Frequently Asked Questions about Education
Table of Contents
- What is a member required to do to maintain certification?
- Will any event fulfill the educational credit requirements? Even in another discipline?
- What if my schedule did not permit, and I was unable to participate in an event in the season I was "due?"
- What if I had a medical reason as to why I was unable to participate in an event in the season I was "due?"
- Can I attend non-exam events in another PSIA/AASI division? And, will they count toward my educational credit requirements?
- Can I take an exam in another PSIA/AASI division? And, will it count toward my educational credit requirements?
- Can I attend non-PSIA/AASI clinics for credit?
- How do I order educational materials and books?
- Where can I access the exam guides?
- How long must I be a PSIA-E/AASI Level I member before attempting my Level II?
- What are the prerequisites for Level II or III exams?
- How long is a prerequisite good for?
- In the case of Alpine Level II and Level III, which have two parts, how long do I have to pass Part 2 after passing Part 1?
- I want to take an exam in another discipline. What is the PSIA-E/AASI cross-over policy between disciplines?
- If I am certified in more then one discipline (i.e. Alpine & Nordic), what are my educational credit requirements?
- If I pass the written portion of an exam, but fail the on-snow teaching segment, must I retake the written exam?
- Can I get a copy of my written exam?
Answers
What is a member required to do to maintain certification?
To maintain their level of certification a member must pay dues every season and attend an educational clinic as outlined below based on age and/or student status:
* Registered, Level I, II, and III members who are under 65 years old must attend an educational update every 2 seasons to maintain active status. Unsuccessful attempts at exams do not count as updates.
* Members between ages 65-74 must attend an educational update every 3 seasons to maintain active status. Unsuccessful attempts at exams do not count as updates.
* Members 75 years of age or older must attend an educational update every 4 seasons to maintain active status. Unsuccessful attempts at exams do not count as updates.
* Members with student status must attend an educational update every 4 seasons, while a student. Unsuccessful attempts at exams do not count as updates.
If you fail to maintain these requirements and wish to reinstate at a later date, you would need to go through the reinstatement process.
[Back to the top]Will any event fulfill the educational credit requirements? Even in another discipline?
Yes, any two day (minimum) clinic will fulfill the education credit, even a cross-over into another discipline. Actually, that's a fun way to try something new and get your credits in as well!
[Back to the top]What if my schedule did not permit, and I was unable to participate in an event in the season I was "due?"
If you could not attend an event during your "due" season, you will be charged an event waiver fee in the next PSIA-E/AASI billing cycle. If you pay that waiver, you will be all set and will maintain your certification and membership in good standing. We strongly suggest you pay the waiver and try your best to get to an event the next season.
[Back to the top]What if I had a medical reason as to why I was unable to participate in an event in the season I was "due?"
By providing proof of your medical issue to the office for our audit purposes, we will gladly waive the educational waiver fee. Please keep in mind that this only waives the fee. It is still important that you participate in an educational event to maintain your certification as soon as you are able.
[Back to the top]Can I attend non-exam events in another PSIA/AASI division? And, will they count toward my educational credit requirements?
Yes, you can attend events in other divisions. Non-exam events held by another division will count toward your educational credits. There are specific requirements to request to take an exam in another division (see next question), and unsuccessful attempts at exams do not count as updates.
You may be required to show proof that you are a PSIA/AASI member. Ask the other division to send us official notification after the event so that you are given credit for attendance. To be sure, please follow up at the end of the season with the Eastern office to confirm that we have your event attendance posted as Eastern Division credit.
[Back to the top]Can I take an exam in another PSIA/AASI division? And, will it count toward my educational credit requirements?
PSIA-E/AASI members may take an exam in another division if they are working and currently residing in that division. PSIA-E/AASI members must provide written confirmation of employment and permission to take the exam from the Ski School Director for whom they are currently employed. This documentation and a letter explaining the request must be provided to the PSIA-E/AASI office prior to registering or taking an exam, and at least 3 weeks prior. If the request is approved, the PSIA-E/AASI Director of Education will then provide written approval to the exam hosting division. It is not necessary for a PSIA-E/AASI member to transfer to or maintain dual-membership with the division hosting the exam.
The entire exam (all parts, including any prerequisites) must be passed in ONE division. No part of an exam may be counted toward the exam process in PSIA-E/AASI or vice versa should you return or relocate.
All exam results are passed onto the PSIA-E/AASI division office from the testing division as soon as possible (generally within a few weeks). After receipt of the results, the Easterm office will record the pass/fail results as well as the new level, if appropriate. If the candidate has attained a new certification level, the Eastern office will also issue and mail the appropriate pin and certificate to the member. Please note that unsuccessful attempts at exams do not count as educational updates.
[Back to the top]Can I attend non-PSIA/AASI clinics for credit?
In order to get credit for a non-PSIA/AASI event, we require a written or e-mail request for approval of the event in advance. The request must provide us with details of what the event will entail and its duration. Eastern members may only attend one non-PSIA clinic for credit every 4 years.
[Back to the top]How do I order educational materials and books?
You can obtain certification pins and educational materials through the PSIA-E/AASI office in Albany, NY. We ask you to fax or mail us an order form with your request and your credit card payment information. If you cannot access the form, you can fax us your request or e-mail Trish at the eastern office.
Educational materials are also available through the Accessories Catalog from the national PSIA/AASI office.
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Where can I access the exam guides?
Click on this link for the Alpine Education section.
Click on this link for the AASI Education section.
Click on this link for the Adaptive Education section.
Click on this link for the Nordic Education section.
[Back to the top] How long must I be a PSIA-E/AASI Level I member before attempting my Level II?
The Alpine discipline has a requirement that you be in your 2nd season of membership to attend a Level II Part 1 Skiing Exam, and in your 3rd season to attend a Level II Part 2 Teaching Exam. You can attend a prerequisite in your 2nd season if you wish, keeping in mind that a prerequisite is valid for the season you take it and the following season. If you would like to move more quickly along the Alpine path, you might want to consider our Early Admissions Program. The Adaptive, Nordic & AASI disciplines do not have a time requirement between Level I and Level II.
[Back to the top]What are the prerequisites for Level II or III exams?
Each discipline has different requirements:
Click on this link for Alpine prerequisite requirements.
Click on this link for AASI prerequisite requirements.
Click on this link for Adaptive prerequisite requirements.
Click on this link for Nordic prerequisite requirements.
[Back to the top]How long is a prerequisite good for?
A prerequisite is good for the season it is taken, and the following season, with the exception of Nordic. For Nordic disciplines, a prerequisite course must be taken in the season that you are taking your Level II or III Exam.
[Back to the top]In the case of Alpine Level II and Level III, which have two parts, how long do I have to pass Part 2 after passing Part 1?
The Alpine Level II or Level III Part 1 is valid for the season it is taken and the following 2 seasons. If you do not pass Part 2 before the end of the 2nd full season after your Part 1, you would need to start over with your Level II or Level III Part 1, as appropriate. If you are unsuccessful at one exam for a second time, you will then have to take two educational credits in the area of skill/knowledge where you were unsuccessful before taking the exam another time.
[Back to the top]I want to take an exam in another discipline. What is the PSIA-E/AASI cross-over policy between disciplines?
Any certified Level I, II or III can become certified in Alpine, Snowboard or Nordic by taking all required prerequisites and passing the Level II exam. A Snowboard, Nordic or Adaptive certified member must be in their second season of membership to attend the Alpine Level II Part 1 exam. If you have successfully completed the Part 1 exam, you can then take the Part 2 exam in your 3rd season. Any level member from another discipline seeking to enter the Adaptive track must take the Adaptive Level I exam.
[Back to the top]If I am certified in more then one discipline (i.e. Alpine & Nordic), what are my educational credit requirements?
As is the case for all PSIA-E/AASI members, the requirement of 2 educational credits every two seasons must be fulfilled, with students and seniors having different requirements based on age and/or student status. We do ask that you alternate between your disciplines each time you are due. Alternating in this way will keep you up-to-date in both/all of your disciplines, which is to your advantage.
[Back to the top]If I pass the written portion of an exam, but fail the on-snow teaching segment, must I retake the written exam?
No. Your written exam is good through the timeframe allowed for you to pass the teaching or other failed portion of your exam. If you do not meet those timeframes, and must start the exam again, you will have to retake the written exam.
[Back to the top]Can I get a copy of my written exam?
We commend your desire to review those areas where you were not successful; specifically in this case, the written portion of the exam. Because there are a limited number of test questions used in the written exam, it is in the best interest of the membership to not send those questions to participant. However, we would allow you to review the exam and your responses in the PSIA-E/AASI office. We encourage you to make an appointment with the Albany office that is convenient for both you and the Director of Education and Programs to review the written exam. In this way you would have all your questions and concerns addressed without compromising the exam process.
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We hope this helps answer some of your basic questions about PSIA-E/AASI Education. If you have any questions that are not answered here, please contact the office at (518) 452-6095, or e-mail us at psia-e(at)psia-e.org.
Note: All e-mail addresses work as links but you may need to replace the (at) with an @ sign in your e-mail program. This is a small step to try to reduce unwanted messages to our e-mails that we make public for our membership, so we appreciate your understanding in this matter. Thank you!
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