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ABOUT THE CCVA AND ITS EXAM
The Council for Certification in Volunteer Administration (CCVA) is an international organization for volunteer engagement professionals across the globe. CCVA has had oversight of the international CVA credential since 2006.
The Certified in Volunteer Administration (CVA) Exam is administered by CCVA. The CVA Exam is offered twice each year and costs $400. You have 2 hours to answer 100 multiple choice questions; you can take the Exam online from any computer with an internet connection. (Accommodations for special needs are available on a case by case basis.)
- Spring Exam applications and $400 payment due to CCVA by March 1
- Spring Exam window = April 1-14
- Fall Exam applications and $400 payment due to CCVA by September 1
- Fall Exam window = October 1-14
The entire process is outlined here: How to become Certified in Volunteer Administration (CVA) (cvacert.org). If any of the links below don’t work, they can all be found on the www.CVACERT.org website.
WHY SHOULD I EVEN TRY TO GET THIS CREDENTIAL? WHAT’S IN IT FOR ME AND MY ORGANIZATION?
The CVA credential behind your name is a highly visible sign that you are a professional committed to lifelong learning, networking with other volunteer managers across the globe, and practicing ethically. You’ll get access to thousands of others doing the important work of volunteer management across the globe. This community supports its 1,200 global members like only our profession can.
For a quick Check out this CVA Fact Sheet.
Still considering? How about these 10 Reasons to Become a CVA?
Need paperwork to help your boss understand why taking the exam and becoming a CVA is a great idea? We can help there, too, with this flyer detailing 7 Great Reasons to Hire a CVA.
Remember, DOVIA Mississippi can also help locally with a one-on-one mentor, access to study materials, and even financial help to take the test.
EXAM PREPARATION TIPS & TRICKS
These tips and suggestions should help you successfully take the exam:
- Join a study group in person or by Zoom. We found that having colleagues to cheer and encourage is a huge part of being confident, prepared, and successful. (To find a group, email Michele Baker, CVA at dovia.michele@gmail.com and ask about a current study group. There is one in Tennessee that has offered to allow Mississippi candidates to join it.)
- Join one of CCVA’s information session webinars to get all the details about the credential, the testing process and timeline. (See a calendar of info sessions here.)
- Follow the CCVA’s public Linked In page and the CCVA’s public Facebook page to find others across the USA, Canada, and the globe who are taking the test. Interact. Ask questions. Make friends!
- Take the Self-Assessment to see where you might need information or there are gaps in your knowledge.
- Go ahead and fill out the Document of Eligibility (instructions and form).
- Thoroughly read the 15-page Handbook (get it here) & thoroughly review the Body of Knowledge pages contained in the Handbook.
- As a supplement to your education, review the textbook, “Volunteer Administration: Professional Practice” (any edition). DOVIA has two copies – ask to borrow one, or you may buy one here ($110). The test is not taken directly from the textbook, although there are questions drawn from concepts in the book. Read it as additional information to add to what you already have from your own experience.
- Again as a supplement, buy & read the e-book version of Susan Ellis’s “From the Top Down” ($14 – get it here)
- Look at the resources under “CCVA Resources” and “Becoming a CVA” on this page: Resources: CVA Resources and Media (cvacert.org)
- Talk to volunteer managers in other fields so you get multiple versions of any one idea – remember, this test is international and intended to assess universal/general knowledge that would be constant among both a 2-year newbie in Mississippi and a 25-year seasoned leader in Toronto. Try to find the underlying connections between different approaches and see where they fit in the Body of Knowledge. For example, if you work in health care, talk to managers of volunteers in schools, faith-based organizations, or social service agencies. Find the commonalities.
- Look over the Sample Exam Questions.
- Final tip: Don’t wait until the very last minute to take the test. It is an online test, and you may take it from anywhere where there is internet access. It is self-proctored: your camera watches to make sure your eyes are on the screen (and not on your notes or the book, for example).
Feel free to email Michele Baker, CVA (dovia.michele@gmail.com) or Elizabeth Coleman, CVA (elizabethcolemancva@gmail.com) for information, to ask questions, or to get support. We are here to support and help – good luck!
Remember the March 1 and September 1 application deadlines!