Certifications
Why get certified?
Our professional certifications reflect attainment of established criteria for proficiency and competency in the presentation industry. They require a specified amount of industry experience and are granted upon an assessment of an individual’s knowledge and skills. Our professional certifications have ongoing requirements that must be met every two years.
Board member Ric Bretschneider has captured our thoughts about certs nicely here, and of course we feel it’s well worth a read.
Get Certified
What's in it for me?
- Competence in the principles and practices of crafting presentations.
- Participation in a recognized professional group.
- Recognition of professional competence by professional peers and management.
- Advanced career potential due to recognition as a presentation professional.
- Personal satisfaction of accomplishing a career milestone.
- Improvement in overall daily performance.
- Long-term continuous improvement through the process of achieving and maintaining certification.
- Higher income potential due to recognition as a presentation professional. For more details, see our salary survey.
- Demonstration of individual commitment to career and role within an organization.
What's in it for my employer?
- Professional development, advancement, and recognition opportunities for staff.
- Demonstration to customers, competitors, suppliers, staff, and investors that you use industry-standard practices for professional presentations.
- Demonstration of your commitment to quality communications in your organization.
- Improved staff responsibility, commitment, and motivation.
- Establishment and implementation of professional presentations by individuals recognized as being knowledgeable and skilled.
- More reliable, higher quality results produced with increased efficiency and consistency.
- Identification of presentation professionals to clients and business partners.
- Demonstrated commitment to the field of presentations, increasingly recognized as a vital component of any successful business.
What certifications can I get?
Our core certifications require PowerPoint proficiency and will be available at three levels: Specialist, Expert and Master. Proficiencies in products such as Prezi, Keynote, and other software are planned for the future.
Each professional receives a credential and badge upon successful completion of certification assessment.
Certified Presentation Specialist (CPS)™ — PowerPoint
- is knowledgeable and skilled at crafting presentations
- has six months of experience and/or education
- has 1,000 documented hours of presentation craftsmanship &/or training
- has passed the Certified Presentation Specialist Online Test of Knowledge — PowerPoint
- has passed the Certified Presentation Specialist Practical Test of Skills — PowerPoint
- completes 160 hours of craftsmanship &/or training every two years
This certification requires proficiency in crafting presentations specifically with Microsoft PowerPoint.
Certified Presentation Expert (CPE)™ — PowerPoint
- has comprehensive knowledge, skill, and efficiency at crafting presentations
- has 18 months of experience and/or education
- has 3,000 documented hours of presentation craftsmanship &/or training
- has passed the Certified Presentation Expert Online Test of Knowledge
- has passed the Certified Presentation Expert Practical Test of Skills
- completes 320 hours of craftsmanship &/or training every two years
This certification requires proficiency in crafting presentations specifically with Microsoft PowerPoint.
Certified Presentation Master (CPM)™ — PowerPoint
*coming soon
- has authoritative knowledge, skill, and proficiency at crafting presentations
- has three years of experience and/or education
- has 5,000 documented hours of presentation craftsmanship &/or training
- has passed the Certified Presentation Master Online Test of Knowledge
- has passed the Certified Presentation Master Practical Test of Skills
- completes 480 hours of craftsmanship, training, &/or mentoring every two years
This certification requires proficiency in crafting presentations specifically with Microsoft PowerPoint.
Can I take all the tests now?
How quickly you take the exams is up to you. For example, if you want test for the Master certification and haven’t obtained the Specialist and Expert certifications, you may take all three exams back to back.
Note: Currently, only the Certified Presentation Specialist exams are available. We’re working on the Expert and Master certifications and will make those exams available as soon as we can.
How do I maintain my certification?
A Presentation Guild professional certification is valid for 2 years.
A Certified Presentation Professional™ demonstrates their commitment to the development of the presentation industry and growth of their craftsmanship through documented completion of hours spent in acquiring experience, participating in training, and/or mentoring others — all activities that contribute to the knowledge and/or skill of crafting presentations.
These hours must be completed and documented and renewal fees paid prior to the certification renewal date.
How much does a certification cost?
Non-members: $350 USD
Join The Presentation Guild now to take advantage of Guild pricing and more.
Cost to renew
Guild Members: $100
Non-members: $250
Student pricing
We offer student pricing on the Certified Presentation Specialist™ exam. Students pay $50 for their initial certification by using this form to send in proof of enrollment (typically, a copy of your student ID).
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FAQ
Why did you create these certifications?
By acquiring certification, your presentation skills can be represented to peers, clients, and employers with recognized authority and clear identification of your skills.
Do Guild members get any perks?
Guild members are entitled to a free Study & Practice Reference and practice tests. Neither of these are prerequisites for taking the certification tests, but they are certainly beneficial in preparing you for the test content and experience of taking the test.
Join The Presentation Guild now to take advantage of these benefits and more.
What's the general process to get certified?
The Certified Presentation Specialist exam is comprised of three components:
- A statement that you have six months or more experience with at least 1,000 hours of presentation experience
- Completion of an online test of knowledge
- Completion of a practical test of skills requiring you to complete a series of presentation tasks
Both the test of knowledge and the practical test of skills are based on the 163 Presentation Industry Standards released by Presentation Guild.
Where can I record my experience?
As a reminder, for the Certified Presentation Specialist exam, you must have at least 6 months experience with at least 1,000 hours of presentation experience.
Can you tell me more about the online and practical exams?
- Single choice questions have only one answer and include True/False questions
- Multiple choice questions have two or more answers and will always have one wrong answer. Correct answers count for one point and incorrect answers deduct one point from that question.
- Matching questions require you to match a set of terms to their description. Correct answers count for one point and incorrect answers deduct one point from that question.
- Fill-in-the-blank questions require you to type in the answer. The answer must be spelled correctly but capitalization doesn’t matter. Some questions have more than one answer. Correct answers count for one point and incorrect answers deduct one point from that question.
- You will have 3.5 hours to complete the online test of knowledge. A score of 80% is required to pass.
The practical test of skills consists of nine PowerPoint files, one for each of the nine categories in the Presentation Industry Standards. You will be asked to perform specific tasks in each file. The files must be downloaded, completed, and uploaded within 48 hours of starting the test. You must complete at least seven of the nine files correctly to pass.
Where can I download the standards?
Are there any materials to help me prepare?
Study & Practice Reference
Study & Practice References are available for all certification exams. Practice references are free for Guild members and $25 for non-members.
Practice Tests
Certification Practice Tests are much shortened versions of the online multiple-choice exam. The purpose of the practice test is to provide a sense of the test, its question formats, and the relative depth of questions. The practice tests contain a random number of questions which may or may not be on the actual test. You can take the practice test up to 3 times; you will get a different test each time.
Practice tests are free for Guild members and $25 for non-members.
As in the certification exam, you will receive a score for each online practice test, but you will not receive a list of specific questions you got right or wrong.
When will I receive my results?
How do I renew my certification?
- Member = $100
- Nonmember = $250
If the certification expires prior to being renewed, the applicant will be required to pay for and pass all parts of the Certification Exam again.
How much does a certification cost?
Non-members: $350 USD
Join The Presentation Guild now to take advantage of Guild pricing and more.
Cost to renew
Guild Members: $100
Non-members: $250
Student pricing
We offer student pricing on the Certified Presentation Specialist™ exam. Students pay $50 for their initial certification by using this form to send in proof of enrollment (typically, a copy of your student ID).
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Presentation Standards
Industry standards are specifications designed to make a specific industry more efficient and effective. They are the generally accepted requirements which are followed by the members of an industry, and they serve as a quality check for any industry. The Presentation Guild Presentation Industry Professional Standards are used to assess mastery/competency of knowledge and skills for our certification program.
Experience Tracker
Experience is a requirement for applying for certification and for maintaining your certification through the renewal process every 2 years.
If you already track your activity as a presentation professional, you’re likely there already. We do offer an optional downloadable tracker to help you track your experience if you wish.
Experience Requirements
You must attest to having the required number of hours of experience, training, or similar presentation activity for the Professional Certification level you are applying for.
- Specialist – 1000 hours
- Expert (not currently available) – 3000 hours
- Master (not currently available) – 5000 hours
Study & Practice Reference
This reference provides you with the appropriate industry standards in the nine categories, a brief description of each standard, and what you should research, study and/or practice to pass the exam.
[mepr-hide if=”rule: 53815″] Pay for Study & Practice Reference, or Don’t
The Study & Practice Reference costs $25 for applicants who aren’t Presentation Guild Members. It’s not too late to join and save.
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Download Now
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Practice Test
[mepr-hide if=”rule: 53773″] Pay to practice, or don’t
You can take the practice test up to 3 times. Access to the practice test costs $25 for applicants who aren’t Presentation Guild Members. It’s not too late to join and save.
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Take Practice Test
Remember, you can take the practice test up to 3 times before taking the exam.
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