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Credentials
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Once you have selected a credential, reviewed any requirements, and obtained any additional training or experience needed, you are ready to apply for and take the credentialing exam. Follow the credentialing boards' application procedures which often include:
- Submitting an application
- Submitting documentation of military training and experience
- Taking an exam
- Possibly paying application and exam fees
After you've earned the credential, make sure you are aware of any requirements to keep your credential active. Check with the credentialing agency regarding the following items:
- Is there a renewal period for the certification and if so, how long is it? Many certifying agencies require you to renew your certification after a period of time, for example every three years.
- Are there renewal requirements? Credentialing agencies may require additional training or education, commonly called continuing education, after you earn a credential to demonstrate up-to-date knowledge. Others may require that you take the certification exam again at the end of the renewal period. Renewal requirements, and costs, will vary by credentialing agency.
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Most certifications and licenses have fees associated with them that are charged by the credentialing board or agency such as application fees and exam fees. In addition, you may need to pay for additional training or education if you do not meet the requirements set by a credentialing board or certification agency. To prepare for a credential, consider the following questions:
- Do you need additional training and experience to qualify for licensure or certification?
- Do you need financial assistance to pay for additional training or for credentialing exam fees?
There are resources available to help Service members cover some of the costs associated with credentialing. For example, eligible service members and veterans can use the Montgomery GI Bill to pay for fees for approved civilian occupational licensing and certification exams. GI Bill benefits can also be used for costs associated with an undergraduate degree at a college or university, a certificate or diploma from a business, technical or vocational school, training programs, and apprenticeships.
See the Cost & Resources on COOL for more information on the resources available.
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After using the Find and Select Related Credentials search to find the credentials related to your MOS, learn about credential requirements by following these steps:
- Look for the certifications marked as D (directly related) or S (skill related) in the Related Credentials table. These certifications have the most potential for you to take advantage of the training and education you've received in the Army by using the knowledge and skills you've learned to help you earn a civilian credential.
- Click on the certification name in the table to open up a Credential Snapshot page. The Snapshot pages contain a brief description of the certification, a summary of the credential requirements, and links to the certification agency's web page for additional information.
- Review the Summary and Eligibility tabs on the snapshot page to get an overview of what is required by the certification agency (on the Summary tab) and specific details (on the Eligibility tab), if applicable. Credentialing boards determine the requirements for licensure and certification. Typically they require a combination of the following:
- Education
- Training
- Work or professional experience
- Examinations
- Other unique job-related requirements
- Contact the credentialing agency to confirm applicable licensure or certification requirements and request application forms and exam preparation materials if available. If the COOL snapshot page is under development, find out if exam, experience, or education requirements are involved. Inquire about any fees associated with applying for a credential.
- Determine if the Army training or experience you already have is accepted by the credentialing agency.
- Determine what additional steps, if any, you need to take to become licensed or certified.
- If the credentialing agency does not explicitly recognize military training and experience in its written requirements, it may be necessary to contact the board directly to ask.
- If the credentialing agency indicates that military training and experience are not automatically recognized, find out if they can conduct an individual assessment of your military training and experience, and what you need to do to initiate the assessment.
The Media Page is the place to go for COOL information and graphics. This page is a service to those seeking information about the COOL Web site or the Army GI-to-Jobs initiative, and is intended to assist in the process of gathering facts and graphics. If you do not find the information for which you are looking, let us know using our contact form.
For media contacts call the Army Personnel Command Public Affairs Office at (502) 613-4416.
A note about file sizes: The print resolution graphics and PDF documents on this page may have large file sizes, and therefore may take some time to download, especially on a dial-up connection. If you do not intend to print the graphic or document, using the screen resolution version is recommended.
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The following information can be used in part or in total to provide information about COOL. We ask that if you do use this information, please send us an email to let us know if the information was helpful to you.
QR Code
QR codes, or Quick Reference codes, are those strangely-patterned boxes you're starting to see more and more of on advertisements and printed materials. If you scan a QR code with a smart phone, you can read the encoded information. (Free QR code readers are available on all major smart phone operating systems.) QR codes can contain information such as a URL, so the user doesn't have to try to type it all in on the phone keypad.
COOL, being cool, has a QR code. Feel free to copy and paste the graphics below into your stuff to make it easier for Soldiers to get to COOL when they're on the go. All three images are just different sizes of the same QR code, and encode https://www.cool.army.mil/index.htm.
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COOL for You Brochure
The COOL for You brochure provides a concise overview of the COOL Web site, including highlights of the credentialing information provided. |
COOL Posters
COOLness for your wall. Printer friendly 8.5" x 11", or print them bigger if you have the hardware. |
COOL Fact Sheet
Just the facts, ma’am. The COOL Fact Sheet is a crisp source of information about COOL’s:
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COOL Quotes
People have said the nicest things. See our COOL Quotes page for user’s “I was there” accounts. Also on this page are quotes from officials about this site. The quotes page will be updated, so check in if you haven’t been around.
Press Releases
- The one that started it all: May 24, 2002 U.S. Army News Release: New Army Program Helps Soldiers Gain Certification for Civilian Jobs
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To download an image below, click on a thumbnail. A new window will open, containing the Image.
For Windows:
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Need the scoop on credentialing, but not sure where to start? Look no further! Check out COOL’s Credentialing Overview Microsoft PowerPoint presentation. It covers the basics:
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Pretty COOL, huh?
Use the presentation as-is, modify it, or incorporate the slides into your own presentation. It’s yours to use!
To download the presentation, right-click on the link above, and select “Save Target As...” Specify where you want to save it, then click “Save.”
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The Servicemembers Opportunity Colleges (SOC) are a consortium of more than 1,700 colleges and universities pledged to deal fairly with Soldiers on issues that concern them such as credit for military training and experience, residency, credit transfer and testing.
SOC Army Degree (SOCAD) Army Career Degrees are individual degree programs created by SOCAD colleges that pre-evaluate military credit recommendations for specific MOSs and match them to degrees normally taken by civilians in similar occupations.