The National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) offers the Certified Park and Recreation Professional (CPRP) certification for professionals in the parks, leisure, and recreation fields. Administered by the National Certification Board of the NRPA, the CPRP is based on national job analyses conducted in 1989, 1999, and 2006 concerning the core components of the leisure service profession.1 The 150 question exam, which covers areas of general administration, programming, and operations management, has been designed to assess basic job-related knowledge common to entry level professionals.2
Those qualified to apply for the certification exam include students who have received or are set to receive a bachelor's degree in the field, graduates in the field who have 1 year of full-time experience, graduates in other fields who have 3 years of full-time experience in the field, and high school graduates who have 5 years of full-time experience in the field.3
The National Recreation and Park Association offers a study guide and practice exam to prepare for the certification examination. They also provide special accommodations for candidates with disabilities or for those with English as their second language.4 To recertify, candidates must complete 2.0 Continuing Educational Units in an approved field-related course.
- 1. “CPRP Agency Discount.” The National Recreation and Park Association. < http://www.nrpa.org/Content.aspx?id=2960 > 10 Aug. 2011.
- 2. “The CPRP Exam.” The National Recreation and Park Association. < http://www.nrpa.org/Content.aspx?id=922 > 28 Aug. 2011.
- 3. “Am I eligible to become a CPRP?” The National Recreation and Park Association. < http://www.nrpa.org/Content.aspx?id=920 > 10 Aug. 2011.
- 4. Op.cit., “The CPRP Exam.”
