QUESTION: How can I become a Certified Technical Trainer (CTT)?

The Computer Education Management Association (CEDMA) and the Information Technology Training Association (ITTA) collaborated to create professional standards for technical trainers. A benefit of this partnership is a clear-cut process that eliminates redundant examinations and provides assurance that a trainer has achieved a standard of excellence in technical training.

You may work towards certification as a technical trainer in any industry. To become certified, you must demonstrate knowledge mastery as well as effective classroom performance. For the first, you take a computer-based test. For the second, you submit a 20-minute videotape of yourself in the classroom.

The Chauncey Group International manages the certification process and charges $300 for both parts of the test. Their Website includes a candidate handbook listing the key competencies needed to pass the exam, materials for test preparation, and links to course providers. There's even an exam simulator you can subscribe to.

To access Chauncey's CTT information, scroll down their homepage and select "trainer certification." For additional information on preparing for the CTT exam, view a slide presentation that a Chauncey Group representative gave at the 1998 TechLearn conference.

You can't take the certified technical trainer exam on the Web, but you can register for it online. A registration link is available on The Chauncey Group's CTT page, or you can go directly to www.2test.com/tcl/ZipCode.jsp. After you select the test, country, state, and language, the form provides a list of testing centers near you. The site even offers door-to-door directions.

Certified technical trainer competencies

To pass the CTT exam, technical trainers must demonstrate their ability to

• analyze course materials and learner information
• assure preparation of the instructional site
• establish and maintain instructor credibility
• manage the learning environment
• demonstrate effective communication skills
• demonstrate effective presentation skills
• demonstrate effective questioning skills and techniques
• respond appropriately to learners' needs for clarification or feedback
• provide positive reinforcements and motivational incentives
• use instructional methods appropriately
• use media effectively
• evaluate learner performance
• evaluate delivery of instruction
• report evaluation information.

More detailed information on those competencies can be found in the CTT Candidate Handbook of Information at The Chauncey Group's Website.

Published: March 2001