profession. As an APAC-BE, you show your dedication to upholding the standards of accessibility and your ongoing pursuit of knowledge in the profession.

An individual who passes the Accessibility Professional Association's Certification Exam--APAC-BEs or APA Certified-Built Environment--will have demonstrated knowledge of the Federal Accessibility Requirements and the Model Codes and Standards and how each applies to the built environment. APAC-BEs will be able to interpret scoping requirements for any given facility.

A certification exam has been long needed in the accessibility profession, as there are widely differing requirements from state to state. APA founded the APAC Program in 2022, and the inaugural sitting of the exam was held at the 2023 National Conference on January 27, 2023. The program is designed to elevate professional standards, enhance individual performance, and designate those who demonstrate knowledge essential to ensuring accessibility.

The APAC Program will be seeking accreditation by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA) in 2024. Accreditation will provide independent validation that the APAC Program meets or exceeds 24 standards concerning various aspects of the certification program, including its purpose, structure, governance, psychometric foundation, policies, and procedures. Accreditation is a mark of quality and validates the integrity of the program. Earning accreditation is a public demonstration of the commitment of APA and the APAC Program to the APAC-BE credential as a true professional certification.

The APAC Program is governed by the APAC Board, a body independent of APA. The Board awards the APAC-BE credential and is responsible for setting the APAC Standing Rules and Policies and the APAC Code of Professional Conduct related to the APAC Program.

The APA Examination and Item-Writing Committee, composed of qualified accessibility professionals from a variety of specialties, write the exam questions under the supervision of a psychometrician with CPS HR.

Scaled scoring allows direct and fair comparisons between exam scores. Scaled scores indicate the same level of performance, regardless of which version of the exam a candidate takes. Any differences in test difficulty are accounted for through the use of scaled scores.

To allow for consistency and ease of interpretation, candidates’ scores are changed from a raw score (i.e., number of test questions answered correctly) to a scaled score. Scaled scoring simplifies the interpretation of candidate scores; it enables the scoring of tests with different numbers of questions, difficulty levels, and pass points to be reported in the same way to all test takers. 

Think of the ACT and SAT. If a test taker takes two different tests (e.g., different tests on different dates), that test taker's scores would be interpreted in the same way, even when there are different numbers of items or different item difficulty between the two tests, and they indicate the same level of competence. 

For the APAC-BE, a candidate’s raw score is changed to a scale that ranges from 0 to 500, where 300 is the pass point. Therefore, regardless of how the test difficulty changes over time, the scores are reported and interpreted in the same way. That is, a score from 300 to 500 will always indicate a passing score and a score from 0 to 299 will always indicate a failing score. 

Scaled scoring is important for a number of reasons. It makes the exam scores standardized, fair, and consistent over time. Also, in order to gain accreditation for the APAC-BE through the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA), APAC must use psychometrically defensible methods, like scaled scoring, to help ensure that all candidates are held to the same performance standard.

We periodically change and update test questions, as the test content must be kept up to date and must reflect the current state of the industry. With each change, the exact content - and therefore the level of difficulty - of each test is slightly different. After the test is updated, the pass point is assessed to see if it needs to be adjusted to ensure that only qualified individuals are certified. By using scaled scores, any such adjustments made to the pass point will not change how the reported scores are interpreted. That is, a score from 300 to 500 will always indicate a passing score and a score from 0 to 299 will always indicate a failing score.

Accessibility professionals who meet the experience criteria outlined below may pursue the APAC. Candidates must submit an application that documents fulfillment of requirements in formal education, professional (work) experience, professional conduct, and professional development as follows:



Professional Education, Experience, and Employment

• Option 1: Professional degree/license (architecture, engineering, interior design, landscape architecture, or equivalent) and one year of accessibility experience related to building planning, design, review, inspection, consultation, or equivalent
• Option 2: Four years’ accessibility experience related to building planning, design, review, inspection, consultation, or equivalent
• Option 3: Accessibility certification (e.g., ICC, state certification, ADAC) and two years’ accessibility experience related to building planning, design, review, inspection, consultation, or equivalent

Professional Conduct

Candidates must agree to adhere to the APAC Standards of Conduct. Once an eligibility application is approved, a candidate is eligible for a one (1) year period.

The application for the APAC-BE is open. Starting in April 2023, applicants may take the exam at any time through designated testing centers and online proctoring services offered through Pearson VUE and OnVUE.

The time allotted for the test is 2.5 hours.

Check the APA Certification Program page for updates as they become available.

Apply

The exam is closed book and will be composed entirely of 100 multiple-choice questions.

The domains covered are

1. Understanding accessibility requirements in general
2. Determining what services are to be provided by the accessibility professional
3. Applying accessibility requirements to a project within a scope of work
4. Using appropriate methodologies to accurately collect and report information
5. Reviewing plans, specifications, and other documentation to identify potential issues prior to construction
6. Conducting site visits
7. Writing, explaining, and defending a report
8. Assisting clients with post-report services

NOTE: Candidates must have a general knowledge of construction documents and practices as well as legal terms and procedures. None of the questions on the exam consider stricter state requirements.

Visit the Study Resources page for a list of resources.

The APAC-BE passing score is 300, from a possible 500 points. The exam will be scored using a scaled score, which converts raw scores into a consistent and standardized scale, like for example, SAT and ACT scores.

The exam will be scored using a scaled score, which converts raw scores into a consistent and standardized scale, like for example, SAT and ACT scores. For the APAC-BE exam, the score ranges from 0 to 500, with 300 being the minimum score required to pass. That is, if you answer every item incorrectly, your score will be 0, and if you answer every item correctly, your score will be 500. If you have a score from 300 to 500, you pass; if you have a score from 0 to 299, you fail. 

The application fee is $500 for APA members and $750 for nonmembers. Once a candidate has been approved, they are eligible to sit for the exam for a one-year period. Note that fees are subject to change. See APAC Exam Fees for more information.

Following currently accepted practices, APA and/or the APAC Program are not involved in APAC candidate preparation, believing it to be a conflict of interest to develop materials to assist candidates in preparing for an exam designed and administered by the APAC Program. However, a list of topics and resources can be found on the Study Resources page.

Contact:

Camille North

APAC Executive Director
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