APR 2007-2008

Accreditation in Public Relations (APR) is a voluntary certification program for public relations professionals, administered by the Universal Accreditation Board (UAB). Members of participating organizations who are involved in the professional practice of public relations, or in the teaching or administration of public relations courses in an accredited college or university are eligible to sit for the APR exam. It is recommended that candidates have five years of public relations experience before sitting for the exam.

The APR designation offers recognition for those communicators who have demonstrated broad knowledge, experience, and professional judgment in the public relations field and signifies a high level of professional experience and competence.

Exam Process

The accreditation exam has been designed to test mastery of 60 specific competencies (knowledge, skills and abilities) that are required of successful public relations practitioners (see list below).

The accreditation process is divided in two parts: A Readiness Review and the Written Exam. The Readiness Review is organized by your local chapter and is a one- to two-hour interview and portfolio presentation that determines whether a candidate can advance to the written examination. A candidate must submit a Readiness Review Questionnaire to the local panel prior to the exam session. The portfolio presentation demonstrates evidence of the candidate's use of public relations planning, execution, and evaluation.

With the successful completion of the Readiness Review, the candidate then schedules the written exam at the nearest Prometric testing center. In Gainesville, the Prometric center is located within the Sylvan Learning Center at 4961 NW 8th Avenue, Gainesville, FL 32605, Site Code: 0629. Please call (352)371-6891 to schedule your exam date. For areas outside of Gainesville, please visit www.prometric.com.

Exam Tools

The UAB Web site has been updated with many resources and information sheets to assist candidates in their preparation. Visit http://www.praccreditation.org/ to view these documents:

Process Charts - A description of the 6 steps a candidate needs to take during the APR process.

General Information FAQ - General questions about APR, its history, its importance to the profession and more.

Candidates' FAQ - Specific questions about the new process, when it will begin, exam fees, how to prepare and much more.

Readiness Review FAQ - All the answers to your questions about how this new 1-2 hour oral exam will take place. How to prepare, who conducts the readiness review, how the exam connects with the written exam, and much, much, more.

Readiness Review Candidate Instructions - This fact sheet provides in-depth information on how to prepare the required portfolio: how to assemble the portfolio, recommended contents for the portfolio, organizing the portfolio, as well as presentation tips.

Examination Preparation Sources - Ten text books are listed for reference materials to be used by candidates in preparing for the exam. Exam developers suggest that candidates do not need to purchase or read all of the books on the list; however, the basis for every question contained in the written portion of the exam can be traced to one or several texts.

Click here to link to preparation sources recommended by the Universal Accreditation Board.


What to do next

The Gainesville Chapter of FPRA hosts study sessions each year, which includes one-on-one Readiness Review preparations. The first class/session is an overview and introduction to the APR process as well as an introduction to the syllabus, "house rules" and recommended reading.  Subsequent classes include reviews and discussions of the recommended reading and the various competencies covered in certain sections of the exam, rather than actual "study" or "teaching" sessions.

If you have five years of professional public relations experience or soon will have, and you wish to learn more about the process, contact Julie Frey, APR, for additional information.

10 major areas of competencies tested in the new APR exam

1. History of and current issues in public relations
2. Business literacy
3. Ethics and law
4. Communication models and theories
5. Researching, planning, implementing, and evaluating campaigns
6. Management skills and issues
7. Crisis communication management
8. Using information technology effectively
9. Media relations
10. Advanced communication skills