The ARC Specialist Training and Certification Program provides travel agents with training, an examination and certification to become an ARC Specialist (AS).
An AS is an individual travel agent who has demonstrated the knowledge of ARC's Area Settlement Plan (ASP) by passing the ARC Specialist Training and Certification Program, which includes an examination. All travel agents who successfully pass the examination receive a certificate and the AS designation.
An ASQ, like an ARC Specialist (AS), is an individual travel agent who has demonstrated the knowledge of ARC's Area Settlement Plan (ASP) by passing the ARC Specialist Training and Certification Program, which includes an examination. While any travel agent who passes the ARC Specialist Training and Certification Program examination is certified as an AS, the ASQ is an individual travel agent who has been designated by their agency's owner or officer as the ARC-required "qualifier" responsible for the day-to-day ARC functions for their agency.
The AS certification is valid for one year. As of January 2015, in order to maintain the AS certification, a travel agent will be required to take one (1) continuing education course each year in place of taking the training and/or examination each year. The ARC Specialist Training and Certification Program examination is no longer required.
If you forget your ARC Specialist Training and Certification Program username (ARCPin), you will be able to retrieve it online at arconlinetraining.com by providing the email address that is associated with your account.
The ARC Specialist Training and Certification Program continuing education courses are each approximately 30-60 minutes long.
No examination is associated with the ARC Specialist Training and Certification Program continuing education courses. However, the course may contain assessment questions.
Yes, you will receive email notifications informing you that you need to take an ARC Specialist Training and Certification Program continuing education course in order to maintain your AS certification.
Your AS certification will expire and you will be required to take the ARC Specialist Training and Certification Program in order to receive an AS certification once again. If you have been designated as your agency's ASQ, your ASQ designation will, too, expire and your agency will not meet the Agent Reporting Agreement (ARA) requirements.
For fees, please see the ARC Specialist Certification and Training page.
Unfortunately, you will have to register for the ARC Specialist Training and Certification Program again.
You can retake the ARC Specialist Training and Certification Program examination by itself as many times as you would like in order to pass. You will be required to re-register and pay the required fee each time.