FAQ | Credentialing | American Fence Association (AFA)

Find answers to your questions about our credentialing programs.

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General

What is the difference between certification and accreditation?

Certification recognizes individuals. Accreditation recognizes companies.

I don’t meet the experience requirements for a certification program yet. Can I still apply?

Yes! If you are within one year of meeting the experience requirements, you may sit for the certification exam. If you pass, your credential will be held until all other requirements are met.

Can I test online?

Currently, ACI offers all certification testing in-person only.

Does ACI offer education or training to go with its certification programs?

No. ACI is a credentialing body only and all programs are self-study. Other organizations do offer hands-on training courses that use the same study guides, but these courses do not “teach to the test” or have any knowledge of what material is included in exam questions.

Do I have to keep track of all my continuing education credits for three years until my renewal application is due?

You will be required to enter your continuing education credits as part of your renewal application. However, you may enter them into your ACI profile as you earn them over the three-year period and they will be available to select as part of your renewal application when it is due.

CFC

Does the CFC program cover general fence installation skills?

The CFC program focuses on the aspects of running a fence contracting business, not installing fences. It is assumed CFC candidates have experience installing fences. Study guides that cover basic fence installation practices, as well as specific fence disciplines, are included in the CFC study materials for reference and candidates must pass two online prequalifying exams covering these topics before they can sit for the business exams.

What kind of continuing education credits are valid for my CFC recertification?

Any courses that relate to fence, access control, or business topics are eligible.

CGAD

I work for a company that installs automated gate systems, but I do not have direct installation experience. Am I eligible for the CGAD program?

Candidates are not required to have installation experience for the CGAD program. If you have one year of experience in the automated gate systems industry at any position, you are eligible for the CGAD program. If you do not have one year of experience, you may also attend the American Fence Association’s Gate Automation Designer School and the experience requirement will be waived.

What kind of continuing education credits are valid for my CGAD recertification?

Any courses that relate to automated gates or access control topics are eligible.

CGAT

Is the Certified Gate Automation Technician program approved for Louisiana and Mississippi gate systems licensing?

YES! The Certified Gate Automation Technician program was approved in 2020 as an initial and qualifier certification for Gate Systems by the Life Safety & Property Protection Education Board of the State Fire Marshal of Lousiana.

If you are trying to become licensed in either Louisiana or Mississippi, successfully earning the Certified Gate Automation Technician credential will meet the certification requirements.

For more information on this, please contact info@acieducation.org.

I work for a company that installs automated gate systems, but I do not have direct installation experience. Am I eligible for the CGAT program?

Candidates for the CGAT program must have one year of experience installing gate operators before they are eligible for the certification. However, candidates may sit for the certification exam before the experience requirement is met and the certification will be held until the experience requirement is met.

What kind of continuing education credits are valid for my CGAT recertification?

Any courses that relate to automated gates or access control topics are eligible.

General Exam Guidelines

All exam questions are developed directly from the program study materials; no other resources are used.
Candidates must supply a photo ID at check-in to confirm their identity.
Candidates may take multiple exams at a testing event provided the time block fits the exam parameters. For example, a testing event scheduled from 8am to 12pm would allow a candidate to take two two-hour exams or one four-hour exam.
All exams are closed book and no notes or materials may be used.
Notes may not be taken during exams. If candidates have concerns about any of the questions on the exams, comment cards are available at every testing event that are reviewed by the Credentialing Manager and the Credentialing Committee per AFA policy.
Exams are scored by approved scoring administrators and candidates will be notified of their exam results via email within 15 business days, although it is typically sooner. For multiple-day testing events, scoring administrators will make every effort to send results via email on the same day as the exam in order to facilitate retakes the next day if necessary.
Exam results are only reported as pass or fail. AFA does not release scores or any other information about which questions were missed in order to maintain the security and validity of the exam process.
Candidates may not take a certification exam for the same program more than once in a 24-hour period.
If a candidate does not pass a certification exam, he or she may retake the exam at another testing event.