APAC-BE Exam Info

APA Certification Program

Certifying Excellence in Accessibility

The APAC-BE exam is the only national certification for accessibility professionals working in the built environment

APA Certification in the Built Environment

APAC-BE exam

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.

The APAC-BE exam demonstrates an accessibility professional's knowledge, skill, and abilities to comply with the American with Disabilities Act.

Anyone who designs and consults in the construction and/or renovation of the built environment should become certified as an APAC-BE. Such professionals include architects, interior designers, engineers, building designers, ADA Coordinators, ADA consultants, contractors, and landscape architects, among others.

For additional information on policies related to retesting, disciplinary actions, appeals, and all other processes and policies, see the APAC Standing Rules and Policies.

APAC-BE Certificants

Renewal and CE requirements

For complete requirements for renewal, please visit our APAC-BE Renewal page.

Certification renewal is required every 3 years, and 24 CEUs must be completed within the 3 years immediately prior to renewal.

All of the following steps must be completed in order to receive successful renewal:

Completion of required CEUs and/or professional development activities
Ongoing adherence to professional conduct requirements
Submission of completed renewal documents
Review and approval by APAC

APAC-BE candidates

Initial application for the exam

The exam is available through Pearson VUE testing centers and OnVUE online proctoring, and in person at various national conferences.

All APAC applicants must pay the initial application fee. If and when an applicant is determined not eligible to sit for the exam, a refund of the initial application fee less a non-refundable processing fee shall be made.
The initial application fee is valid for those candidates who take the APAC examination within two (2) calendar years of application approval. Candidates who do not take the examination within two years after application must reapply.
A separate testing fee will apply.

Exam retake

You may retake the exam

if you were approved less than two years ago and
if you have only taken the exam once per year since your application

If it has been more than two years since your initial application, or if you have taken the exam four times since your initial application, you will need to reapply. See the APAC fees page for details.

Once you have submitted your retake fee, you will receive instructions on how to register to retake the exam. The computer-based exam is available through Pearson VUE testing centers and OnVUE online proctoring, and the paper-and-pencil exam is administered in person at select conferences.

Eligibility and cost

Cost: The regular application fee is $500 for APA members and $750 for nonmembers plus testing fees. Candidates are eligible to sit for the exam for a two-year period, with two exam sittings per year.

See APAC Exam Fees for detailed fees. Reasonable accommodations will be provided upon request to qualified individuals at no cost.

Eligibility: 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 Code of Professional Conduct.

For details, see the APAC Standing Rules and Policies, Policy #7.

Study resources

Accommodations

APAC-BE exam

Exam description and modes of delivery

The APAC-BE written assessment is comprised of 100 three-option multiple-choice questions, and candidates are allowed up to 2.5 hours (150 minutes) to complete the exam. All items are scored, weighted equally, and distributed across eight sub-sections.

Some questions will include graphics or images with alternative text. The exam is closed book and is visually accessible.

For the eight exam topics/domains, see the APAC Study Resources page.

At this time, the exam is administered in one of three ways: (1) in-person paper and pencil, (2) computer-based testing (CBT), and (3) remote-proctored testing (RPT). Regardless of administration method, the order of items within the exam must be randomized across administration periods. For in-person pencil and paper administrations, item order is randomized such that the order is always different for each administration period. For the CBT and RPT administrations, the items are presented in a new randomized order for each individual administration.

Exam administration

APAC-BE exam statistics

APAC-BE Job Analysis Summary Report

APAC policies and approved providers

Diversity and equality

The APAC Program is committed to diversity and equality in all activities. The APAC Board, in both its values and practices, is committed to providing the accessibility community with credentialing practices that are based on inclusion and diversity.

This means that there shall be no barriers to participation in any activity of the Board on the basis of gender, race, creed, age, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, or disability.

The Board will seek diversity and inclusiveness in its business practices and it will not condone any form of unlawful discrimination.

Official documents

Approved Providers

FAQs

Visit our FAQs page. If you have a question not covered there, please see the APAC Standing Rules and Policies or contact Camille North at APACInfo@APAaccess.org.

Contact us

Kristi Avalos, APAC Board President

Robin Roberts, APAC Examination and Item-Writing Committee Chair

Camille North, APAC Executive Director

Become an APAC-BE

Join the preeminent group of accessibility professionals who have shown their dedication to upholding the standards of accessibility and an ongoing pursuit of knowledge in the profession.

Apply

APAC-BE Exam Info

APA Certification Program

Certifying Excellence in Accessibility

APA Certification in the Built Environment

APAC-BE exam

APAC-BE Certificants

APAC-BE candidates

APAC-BE exam

APAC policies and approved providers

FAQs

Contact us

Become an APAC-BE

Connecting Professionals, Building Accessibility