FAQs - Help

Frequently Asked Questions


  • How can I get more information or help? 

For all information and assistance, you can receive support from the IPC certification team by using the Help Desk as the email method has been phased out. The help desk can also be accessed through the Certification Portal by selecting the tab labeled Help Center Portal. *Note* you must create a login for the Help Desk in order for your inquiry to reach us successfully.

  • What is the link to the new portal?

HTTPs://certification.ipcedge.org Then when they are ready to open/close the exams and for the students to access and take the E-P&P and other exams, they can click on, "Take an Online Exam" from the webpage above or go directly to https://my.ipcedge.org.

  • How do I complete a class? How to schedule exams?  

Please review the user's guide, webinar recorded video, and the help resources. https://img.ipcedge.org/EDGE_2.0_Webinar2.mp4

User guide: https://img.ipcedge.org/Edge_2.0_User_Guide_v.1.1.pdf

How to schedule the exams in EDGE 2.0 after entering your class in the new portal, described here on page 3: https://img.ipcedge.org/Edge_2.0_User_Guide_v.1.1.pdf

After you have used the help resources, if you still have questions, please submit a new help desk ticket with specific questions. 


  • How much are the online exams?

Exams are paid for in advance. Each order will be associated with an invoice number. That invoice number will automatically appear in the invoice drop-down when scheduling the class.  The invoices can only be accessed using the FIFO (First in First out) method and will alert you if the wrong invoice is selected.

On Line Certification Exams: Please refer to the policies and procedures document. http://www.ipc.org/ContentPage.aspx?pageid=CQI-Policies-Procedures

On Line Print Exams: Please refer to the policies and procedures document. http://www.ipc.org/ContentPage.aspx?pageid=CQI-Policies-Procedures

CQI Invoice Expiration

Invoices will now expire one year from date of purchase. This policy went into effect as of January 1, 2017. Any invoice purchased on or after this date will expire one year from the purchase date. There will be no refund if funds are not used by the expiration date. 

All account holders will be notified prior to the expiration date. 

Please note, if you have a class scheduled against an invoice that is due to expire, it must be submitted, prior to the invoice expiration date.

  •      You can also purchase Certification Exam Credits through the IPC Online Store.

Please Note: You must be an IPC MIT/CIT or an approved buyer with rights from you company to purchase the online certification exam credits. All buyers will have to pre-register with IPC in order to purchase online certification exam credits.

  1. Any MIT/CIT can place an order. If someone other than a trainer is responsible for the placing orders (Buyer) for your site, IPC needs to update their record with the appropriate role so that they can make the purchase. This request can be made through the  certification help desk.
  2. Orders are address specific. The exams will only be available for the site that the purchaser is located at. Distributors and anyone purchasing for an address other than their own, need to purchase through our customer service department.
  3. IPC members can order with a PO or pay immediately using a credit card. Non-members can only place an order using a credit card
  4. Once an order is place, it will take up to 24 business hours for the funds to be available in the portal for use.
  5. If you need customer service, you can reach them at contact.us@ipc.org or by calling IPC Customer Service at +1-847-597-2862.
  • How to Order for online store
  1. You must sign in to IPC at ipc.org
  2. Select the Certification tab drop-down
  3. Select Purchase Exam Credits
  4. There is one product to choose from, purchase in $1 increments. Select the product you wish to purchase and enter the quantity desired.
  5. Finalize your order and pay for order

How do I calculate how much funds I need for exam credits?

CQI-ONLINE-EXAM-FUNDS: For IPC Standards Online Exam Funds

– For example, doing an Online Exam at the member rate, multiply the number of students who need to take the exam by $80. (e.g. 10 students X $80 = $800)

  •  How do I designate a purchasing person as a representative of a CIT to make the purchase of online exam credits?   

Any MIT/CIT can place an order. If someone other than a trainer is responsible for the placing of orders (Buyer) for your site, IPC needs to update their record with the appropriate role so that they can make the purchase. This request can be made through the  certification help desk. Please include the Purchasing representative's: First Name, Last Name, Email address, Company, Phone number. The team at IPC will update the CIT's record to allow the designated person to make the online exam credits on behalf of the CIT.

  • For the Billing Category, which option do I choose?

The billing category has six-options. 

  • Endorsement – Student wishes to add a course to an existing CSE certification
  • Initial Certification – Student needs mandatory module exams
  • Initial (optional only) – Student completed mandatory exams with another instructor and wish to add optional modules
  • Recertification – Students have previously completed IPC Certification and wish to renew that certification

(Note: this category currently only provides a discount for the CSE program. CIS and CIT programs are priced the same in this category and the Initial Certification category)

  • Retake – Student failed exam twice and requires additional attempts
  • Retake Endorsement – CSE student has failed an endorsement

As a reminder, additional regional requirements may apply. There are separate and unique requirements for any IPC Licensed Training Center or CIT that desires to conduct training in The People's Republic of China, India, Thailand, and Vietnam. Contact the IPC certification Program Office in those areas for specific requirements before scheduling or conduction training in either of these countries.

  • Is the IPC E-P&P course mandatory for CIT?

Yes, the IPC Essentials course is part of every CIT certification and re certification. It is not a separate course as before. It is part of certification and you don't have to watch the video again if you don't want to, you can just take the exam and continue. You don't have to pay extra for this, it is included in the exam. You don't need to take the E-P&P exam until you re-certify, so you are OK to train without it.

  • Will this be a module on the certificate?   

No. This will be part of the required module that must be completed before the certificate can be issued by the certification portal. It will not be designated separately from the mandatory module.

  • I've already taken the IPC Essentials; do I have to take it again?  

No, if the individual believes he/she knows enough about both subjects (or perhaps has recently taken another certification course and remembers the content from that viewing) then the exam can be taken without viewing either presentation.

  • Does the instructor need to be present for the IPC Essentials or the Policies and Procedures for the students? And can this be taken at any time?  

No, the students can do this part on their own time. Yes, taken after exams, but you cannot get your certificate until this is completed.

  • Is the E-P&P course mandatory for CIS? 

 No, the E-P&P exam for CIS is not mandatory and has been removed. Please read the CQI news article from 11/20/18.

Please have the students view the Policies & Procedures video and then go on with the mandatory module contents. The students will have the P&P questions within the mandatory module exam.

  • When was the EDGE 2.0 released?

August 27, 2018  

  • How does the retest work if a student failed?

Please refer to the policies and procedures document. http://www.ipc.org/ContentPage.aspx?pageid=CQI-Policies-Procedures

  • Why is my birthday and home address a mandatory field in updating my profile?

The IPC Certification is a personal, portable credential. Your personal information (Date of Birth, Home address, Etc.) are required information for security of the personal data. If an individual changes companies, the individual will need to notify IPC of the change. Before we can make changes to any data in the individual's record we need to verify the security information (Personal data). As with any License, Certification, or other credential the security of your personal information is critical. 

You can view the privacy statement for all IPC at the following link: http://www.ipc.org/ContentPage.aspx?Pageid=Privacy-Policy

  • Student will only have access to the exam when the trainer schedules it, is there a time limit?

Yes, there is a time limit. 

  • How does the group name get selected?

Automatically by the database.

  • Is there a difference of workmanship grades verses online print grades?

There is no difference. You manually enter if they are Competent or non-Competent.

  • How can you change your email address?

Emails can only be changed by IPC staff. This request must come through the help desk certification help desk. 

Can a student review a passed or failed exam?

No, the exams may not be reviewed after the student submits the exam for grading. The exam for certification is a verification of the student’s knowledge, skills, and abilities in applying the standards content. The exam for certification is not intended as a learning experience. The exam questions and answer must be protected so that the exam integrity and security is maintained. IPC will be enacting further security features for the exams in the coming months.

  • Do you have a user guide?

Yes, click on the Help tab and you will see it in the drop-down menu.

  • Am I required to do all modules? 

You do not have to, it’s just giving you the option to do so.

  • Is there a practice test for the EDGE 2.0 system for myself or students?  

No, there are no practice tests for the EDGE 2.0 system. Please use the FAQ and other help resources. 

  • Will the individual certificates be available for the instructor or company to download?  

No, the certificate is only downloadable by the individual who completed the certification exams. If the Company or instructor desires a copy of the certificate, the request should be made to the individual who holds the certificate. 

Instructors can access the records of his/her classes in the EDGE 2.0 Dashboard for a period of 2 years after the completion of a student's certificate. 

All class records will remain visible permanently through the certification portal enrollment websitehttps://certification.ipcedge.org/. Instructors may view and even download class records from the certification portal enrollment website.

  • Can you do current revision or previous revision for CIS? 

A CIS may be trained in any revision as required by the company or contract. Not all past revisions will be available when the system goes live on August 27th The IPC Team will continue uploading older revisions until all available revisions are activated for the CIS candidates.

  • Can you do current revision or previous revision for CIT? 

No, a CIT and MIT must certify and recertify to the latest revision available in the appropriate language.

  • Are we going to get updated training materials? 

All trainers who completed certification/recertification after April 22, 2019 will have access to training materials within 24 hours after completion of exams. Shown as CIT resources.

If you were certified/recertified prior to April 22, 2019, then you would have to buy access to the training resources as you paid less for the exam and should have training kit as part of training. Please contact Customer Service at custservice@ipc.org or 1-847-597-2862 and ask for a prorated rate quote for training materials and email address of specific trainer. As soon as the payment has been received we can activate the training resources on dashboard. The prices is the number of months left until expiration date of certificate by $20 member/$25 nonmember. Materials will not be made available before the order is paid for.  

The passing grade for the E-P&P module for all certification candidates (CIT, CIS, and CID/CID+) is 80%.

The passing grades for a CIS content module is currently 70%.

The passing grade for a CIT content module is currently 80%

The passing grade for a CID or CID+ exam is 73%.

  • Are the instructions sent to the student? 

The student will receive an email about their class. It’s up to the instructor to ask the student to complete the prerequisites.

If you cut the time short for your students, their exams will be closed, and an attempt will be lost. Therefore, it is of the outermost importance to avoid cutting students in the middle of an exam.

1. You can review the date/time you set up by clicking on Schedule Exams. It’s safer to provide more time than what students need (use the gear icon to edit). But it’s OK to edit and adjust the time you set up even when students started their attempts. Just make sure the date/time will not cut them off.

2. Students will see a timer 30 minutes before their exam gets closed. Otherwise the timer is not shown.

  • When a student is registered in a class, will they have immediate access to complete the E-P&P course (if required)?

The E-P&P can and should be taken on the student’s own initiative, including the exam. This is the one exam that doesn’t need to be proctored by an instructor.

  • What if my student fails?

Any candidate who fails the initial attempt of any module will have the option of 1, free retest. A second failure of any module means that the student is done with that class and must be enrolled in a RETEST class.

  • Third party uses for my home address?

No, it is for personal information, so we can validate you. It’s not for marketing third party. Just for our internal use only.

  • Language available?

If you select a language, the instructions will be in English, however, the exams will be in the language you select and the content.

  • When I download the Essentials course, why are there so many files to choose from? Which one do I download out?

Look for the largest file and then download that file. It will look something like this, ipc-101_english_en…zip as an example.

  • Does the student have to update their profile?  

Yes, that will be required to gain your certification, along with the Mandatory and the prerequisites.

Times should not be set for any time the student will not be in the room with the instructor. opening and closing the module should be only for a limited time and for while the student is in the class room.

  • Does IPC provide a record of some sort documenting that the student has the certificate?  We have some requirements regarding training records per ISO.?

The student may print his/her certificate at any time. If the student does not want to to print the certificate, they are not required to do so.

  • Do we still sign off module 5 on the J-STD-001 when the student take module 1 thru 4?

If the student needs module 5, the grades for modules 1-4 will populate module 5 exam score automatically. The hands-on for module 5 will still need to be completed and entered by the instructor.

The system does not auto populate the hands-on. The hands-on must still be completed by the student, just as it is required now. IF the student completes modules 1-4 exams, the written exam grade will auto populate. The hands on must be completed for module 5 and entered by the instructor.

To trigger the module 5 calculation and get current information, the student needs to generate a fresh/updated certificate.

This is a general principle of operation in this new system: it’s student centric. Meaning, student actions trigger updates.

He or she must go to the course, module 1 and download the updated certificate. Note that downloading the certificate from the dashboard is not enough, it must be from the course.

Then all the info will propagate to the proper places.

  • Where can I find the CIS extension form? How do we grant the CIS extensions?  CIT extensions?

Beginning on January 1, 2020 there will be no more extensions. 

Extensions will go away - all who would like to be continuously certified have to recertify within 6 month before expiration date of an existing certificate. Recertification after this date will receive an new expiration date that is two years greater than the date the test was completed.


  • Why do I have to login again from portal to EDGE?

Users will have the same credentials but will need to log in separately, or twice for the instructor.

Part of the reason is that we wanted to decouple this 2 systems; the one you use to schedule and manage class and the training site at https://my.ipcedge.org/

In many cases, after you schedule a class, you will be going straight to https://my.ipcedge.org/ and students too.


  • Do I need to keep the class open in the portal? Should I change the end date if student didn’t complete exams yet?

The end date is no longer relevant to the opening and closing of the exams. The end date as entered by the instructor is informational only.

 

  • “Is the concept of keeping a class "open" still associated with the class end date and CIT's need to adjust that class date as needed?”

No, the, “Open” and “Close” applies only to the individual module exams. When a student is enrolled in a class, all modules are available for that student to use until the expiration date of the certificate (as determined by the completion of the mandatory module).

  • If someone fails, in order for their free retest to available, we have to push out the end date of the class, correct?

No, the end date does not need to be modified. The end date is simply for IPC information, so we will know and can have a paper trail of when the training was intended to take place.

If a student fails a module, the 1, free retest remains available to that student. The instructor can’t open that module again for the student until after the wait period has passed. In the case of a CIT, the open book or closed book exam that was failed can’t be opened again until the 14 days has passed.

In the new system, no individual student’s record is dependent on any other student. If a situation as just described happens (one passes the other fails), the student who passed can print the certificate and move along. Nothing must be submitted and no dates have to be amended.

For the student who did not pass one exam, after the 14-day wait has elapsed, the instructor can simply open the failed exam for the student to attempt the retest. If the student passes, then he printed his certificate and moves on. If he fails again, the system deactivates access to the exams and the student must be enrolled in a new class at full fee for any further exam attempts.

  • What are the new fees?

Please refer to the policies and procedures. http://www.ipc.org/ContentPage.aspx?pageid=CQI-Policies-Procedures

  • The J-STD CIS Space will now be a separate course in the new system.  Does this mean it will now be treated exactly at the CIT Space cert is?  They will receive a separate certificate # for the J-STD CIS Space?

Yes, this is correct. The Moodle programming system handles access a little differently than the older system. For add-ons like the Space module for J-001 and 620, these will be a separate certificate.

As these are add-on endorsements to the base, J-001 or 620 certificates, the will not need to do the E-P&P again for the endorsement. They will, however be a separate course fee.

  • Is the 6012 Space being handled the same way?

All space modules are being done the same way.

If there is no activity from the student, meaning no entry of answers, no clicks, no page changes… inactivity… for 30 minutes, Moodle assumes that the individual is no longer testing and closes the session. If a student is logged out because of inactivity, this counts as a failed attempt. The student must wait the 24 hours and make a second attempt at the exam.

The same time frame as above applies. If the system does not see activity for 30 minutes, it is counted as a failed attempt.

  • If we set up a class in English and then find once in class we have a student who would prefer to test in another language, do we have to remove them from that class and set them up in another class with that language selected?

Once they have started testing in a language, if they find it's not helpful and they'd prefer to finish in English, can this be done without having to pay another full exam fee?

One language can be selected for the student. If the student decides that he/she wants a different language, that’s a different class. If the student has not taken any exams, the student can be deleted from the class and enrolled in the other language. Once a student takes an exam, that class is locked to that student. A different language at that point means a new class and new class fee.

  • The E-P&P exam can be taken on-line un-proctored. When an Instructor must use on-line print, do they have to proctor the E-P&P printed exam?

If the online print is used, they instructor will need to proctor the printed exam just as he/she would all other printed exams. The papers must be collected and stored/accounted for to protect the integrity of the exams… as much as it can be protected and still allow printed exams.

  • Is there a 14-day waiting period for a CIT who fails the E-P&P exam the first time?

Yes, please refer to the policies and procedures. please refer to the policies and procedures document.  http://www.ipc.org/ContentPage.aspx?pageid=CQI-Policies-Procedures

  • When I enrolled my students in the class, they only received a general email on how to set up password. Why?

The password email is a universal email that will go to every person that is enrolled in a class. The purpose of the email is to direct the student to set up his/her password in EDGE 2.0. Any further instructions a trainer or training center wish to communicate need to be sent to the student from the trainer/training center.

  • Can I change the information in my student profile through EDGE 2.0?

When completing the student profile in EDGE 2.0, everyone can enter the profile information, save the information and then can review and modify the information once. Any further changes to the submitted student profile requires contact with IPC Helpdesk.

  • How do we change the name on the certificate to use non-Latin-based characters?

It is not possible to use non-Latin-based (English) characters for the certificates. IPC Certificates use the internationally accepted business language (English) for the names on certificates. The student or instructor will need to work out the closet English equivalent letters for the names of the student.

  • Grades are showing, Certificates are not showing up?  

When grades have been entered, then the student can login and update profile and download certificate from the mandatory module. Steps to update profile are on page 36 in user guide. Steps on how to get certificate is on page 36 here: https://img.ipcedge.org/Edge%202.0%20User%20Guide%20-%20v1.pdf

  • My Student downloaded their certificate, but my portal class isn't showing the certificate number. Why?

Trainer must click on the Get Scores button in class after certificate has been downloaded. Get Scores button will populate grades and certificate numbers in class. After that all information will be synced to database. There is a 24-hour delay before you will see generated certificate number in summary. The User reports on testing site will show information in real time. 

  • Validation issues, my certificates are not showing up in EDGE 2.0, why?  

Only Certificates earned in EDGE 2.0 will show in the certification section of EDGE 2.0.

All data is not migrated yet.
If you earned your certificate in EDGE 2.0 portal, then validate it in EDGE 2.0 here: https://my.ipcedge.org/ scroll down box is in down right corner.

All people may login the certification portal and click on My Certification Summary to see all certificates and certificate numbers. Here is the link: https://certification.ipcedge.org/  

  • I need a copy of my student’s certificates, where?   

Certificates belong to the student. We are not allowed to share this information as certificate is private and belongs to individual. You will need to obtain a copy from the student. The certificate is a legal document that is traceable through the individual who achieved the certificate.

If you do not get the 100% while completing the Essentials training, here is what you must do:

Students have a checkbox to agree that they went through both the Essentials and P&P presentation. See picture. Just by clicking the checkbox the P&P exam will be unlocked for them.

  • Password issues?   

If they do not know their password, they can go to https://my.ipcedge.org/, click on Recover my password and get a link on their email.

  • How do I submit my class in the new portal?

You don’t have to submit classes in the new portal. Just leave classes as these are in the list.

The reason you don’t submit classes anymore is because everything is managed in one system and trainers can open and close tests there is no need to play with the dates in class or submit class to lock dates. It’s already built into the system now. It is just different architecture and system is built on different way.  

  • No more extensions?   

As of January 1, 2020, no extensions can be applied. Recertification may be achieved up to 6 months before the expiration date to receive a new expiration date that is two years greater than the current expiration date. Recertification after this date will receive an new expiration date that is two years greater than the date the test was completed. 


Remote Proctoring User Guide for Instructors link: https://img.ipcedge.org/Remote_Proctoring_for_instructors.pdf

Remote Proctoring User Guide for Students link: https://img.ipcedge.org/rpguide-1.0.pdf