National Certifications

National certifications are required for all areas of career–technical education by the State Board of Education. These certifications range from bachelor degrees in specific areas to local and national certifications to written assessments. In the table below, each cluster area is represented with its corresponding pathway certification requirement. This table also houses information regarding costs, contacts and study materials. Please contact Felita Bell at fbell@mde.k12.ms.us or 601.359.3461 if you have further questions.

Career Clusters

Agriculture, Food, & Natural Resources

Architecture & Construction

Arts, Audio/Video Technology & Communication

Business Management & Administration

Education & Training

Finance (currently in development)

Government & Public Administration (currently in development)

Health Science

Hospitality & Tourism

Human Sciences

Information Technology

Law, Public Safety, Corrections, & Security (currently in development)

Manufacturing

Marketing

Science, Technology, Engineering, & Mathematics

Transportation, Distribution, & Logistics

Agriculture
Arch. & Construction
Business
Health
Human Science
Manufacturing
STEM
Transportation

Agriculture, Foods and Natural Resources

The information below applies to the following licensure endorsement:

301 Vocational Agriculture-Related Program
302 Agriculture
306 Agripower and Equipment
307 Forestry
308 Horticulture
377 Food Production (Meat)

Degree	Description
Four-year degree or higher	Degree must be in subject area to be taught. This degree in subject area exempts applicant from any additional occupational competency testing.

Architecture & Construction

The information below applies to the following licensure endorsement:

977 Career Pathway: Construction Technology-Carpentry

Test/Certification Name	NCCER—National Craft Assessment and Certification Program, Commercial Carpentry
Main Website	http://nccer.org http://nccer.org/uploads/fileLibrary/journeyLevel/commercial_carpenter_v2_specs.pdf
Testing Location	Arranged through the MAC Center. Test is given at the RCU but can be arranged for regional testing sites if needed (regional testing may affect test cost).
Cost	$65
Study Materials	Teachers may study NCCER Modules in instructor’s book associated with test blueprint.
Contact Information
FAQs	Retakes: See page 1.7 of the Coordinator Training Manual: http://nccer.org/documents/manuals/coordinatorTrainingManual.pdf Participant pays full cost to retake tests. http://nccer.org/assessments-faq.asp

The testing information below applies to the following licensure endorsement:

360 Brick, Block and Stone Masonry

Test/Certification Name	TOCA by RCU
Main Website
Testing Location	To be determined
Cost	$65
Study Materials	Teachers may study NCCER modules in instructor’s book associated with test blueprint.
Contact Information
FAQs	Retakes: TBD Participant pays full cost to retake tests.

The testing information below applies to the following licensure endorsement:

363 Plumbing and Pipe Fitting

Test/Certification Name	NCCER—National Craft Assessment and Certification Program, Journey Level Plumbing
Main Website	www.mcef.net http://nccer.org/journeyBlueprints.aspx http://nccer.org/uploads/fileLibrary/journeyLevel/plumber_specs.pdf
Testing Location	Arranged through the MAC Center. Test is given at the RCU but can be arranged for regional testing sites if needed (regional testing may affect test cost).
Cost	$65
Study Materials	Teachers may study NCCER modules in instructor’s book associated with test blueprint.
Contact Information
FAQs	Retakes: See page 1.7 of the Coordinator Training Manual: http://nccer.org/documents/manuals/coordinatorTrainingManual.pdf Participant pays full cost to retake tests. http://nccer.org/assessments-faq.asp

The testing information below applies to the following licensure endorsement:

974 Career Pathway: Installation and Service – HVAC

Test/Certification Name	NCCER—National Craft Assessment and Certification Program, Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning
Main Website	www.mcef.net http://nccer.org/journeyBlueprints.aspx http://nccer.org/uploads/fileLibrary/journeyLevel/hvac_technician_specs.pdf
Testing Location	Arranged through the MAC Center. Test is given at the RCU but can be arranged for regional testing sites if needed (regional testing may affect test cost).
Cost	$65
Study Materials	Teachers may study NCCER modules in instructor’s book associated with test blueprint.
Contact Information
FAQs	Retakes: See page 1.7 of the Coordinator Training Manual: http://nccer.org/documents/manuals/coordinatorTrainingManual.pdf Participant pays full cost to retake tests. http://nccer.org/assessments-faq.asp

The testing information below applies to the following licensure endorsement:

352 Electrical Trades

Test/Certification Name	NCCER—National Craft Assessment and Certification Program, Commercial Electrician
Main Website	www.mcef.net http://nccer.org/journeyBlueprints.aspx http://nccer.org/uploads/fileLibrary/journeyLevel/hvac_technician_specs.pdf
Testing Location	Arranged through the MAC Center. Test is given at the RCU but can be arranged for regional testing sites if needed (regional testing may affect test cost).
Cost	$65
Study Materials	Teachers may study NCCER modules in instructor’s book associated with test blueprint.
Contact Information
FAQs	Retakes: See page 1.7 of the Coordinator Training Manual: http://nccer.org/documents/manuals/coordinatorTrainingManual.pdf Participant pays full cost to retake tests. http://nccer.org/assessments-faq.asp

Business

The information below applies to the following licensure endorsement:

955 Career Pathway: Management
956 Career Pathway: Marketing and Economics

Test/Certification Name	Master Teacher of Economics
Main Website	http://www.mscee.org/programs.html
Testing Location	National Council on Economic Education hosts the training at the University of Southern Mississippi and Mississippi State University.
Cost	$2000 (scholarships available)
Study Materials	This is a certification program, not a test.
Contact Information	Mississippi Council on Economic Education Millsaps College 1701 N. State Street Jackson, MS 39210 Phone: 601.974.1325 Fax: 601.974.1416

The information below applies to the following licensure endorsement:

905 Career Pathway: Entrepreneurship

Test/Certification Name	Master Teacher of Entrepreneurship
Main Website	http://www.thesep.org/
Testing Location	Participants attend of five days of training. A test is given at the end of each training day. Students must score 80% or higher on each test.
Cost	$0.00
Study Materials	Materials provided during training. They can also be downloaded from http://www.thesep.org/page/presentations-lectures.
Contact Information	James Wilcox Office: 601.266.6055 Cell: 228.669.5403 james.b.wilcox@usm.edu Dr. Brent Hales Office: 601.266.6519 brent.hales@usm.edu

Health Sciences

The information below applies to the following licensure endorsement:

961 Career Pathway: Health Sciences

Test/Certification Name	CPR Certification through American Heart Association
Main Website	http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/CPRAndECC/CPR_UCM_001118_SubHomePage.jsp
Testing Location	Varies; can find a testing site using above website
Cost	Varies depending on course and testing site
Study Materials	See main website
Contact Information	http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/localization/chooseState.jsp
FAQs	Main website

Test/Certification Name	Health Care Provider Basic Life Saver, Instructor Level Certification through American Heart Association
Main Website	http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/CPRAndECC/HealthcareTraining/BasicLifeSupportBLS/Basic-Life-Support-BLS_UCM_001281_SubHomePage.jsp (for BLS) http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/CPRAndECC/InstructorNetwork/InstructorResources/How-to-Become-an-AHA-Instructor_UCM_305348_Article.jsp (for instructor certification)
Testing Location	Varies; can find a testing site using above website
Cost	Varies depending on course and testing site
Study Materials	See main website
Contact Information	http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/localization/chooseState.jsp
FAQs	Main website

Test/Certification Name	First Aid Certification through either American Red Cross or American Heart Association
Main Website	http://my.americanheart.org/professional/index.jsp (American Heart Association) http://www.redcross.org/portal/site/en/menuitem.d8aaecf214c576bf971e4cfe43181aa0/?vgnextoid=aea70c45f663b110VgnVCM10000089f0870aRCRD&vgnextfmt=default (American Red Cross)
Testing Location	Varies; check main websites for training and testing sites
Cost	Varies depending on course and testing site
Study Materials	See main website
Contact Information	http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/localization/chooseState.jsp (AHA) http://www.redcross.org/portal/site/en/menuitem.d8aaecf214c576bf971e4cfe43181aa0/?vgnextoid=46de1a53f1c37110VgnVCM1000003481a10aRCRD (ARC)
FAQs	Main website

Human Sciences

The information below applies to the following licensure endorsement:

321 Vocational Family and Consumer Sciences
322 Home Economics
323 Design Technology for Fashion and Interiors

Degree	Description
Four-year degree or higher	Degree must be in subject area taught or a related field approved by MDE program coordinator. This degree in subject area exempts applicant from any additional occupational competency testing.

The testing information below applies to the following licensure endorsement:

972 Career Pathway: Culinary Arts

Test/Certification Name	ServSafe Certification
Main Website	www.servsafe.com
Testing Location	Locations throughout Mississippi
Cost	$130
Study Materials	5th ed. ServSafe Essentials
Contact Information	Grady Griffin, MHRA 601.608.0227 gradygriffn@msra.org
FAQs	www.servsafe.com $75 for retakes, limit of two within 90 days

The testing information below applies to the following licensure endorsement:

972 Career Pathway: Teacher Academy

Test/Certification Name	National Board Teacher Certification
Main Website	http://www.nbpts.org/
Testing Location	Go to the NBCT website and go to Become a Candidate; then click on Assessment Process.
Cost	http://www.nbpts.org/become_a_candidate/fees_financial_support Nonrefundable Application Processing Charge: $65 Due: At the time of application submission. Nonrefundable Initial Fee: $500 (applied to the assessment fee) Due: No later than December 31, 2011. Assessment Fee: $2,500 Due: No later than January 31, 2012 - OR - Due: No later than March 15, 2012, if you participate in the Extended Payment Plan Other miscellaneous fees may apply
Study Materials	Resources can be found on the home website
Contact Information	http://www.nbpts.org/resources/state_local_information/Mississippi Network with other NBCT teachers
FAQs	See the home website

Manufacturing

The testing information below applies to the following licensure endorsement

973 Career Pathway: Installation and Service – Industrial Maintenance

Test/Certification Name	NCCER—National Craft Assessment and Certification Program, Industrial Maintenance Support Mechanic
Main Website	www.mcef.net http://nccer.org/journeyBlueprints.aspx http://nccer.org/uploads/fileLibrary/journeyLevel/IM-support.pdf
Testing Location	Arranged through the MAC Center. Test is given at the RCU but can be arranged for regional testing sites if needed (regional testing may affect test cost).
Cost	$65
Study Materials	Teachers may study NCCER modules in instructor’s book associated with test blueprint.
Contact Information
FAQs	Retakes: See page 1.7 of the Coordinator Training Manual: http://nccer.org/documents/manuals/coordinatorTrainingManual.pdf Participant pays full cost to retake tests. http://nccer.org/assessments-faq.aspx

The testing information below applies to the following licensure endorsement:

975 Career Pathway: Welding

Test/Certification Name	TOCA by RCU
Main Website
Testing Location	To be determined
Cost	$65
Study Materials	Teachers may study NCCER modules in instructor’s book associated with test blueprint.
Contact Information
FAQs	Retakes: TBD Participant pays full cost to retake tests.

The testing information below applies to the following licensure endorsement:

359 Machine Shop
976 Career Pathway: Manufacturing

Test/Certification Name	NIMS Level 1
Main Website	www.nims-skills.org https://www.nims-skills.org/c/document_library/get_file?folderId=230729&name=DLFE-1201.pdf https://www.nims-skills.org/web/nims/credentialingprocess https://www.nims-skills.org/web/nims/6
Testing Location	Performance test may be taken in the local school shop and/or lab. Written test is online.
Cost	$40 registration fee for teachers https://www.nims-skills.org/web/nims/credentialingfees
Study Materials	None
Contact Information	Catherine Ross, NIMS Certifications Manager The National Institute for Metalworking Skills 10565 Fairfax Boulevard, Suite 203 Fairfax, VA 22030 Office: 703.352.4971 Fax: 703.352.4991 Email: cross@nims-skills.org
FAQs	Retakes: TBD

Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM)

The testing information below applies to the following licensure endorsement:

356 General Drafting

Test/Certification Name	American Design Drafting Association certification: ADDA Certified Drafter
Main Website	http://www.adda.org/content/view/25/39/
Testing Location	http://www.adda.org/content/view/57/52/
Cost	$155 (nonmember fee)
Study Materials	None at this time
Contact Information	ADDA International 105 East Main Street Newbern, TN 38059 731.627.0802
FAQs	http://www.adda.org/documents/certification/professional/Drafter_Certification_Test_Information.pdf

The testing information below applies to the following licensure endorsement:

954 Career Pathway: Information Technology

Test/Certification Name	Comp TIA A+ certification
Main Website	http://www.comptia.org/certifications/listed/a.aspx
Testing Location	http://www.comptia.org/certifications/listed/a.aspx
Cost	Nonmember Price : $221.00 CompTIA Member Price : $185.00 Membership Info: https://www.comptia.org/membership/become-a-member.aspx
Study Materials	http://www.comptia.org/certifications/testprep.aspx
Contact Information	Contact info: http://www.comptia.org/contactus.aspx
FAQs	Certification overview: http://www.comptia.org/certifications.aspx

The testing information below applies to the following licensure endorsement:

985 Career Pathway: Engineering

Degree	Description
Four-year degree or higher	Degree must be in engineering, mathematics or an appropriate field of science (approved by MDE program coordinator). This degree in subject area exempts applicant from any additional occupational competency testing.

The testing information below applies to the following licensure endorsement:

987 Career Pathway: Digital Media Technology

Name	Adobe Certified Associate certification in the following three areas: Web Communication, Rich Media Communication, and Visual Communication
Main Website	http://www.adobe.com/education/instruction/ace/
Testing Location	Certiport Testing Center http://www.certiport.com/Portal/Pages/LocatorView.aspx
Cost	$70-$85 (This is the normal range, but testing centers set their own prices.)
Study Materials	http://www.certiport.com/Portal/desktopdefault.aspx?page=common/pagelibrary/adobe_study-packets.html http://www.adobe.com/education/instruction/ace/
Contact Information	Not one specific contact
FAQs	http://www.certiport.com/portal/common/documentlibrary/adobe_faq.pdf

Test/Certification Name	Final Cut Pro Level 1 certification
Main Website	http://www.apple.com/software/pro/training/enduser.html
Testing Location	Apple Authorized Training Center
Cost	Varies by testing center
Study Materials	Apple Pro Training Series: Final Cut Pro 7 Apple Pro Training Series: Final Cut Pro 7 Quick-Reference Guide Sample tutorials – http://www.peachpit.com/promotions/promotion.aspx?promo=137108
Contact Information	Not one specific contact
FAQs	http://www.apple.com/software/pro/training/

The testing information below applies to the following licensure endorsement:

989 Career Pathway: Polymer Science

Degree	Description
Four-year degree or higher	Degree must be in polymer science, chemistry or other appropriate field of science and must be approved by MDE Program coordinator. This degree in subject area exempts applicant from any additional occupational competency testing.

Transportation

The following testing information applies to the following licensure endorsement:

373 Small Gas Engines

Test/Certification Name	Equipment and Engine Training Council Certification (Four-stroke, Two-stroke and Electrical)
Main Website	http://www.eetc.org
Testing Location	http://www.eetc.org/certification/TestCenterLocator.html
Cost	http://www.eetc.org/certification/forms.html
Study Materials	http://www.eetc.org/certification/certificationcontact.html
Contact Information	http://www.eetc.org/certification/forms.html
FAQs	http://www.eetc.org/accreditation/textbooks.html

The testing information below applies to the following licensure endorsement:

966 Career Pathway: Automotive Service

Test/Certification Name	ASE Certification in four areas: a) Brakes (Test A5), b) Electrical/Electronics (Test A6), c) Engine Performance (Test A8) and d) Steering and Suspension (Test A4)
Main Website	www.ase.com
Testing Location	http://ase.com/Tests/ASE-Certification-Tests/Find-a-Test-Center.aspx
Cost	http://ase.com/Tests/ASE-Certification-Tests/Test-Series/General-Information.aspx Regular Tests: $30 each
Study Materials	http://www.ase.com/Test-Prep---Training/Study-Guides.aspx
Contact Information	http://www.ase.com/About-ASE/Contact-US.aspx
FAQs	http://www.ase.com/Test-Prep---Training/FAQs-(Test-Prep).aspx

The testing information below applies to the following licensure endorsement:

967 Career Pathway: Collision Repair

Test/Certification Name	ASE Certification in Painting and Refinishing (Test B2) or I-CAR Certification in Painting and Refinishing
Main Website	www.ase.com
Testing Location	http://ase.com/Tests/ASE-Certification-Tests/Find-a-Test-Center.aspx
Cost	http://ase.com/Tests/ASE-Certification-Tests/Test-Series/General-Information.aspx Regular Tests: $30 each
Study Materials	http://www.ase.com/Test-Prep---Training/Study-Guides.aspx
Contact Information	http://www.ase.com/About-ASE/Contact-US.aspx
FAQs	http://www.ase.com/Test-Prep---Training/FAQs-(Test-Prep).aspx
OR
Test/Certification Name	i-CAR
Main Website	www.i-car.com
Testing Location	http://www.i-car.com/index_us.shtml
Cost	http://www.i-car.com/html_pages/training_programs/pricing.shtml
Study Materials	None available at this time
Contact Information	http://www.i-car.com/html_pages/about/contact.shtml
FAQs	http://www.i-car.com/html_pages/technical_information/advantage.shtml

The testing information below applies to the following licensure endorsement:

968 Career Pathway: Diesel Service Technician

Test/Certification Name	ASE Certification in Medium Heavy Duty Truck (Test Diesel T2) and Electrical/Electronics (Test T6)
Main Website	www.ase.com
Testing Location	http://ase.com/Tests/ASE-Certification-Tests/Find-a-Test-Center.aspx
Cost	http://ase.com/Tests/ASE-Certification-Tests/Test-Series/General-Information.aspx Regular Tests: $30 each
Study Materials	http://www.ase.com/Test-Prep---Training/Study-Guides.aspx
Contact Information	http://www.ase.com/About-ASE/Contact-US.aspx
FAQs	http://www.ase.com/Test-Prep---Training/FAQs-(Test-Prep).aspx

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