SMEI Certification Policies and Procedures

(Rev October 27, 2018)

Application:

1. CSE® and CME® applicants must have a minimum of 3 years business experience, must have profit and loss responsibilities, must manage at least two people and must be employed at the time of application. Business owners with 3 or more years of business experience and professionals at recognized academic institutions in sales and marketing also qualify.
2. SCPS™ and SCPM™ applicants must be employed at the time of application and have a minimum of one year of business experience. Self-employment in sales, marketing or management qualifies as experience.
3. Applicants for CSE® and CME® and who do not have the employment prerequisites but who are enrolled in an SMEI Accredited post secondary institution and who achieve the passing grade for the examination will receive a letter of condition stipulating that the designation will be granted upon satisfying this requirement within 5 years of course graduation. A combination of education and experience will also be evaluated as acceptable prerequisites for CSE® and CME® applicants.  Once the required documentation is submitted and a full CSE® or CME® designation is granted, the applicant will be required, on the first one year anniversary date of the full designation being granted, to submit an annual renewal fee and a record of 12 hours of continuing education for each renewal period.
4. Applications must be made via the SMEI web site or using an approved SMEI Certification Application Form available through an SMEI Licensed Certification provider.

Examinations:

1. Examinations must be taken within 365 days of application approval date.
2. After 365 days, applicants must reapply and pay the full application fee.
3. Applicants may apply to SMEI for one 6 month extension of the examination deadline providing they apply in writing and include the reason for the request.  A fee will be charged for any extension granted.  The application must be received 60 days in advance of the original 365 day deadline.  
4. Examinations must be taken using a proctor or proctoring service approved by SMEI. Proctors who are not arm’s-length removed from the applicant will not be approved. For example: the proctor may not be a relative of the applicant; the applicant may not be subordinate to the proctor in an employment or contract relationship; the proctor may not be involved in an SMEI certification training program as instructor, mentor or coach.

Remedial Examinations:

See Remedial Examination page.

Maintenance of Good Standing: 

1. Certified individuals in good standing may apply for “Certification Emeritus” status at age 62 providing they have maintained their certification status for the previous 5-year period and they are permanently retired.

2. Certified individuals must complete 12 hours of qualified professional development (PDH) in each one-year period in order to renew their certification status. For individuals with multiple SMEI certification designations, the maximum number of qualified PDH required per year is 12.  Please refer to SMEI renewal guidelines as to eligibility of specific programs and activities that qualify as continuing education. Certified individuals must report their activities yearly at the time they apply for renewal of their certification.

3. A Certification Renewal Fee is payable at each 1-year anniversary.

4. Individuals who let their certification lapse may apply for reinstatement within 6 months from the lapse date and will be required to pay a fee for reinstatement for each designation in addition to the annual renewal fee.

5. Individuals who let their certification lapse for more than 6 months must reapply for certification and pay the prevailing application fee and must pass the examination in order to have their designation reinstated.

6. The certification governing board will conduct an annual audit of the certification renewal applications. All certification renewal applications are subject to the audit. An audited renewal application will require the applicant to provide authentic documentation to support the applicable renewal requirements. Failure to provide such evidence or failure to complete 12 PDH over the one-year period will require passing the current written examination for the applicable certification designation in order to maintain the designation.

Breach of Code of Ethics

Should SMEI receive an ethics complaint or become aware of a perceived ethics violation, a committee comprised of at least 3 members of the Certification Review Board shall be convened and shall be charged with a review of the alleged complaints.

The Committee shall confer to process the complaint about alleged ethical misconduct and will compile an objective, factual account of the dispute in question and make the best possible recommendation for the resolution of the case.

If the committee determines that there has been a breach of the code of conduct, the committee will prepare a report citing specific violations, as well as recommend a specific penalty, up to and including withdrawal of the SMEI certification credentials.

Complaints and Appeals

Individuals wishing to appeal any decision by the certification governing board or lodge a complaint regarding the certification program may state their case in writing by postal mail to:

SMEI Certification Board
PO Box 1390
Sumas, WA 98295-1390
USA