Course equivalency may be granted to a candidate eligible to
participate in the certification programs. Courses which do not have prior
Division approval, but which correlate with the content areas of the required
courses by meeting the requirements of this Section, the applicable Standard
and which conclude with an evaluation of the candidate's retention of course
materials may be granted course equivalency status by the Division. This course
equivalency status indicates an approval for certification purposes only, not
for reimbursement.
a) To request a
course equivalency, the candidate shall submit a letter to the Division
requesting course equivalency with attached proof of course completion from the
entity where the non-approved course was taken. Proof of course completions
shall include the applicable referenced Standard. Course equivalency shall be
granted if the course is compliant with the specific Standard referenced in the
Illinois certification in Subpart D. If the course completion does not include
the applicable referenced Standard, it shall be the responsibility of the
candidate to obtain a formal letter from the legal or administrative staff of
the entity where the non-approved course was taken, stating the applicable
Standard that was referenced for the specific course. College catalog
descriptions are not sufficient documentation for review.
b) When a course is granted course
equivalency, the candidate will be allowed to challenge the State Written and
Practical Examinations one time. If passed on the first attempt and all
certification prerequisites are met, the candidate will then be eligible for
certification. Failure of either the State Written or Practical Examination
will invalidate the course equivalency status and require the candidate to
successfully complete a Division-approved certification course prior to
challenging the State Written and Practical Examination a second
time.
