Travel Counsellor Certification
| Training | CTC Certification | |
| Provider Information | CTM Certification | |
Travel Counsellor Certification
Introduction
Travel Counsellor Certification is based on an individual’s ability to perform the knowledge and performance tasks required to meet travel industry expectations for employment. These tasks are defined in the Occupational Standards for Travel Counselling that were developed in conjunction with the Canadian Tourism Human Resource Council (CTHRC) using the emerit™ brand.
The Occupational Standards are broken down into 4 major categories – each of which identifies general activities within the occupation. These categories are:
- Professionalism
- Administration
- Sales & Customer Service
- Travel Product
COSTS for CTC Certification
FOR ACTA Members
Pay in full at time of enrollment for special rate of $325.00 + GST or HST and receive the exam prep pack for free! This also includes free enrollment.
FOR Students AND Instructors from ACTA Endorsed Schools:
Pay in full at time of enrollment for special rate of $225.00 + GST or HST and receive the exam prep pack for free! This also includes free enrollment. If you wish to pay in steps, here are the fees:
- Enrollment fee: waived
- Exam fee: $150.00+ GST or HST
- Administration cost for Performance Evaluation and Industry Experience Reports: $175.00 + GST or HST
- Total cost for CTC CERTIFICATION FOR STEP-BY-STEP PROCESS: $325.00+ GST or HST
FOR Non-ACTA Members AND Instructors from Non-Endorsed Schools
Pay in full at time of enrollment for special rate of $425.00 + GST or HST. If students wish to pay in steps, here are the fees:
- Enrollment fee: $100.00 + GST or HST
- Exam fee: $150.00+ GST or HST
- Administration cost for Performance Evaluation and Industry Experience Reports: $150.00 + GST or HST
- Option: Exam prep pack available for $35.00 + GST or HST.
- Total cost for CTC CERTIFICATION FOR STEP-BY-STEP PROCESS: $400.00+ GST or HST
FOR Students from Non-Endorsed Schools:
Pay in full at time of enrollment for special rate of $295.00 + GST or HST. If you wish to pay in steps, here are the fees:
- Enrollment fee: waived.
- Exam fee: $150.00+ GST or HST.
- Administration cost for Performance Evaluation and Industry Experience Reports: $200.00.
- Option: Exam prep pack available for $35.00 + GST or HST.
- Total cost for CTC CERTIFICATION FOR STEP-BY-STEP PROCESS: $350.00+ GST or HST
Steps to Travel Counsellor Certification:
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Complete the certification enrollment form.
- If you are paying by credit card you may submit payment electronically
- Certified cheque or money order must be submitted with enrollment form.
The Study Guide is your key to success, it will help you focus on what you need to know. Having the skills, knowledge and attitudes defined in the Guide means you have met the standards set by professionals in the travel industry. Each module of the Guide contains the following:
- introduction – general description of topics
- pre-check of skills – determine how familiar you are with topics
- national occupational standards related to the module
- learning objectives – outlines the knowledge or skills covered in the module
- module content – divided into topics
- activities – to review and test your knowledge
- on your own – self-directed exercises for additional review
- real experiences – a scenario followed by a set of questions covering the module
- answer key – to all activities
- performance checklist – rate yourself on your knowledge and experience of this module
Enrollment Fees:
The certification enrollment fee is a one-time charge and is valid for the period of time it takes you to complete the certification process.
Suggested time frame to complete the process is 1 to 2 years.
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General Details
- Supervised (proctored) setting
- 125 multiple choice questions
- 2% on Section A: Professionalism
- 13% on Section B: Administration
- 17% on Section C: Sales & Customer Service
- 68% on Section D: Travel Products
- You have four hours to complete the test.
What to expect on the Knowledge Exam
Examples include:
- destination information (map work)
- definitions
- general travel product
- reading & interpreting product information
- price calculations
When and Where Can You Write the Exam?
The CTC exam is an online exam that must be booked in advance – you choose the date and time!
Online Exams
- Exams can be scheduled on any day as long as the registration and proctor application forms are submitted at least 2 weeks prior to the exam date being requested. Please note there will not be any techincal support available for exams scheduled outside of regular business hours.
- If you attend a ACTA Endorsed Travel Program, your school may offer this test as an "exam on demand," please check with your instructor.
Who Qualifies to Proctor the Exam?
- Proctor application form and guidelines.
- All proctors must be approved by ACTA.
- Proctor forms must be submitted with exam registration
- Candidates are required to complete the proctor form and submit it to ACTA, a minimum of 14 days prior to the exam date. The only exception to this requirement is for students who are writing at their travel program as an exam on demand – where the instructor has already set up the exam arrangements
Passing the Knowledge Exam
- All online exams are computer scored and verified.
- Scores within a few points of the passing mark are automatically verified and hand scored for accuracy.
How Does ACTA Determine The Exam Pass Mark?
Each exam has a unique passing score. This is because exams are created by assembling a random group of questions from a larger bank of questions. Each question has been reviewed and rated by an expert industry committee to determine how difficult the question is and how likely a travel counsellor is to select the correct answer.
Typically the passing score will range from 74 to 76%.
What is the Exam Pass Mark?
If your score is higher than or equal to the exam standard, you will be assigned a pass result; if your score is lower than the standard, you will be assigned a fail result.
Why Is The Pass Mark Kept Confidential?
Each exam form has a different exam standard (% pass rate) so that all candidates are treated equally in terms of an exam level of difficulty. Therefore the actual pass mark has no specific bearing other than to determine if the requirement of passing the exam has been met or not met (in the case of a fail). A report of the pass mark would be of no significance since it could not be compared to results from another exam form.
What Happens If You Fail The Exam?
- You may re-write the exam as often as needed
- A re-write fee will apply
- Candidates have the right to appeal exam scores. A request to appeal the exam score must be sent to ACTA within 30 days after receiving the exam results.
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- Required: 1800 hours
- Must be relevant, recent travel industry experience (up to one year prior to enrollment).
- Candidates must supply acceptable records as proof that this requirement has been met.
- Proof of experience may include: pay slips / Record of Employments (ROEs), letters of employment.
Reducing the Occupational Experience Requirement
- If you attended an Endorsed Travel Program that included a Practicum (100 hour +) and are able to submit your practicum report, you may apply for a 180 hour reduction in Experience hours.
- If you have completed any supplier training approved by ACTA, you can apply hours to reduce your occupational experience by 450 hours. Included in supplier training are supplier specialist programs, webinars, product launches, training sessions and FAM trips. Applied hours for each event are set by ACTA.
Verification of Occupational Experience
- ACTA will review the proof you provide to determine if it is acceptable and considered relevant.
- The fee to process this requirement is included with the cost of the Performance Evaluation.
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The performance evaluation is a test of your skill on the job. The evaluation observes a selected range of skills primarily dealing with sales & communication and is completed by the office manager or supervisor.
To register for your Performance Evaluation, including tracking of your 1800 hours of work experience and checklist, please contact certification@acta.ca . The forms are currently under construction and will be made available very soon!
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In order to maintain your designation, you are required to renew your CTC/CTM on an annual basis.
For more information on ACTA membership – please consult the membership area of the ACTA website.
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| 1) |
Are all steps mandatory? |
| 2) |
I passed the Knowledge Exam at the end of my travel program, what is my next step? |
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You need to enroll for Certification and the Performance Evaluation. Certification packages are available for candidates who have passed the Knowledge Exam. |
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| 3) |
I’m a travel student – may I write the Knowledge Exam? |
| 4) |
What percentage do I need to achieve to pass the assessments? For the Knowledge Exam – pass level is on a "sliding scale" around 74%. Each individual question has its own pass percentage depending on which questions are pulled for the test the pass mark may vary slightly. |
| 5) |
Must I complete the steps in the order given? |
| 6) | Is it possible to purchase the Study Guide to be used as a textbook for my travel program? |
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Yes, the Study Guide may be purchased for classroom use. See costs below. Bulk purchase prices may be available. Note the modules in the Study Guide relate directly to the Occupational Standard. |
WORKBOOK
The Study Guide to certification outlines the skills in the occupational standard. You may use the guide to identify areas you may not have been exposed to and attempt to gain more knowledge and/or experience in those areas.
- $85.00 + shipping and handling+ GST or HST
- A Prep Guide provides information on how to write a multiple choice exam and includes 25 sample questions. Fee $20.00 + GST or HST
- A Practice Exam is available. Fee $20.00 + GST or HST
- Purchase Prep Puide and Practice Exam together for a special price
of $35.00 + GST OR HST - To order Knowledge Exam Prep Material, contact certification@acta.ca
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To enroll, please contact certification@acta.ca . The forms are currently under construction and will be made available very soon! |
KNOWLEDGE EXAM REGISTRATION
| To register for your Knowledge Exam please contact certification@acta.ca. The forms are currently under construction and will be made available very soon! |
EXAM DATE CHANGE
A change in the scheduled exam date may be made for an administration fee of $25.00 + tax. Advance notice must be given.
The cost for CTC CERTIFICATION includes the enrollment fee, the Knowledge Exam, access to Specialist Programs, reduced member pricing on FAM trips, reduced pricing on in the ACTA online bookstore, and additional benefits as highlighted on the ACTA website. For detailed information on certification please visit www.acta.ca/education.
For detailed information on the CTC CERTIFICATION PROCESS please contact certification@acta.ca