AICP Certification
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AICP Exam Prep and Workshops

To become a certified planner, entitled to use the AICP designation, American Planning Association (APA) members must meet certain education and experience requirements and pass a written examination. The AICP Certification Exam is given twice each year, in May and November. The first step is to complete and submit an application and the exam fee by a specified deadline (typically 5 to 6 months in advance of the testing window). Once your application is accepted, you may register to take the exam. Information about the AICP process can be found at https://www.planning.org/certification/.

AICP Exam Registration, Study Group, Scholarship, Workshop Recording Information, CPC Study Manual, and Ethics Code Info

STUDY GROUP INFORMATION:

The name, email address and zip code of approximately 750 Texas planners appear on the Professional Development Officer’s (PDO) list of planners who have expressed an interest in taking the exam in the next few testing cycles. To encourage the formation of AICP exam study groups in specific areas of the state, an official study group list has been created that is sorted by zip code. All Texas planners intending to take the exam in the near future are encouraged to contact those in your area by email to set up study groups to share information and to help each other stay focused and motivated in your preparation for the exam. To request a copy of the official Texas Chapter study group list for spring 2024, please send an email to APA Texas Chapter PDO Richard Luedke at rluedke@cityoflewisville.com.

SCHOLARSHIPS:

To apply for a Texas Chapter Diversity Scholarship, please send an email to Richard Luedke, AICP, Texas Chapter PDO at rluedke@cityoflewisville.com confirming that your employer does not cover the exam fee. The scholarship will be in the form of a reimbursement. Texas Chapter Diversity Scholarships are also available for the Experience Assessment fees in June if your employer does not cover the cost.

WORKSHOP RECORDINGS:

AICP Exam Part I Workshop Recording (Free)

The AICP Part I Workshop held on January 20, 2024, provided an overview of what to expect when preparing for the AICP exam. This 4-hour workshop focused on helpful tips on how to study and identified test preparation strategies. The major topic areas of the exam were outlined, and sample test questions were presented.

To view the workshop recording, please use the link below:

AICP Exam Part I Workshop UTA 1-20-24 Recording Link

AICP EXAM Part II WORKSHOP Recording $50

This 6-hour workshop, which was held on Saturday, February 17, 2024, features the nation's leading AICP Exam Preparation Instructor, Dr. Jennifer Cowley, FAICP, who provided a deep dive on how to approach questions on the exam and guided participants through the thought process to identify the best answer. The Part II workshop recording may be purchased for $50.

To purchase the recording, please use the link below:

Link to Purchase the Recording of the AICP Exam Part II Workshop 2-17-24

Once the purchase is complete in Eventbrite, a link to the recording will be included on the attendee event page.

CHAPTER PRESIDENTS COUNCIL STUDY MANUAL:

A PDF of the 2017 Chapter Presidents Council (CPC) Study Manual for the AICP Exam is available to aide in your exam preparation. Please keep in mind that the study manual is organized under the old 5-part exam outline but covers nearly all of the content covered in the current 9-part exam outline. To request a copy, please send an email to APA Texas PDO Richard Luedke at rluedke@cityoflewisville.com

ETHICS CODE COVERED ON THE EXAM:

APA has confirmed that the current ethics code adopted November 2021 and effective January 2022 applies to the AICP exam beginning with the November 2023 exam cycle.

If you have any questions, please contact:

Richard Luedke, AICP

Texas Chapter Professional Development Officer

rluedke@cityoflewisville.com

(817) 938-4409

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Texas APA - AICP Study Materials

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Florida APA - Treasure Coast Section AICP Resources

The Treasure Coast Section of the APA Florida Chapter has prepared an AICP Exam Study Links page with information about the exam. The page includes exam study links from other APA Chapters.