WHY AICP?

AICP certification is the only nationwide, independent verification of planners’ qualifications. Earn the AICP credential and colleagues and employers will know that you have the academic qualifications, relevant work experience, and mastery of essential skills required to serve your community effectively.

The most recent APA/AICP Planners Salary Survey shows that certified planners earn more than non-certified planners, even when experience and responsibility are considered. Certification also puts planners on equal footing with the architects, engineers, and other credentialed professionals with whom they work and compete.

CERTIFICATION PROCESS

To become a certified planner and use the AICP designation, you must be a current member of the American Planning Association (APA) and complete three steps. There are two certification cycles per year as detailed here: https://planning.org/certification/.

The AICP certification process was updated in 2022 to provide One Path to Certification. For all aspiring AICPs, the process is now as follows:

1. Register for the certification program and schedule exam
2. Pass AICP exam and become an AICP Candidate
3. Provide educational and professional experience, and submit an assessment

More information on this process can be found in this presentation (https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1hxTedZ-8K5lI2c0VQujFU6aw-WtNlQTjsPiRk_eNBLU/edit?usp=sharing)

For full details on how to achieve AICP certification, visit the National APA website: https://www.planning.org/certification/

AICP EXAM PREPARATION

The APA California Sacramento Valley Section connects members to AICP exam preparation resources, and periodically offers AICP exam information sessions. For more information about exam preparation, please contact Steve Peterson, AICP, Section Professional Development Officer, by This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..