CPEA Application Requirements

To qualify for admission to the BGC examinations as an applicant, you must comply with all Board requisites. Documents and forms sent by you and third parties will be needed to assess your eligibility to sit for the exam(s). BGC will evaluate all applicants using the criteria established for the certification eligibility and will not discriminate on the basis of race, creed, national origin, religion, age, disability, political affiliation, sex, sexual orientation, or marital, parental, military, or any other legally protected status. We may ask you for additional documentation when the initial review of your application (or reapplication) indicates that pertinent information is missing or unclear. In that case, a review of your application or reapplication will not proceed until we receive the requested information.

Submitting your application well in advance of deadlines may give you sufficient time to provide additional information without delaying your approval to sit for the exam. Your application packet is active for two years. If you do not pass the exam within the two years, you are required to submit an updated supervisory reference and pay a reapplication fee every two years to keep your application active.

Application Steps

There are four (4) stages to the application process for becoming certified as a CPEA. The documentation is specific to the CPEA specialty area for which you are applying, so please familiarize yourself thoroughly with the requirements before you begin your application. Please also note that you must meet all eligibility requirements that are in place at the time you sit for your exam.

Step 1:   Submission of General Application Documents:

• You must complete an online application form with your contact information, academic background, and the included attestation to abide by the BGC Code of Ethics.
• If you hold an eligible credential, you may submit an Exam Exemption Request Form and fee payment. (Exam Exemption fee payments are non-refundable.)
• Ask your university to send official transcripts to BGC. (If your degree was earned outside the U.S. or Canada, BGC may ask you to submit your transcript(s) for a credential evaluation.)
• Ask your references to submit Character Reference Forms (CRF) to BGC on your behalf.
• If you have a documented disability, you may submit a Test Accommodation Request Form at least 45 days before your scheduled examination.

Step 2: Submission of Application Fee (non-refundable). If you have not completed the process within two years, a reapplication fee and updated materials are required.

After Application payment, BGC will email a link with instructions to a temporary holding file or dropbox that will contain the remaining forms needed to complete your application. Your folder is a temporary location for you to upload completed forms and supporting documents to complete the application and to track your progress.

Step 3:  Submission of supporting documentation of verifiable formal training and work experience. These forms are contained in your temporary holding file or dropbox and include:

• Statement of Audit Experience Form (within 3 years of certification)
• Statement of Formal Training Form (within 3 years of certification)
• Statement of Work Experience Form (within 3 years of certification)

Step 4:  Examination:

• Pay all examination fees.
• Sit for the part 1, multiple-choice exam of your general knowledge of auditing practice.
• Sit for the part 2, multiple-choice exam of your specialty knowledge of EHS Auditing.
• Sit for the part 3, essay/short-answer exam of your specialty knowledge of EHS Auditing.
• Pass 70% or more of the total items in all three exams. You will not receive your grades on individual parts until all have been completed.

If you successfully meet the requirements of all four stages, you will be awarded the CPEA credential for your specialty area(s).  A CPEA Eligibility Checklist has been designed for you to determine whether you have met the requirements for stages 1 through 3 before sitting for your CPEA exams. It is included at the end of this document and available in your online application folder.

Recap:  Here is a summary of the documents needed to complete your application. Remember that you must first complete an online application form with your contact information, academic background, and an attestation to abide by the BGC Code of Ethics and pay all required fees.   Submitted by you to SharePoint Submitted by 3rd Parties to BGC Statement of Formal Training Form(s) Statement of Work Experience Form(s) Statement of Audit Experience Form(s) Ethics Attestation (Application Form) Official Transcripts (from universities) Credential evaluation reports (from credential evaluation services) Character Reference Form (from reference writers)

Qualifications and Evaluation

To qualify for admission to the BGC examinations as an applicant, you must comply with all Board prerequisites:

• Submit only one application per person
• Meet the education and formal training requirements
• Document meeting professional EHS auditing and work experience requirements
• Be in the current practice of EHS auditing
• Agree to adhere to the BGC Code of Ethics and to be governed by the BGC Ethics Case Procedures
• Pay your application fee and examination fee (non-refundable)

Until you are certified, your application packet will remain active for two years. You are required to submit an updated supervisory reference and pay a reapplication fee every two years to keep your application active until you pass the exam.

Evaluation

Confidentiality

Original applications and supporting documentation are treated by the BGC Board of Directors and staff as confidential information. As noted in the BGC Privacy Policy, all reasonable precautions are taken to prevent unauthorized access to individual information. BGC does not disclose personal information obtained from you or any other applicant to third parties except when authorized in writing by you or if necessary to complete the process – for example, arranging for you to sit for the exam.

Record Retention

In accordance with the BGC record-retention policy, paper files and electronic documents provided by applicants that have been inactive for three years will be destroyed. Prior to destroying a file, the staff will attempt to notify you using your last known address.

CPEA Reapplicants

An application is considered to be active for two years. After the second year, your application expires. You must update the description of your current practice, provide an updated supervisory reference, and pay a reapplication fee to reactivate an expired application in order to sit for the exam. To reactivate an expired application and sit for the exam, you must complete the following steps:

• Submit a Reapplication Form
• Have a Character Reference Form submitted to BGC by a work supervisor that is no more than 12 months old (see the Documentation of Auditing Experience  section)
• Update your work experience information to document your current practice
• Meet all current application requirements
• Pay the $150 reapplication fee (non-refundable)