• Declaring your Candidacy is the first step on your certification journey and the candidacy application fee is $200.
• There is a $25 fee to access the online exams located inside the Certification Curriculum. There are now six modules with 6 exams instead of one 100-question exam.
• Once you pass the exams, then you become eligible to submit the three images for the Technical Image Evaluation during any evaluation period. They take place 10 times a year. The image kit used to create your images costs approximately $35 and is ordered from Blick U. There is no cost to submit images to the Technical Image Evaluation.
• If your candidacy expires before you successfully complete your evaluation, you can apply for a candidacy extension at a cost of $100. The candidate must have already passed the Certification exam to qualify for a candidacy extension. To learn more about a candidacy extension, please email us at [email protected].

All Certified Professional Photographers and CPP Candidates are required to be PPA members to obtain and to maintain their CPP credential. For more information about PPA Membership click here!

1. Declare your candidacy  
   • To do this, simply fill out the candidacy form and pay the application $200 fee. Please note that your candidacy will not be officially declared until your payment is processed. Once confirmed, your candidacy will be valid for two years.
2. Prepare for the exam
   • PPA has launched a Certified Professional Photographer Curriculum to help you prepare for the exam and any challenges you may face as a professional photographer. Visit the curriculum at Curriculums | Professional Photographers of America. The curriculum is broken down into six different modules that contain educational videos, visual presentations, the Photography Certification Guide, and quizzes. You do not have to complete the modules to obtain your certification.
   • 3. Take the exams There is an exam at the end of each module. When you feel confident enough to take your first exam, click on the exam that correlates with the module and follow the prompts to set up. You will need to pass each of the six exams to be able to move onto the Technical Image Evaluation.
   • *Candidates who declared their candidacy before February 1, 2025, are not required to pass the sixth module exam, Introduction to Business.
3. The Technical Image Evaluation follows the exams       

   • Each Image Evaluation will demonstrate three images. Please visit the Path to Certification page to download the Technical Image Evaluation Handbook and get more information.
   • You can submit your images as many times as needed within your two year candidacy period. Should you not pass the Technical Image Evaluation within your candidacy period, you can apply for a candidacy extension, with the reduced cost of $100 and an additional year to do so.
4. Celebrate! Once you get your certification, give yourself a break and celebrate! 

Once you've achieved the CPP designation, you will need to recertify every three years. 

To recertify, 15 *Continuing Education Units* (CEUs) are required or re-examination, along with a payment of $100.

The $100 recertification fee is waived if the following requirement is met:

•     The CPP has attended Imaging USA for three consecutive years during their certification cycle.

The CEU system involved in the CPP recertification process is there to encourage CPPs to continue their journey in photography education and professional development. By participating in continuing education, Certified Professional Photographers help to raise the bar of the photography industry.

To learn how to how to earn CEUs or if you're not sure how to add up your CEUs, please visit the recertification page.

*Please note CEUs are only used for purposes of the Certification program and have no correlation to the PPA merit. For additional information on this please email [email protected].

The Certification Committee follows the standards for certification established by the Institute of Credentialing Excellence. ICE sets the guidelines for creating the written test for certification, ensuring the questions are relevant to professional photography today. The Institute of Credentialing Excellence also provides support and information for maintaining the certification process to the certification Committee.

The CPP designation is international and there are CPPs all over the world!

International CPP Candidates may declare their candidacy and take the exams online via the CPP Curriculum.

All Technical Image Evaluation materials are submitted online. Your Technical Image Evaluation kit will need to be ordered online from BlickU. Please refer to the Path to Certification page for more information. Please allow between 5-10 business days for kit delivery (pending location). For additional assistance for international candidates please email [email protected].

You will receive your CPP certificate in the mail approximately 3-4 weeks after the date that you received your passing email notification. Look for the gold tube!

If your candidacy has expired and you have not successfully completed the exam requirement, please contact [email protected] for assistance.

If you have successfully completed the exam requirement, but not the Technical Image Evaluation requirement, please contact [email protected] for next steps.

Once you pass the CPP Exams, you become eligible to participate in the Technical Image Evaluation. There are 10 evaluation periods per year and they begin in February. Eligible candidates will receive an email notification at 12 PM EST on the date that the Technical Image Evaluation period opens notifying them that the evaluation is open for submissions. The candidate will have one week to upload three images that fit within their chosen criteria.

Candidates can access the evaluation upload platform by logging into their PPA dashboard and navigating to the Achievements tab. Then, select "Certifications" to expand the section where the candidate can view the option to “Upload Evaluation”. Upload all three images and make sure to click the "Complete" button to submit the images. 

You will not see thumbnails of your images.

Each candidate is required to submit THREE (3) images that depict key photographic techniques.

1. Image 1 – Straight on, Portrait orientation
2. Image 2 – Overhead, Landscape orientation
3. Image 3 – Overhead, Landscape orientation

Please visit the Technical Image Evaluation page to prepare!

All images are reviewed by trained evaluators. All images are evaluated according to the checklist located inside the Technical Image Evaluation Handbook, with each image reviewed on the same objective scale.

Please note: Images are evaluated in the most recent version of Adobe Bridge Camera Raw only, Profile: Adobe Standard.

The review process takes three-five business days after the last submission date. Technical Image Evaluations results will be sent via email approximately three-five business days after the evaluation deadline.

Please make sure you are subscribed to PPA emails to receive the results.

If your evaluation did not pass, it means that either one or more of your images did not meet the elements listed on the Technical Image Evaluation Criteria Checklist. You will be able to log in and review your Image Evaluation and you may resubmit your images during any future evaluation periods. You should always check the feedback associated so you know exactly what to improve in your images for the next evaluation!

Eligible candidates can submit images as many times as needed within their two-year candidacy period. Evaluation cycles occur 10 times per year. If the candidate does not pass the Technical Image Evaluation within the two year candidacy period, they can apply for a candidacy extension for a $100 fee. Payment of the fee will allow them one more year to submit images.

We recommend that the candidate take their images using the light source they are the most familiar. You need to show what you do on a daily basis, and show that you know how to skillfully use natural light, how to manipulate it, and how to get proper ratios. The Technical Image Evaluation offers candidates three lighting scenario options to choose from to complete the evaluation process.

• OPTION 1: Electronic Flash (speedlights, studio strobes, location strobes)
• OPTION 2: Continuous Light (modeling, tungsten lights)
• OPTION 3: Natural Light (window, natural, available light)

Candidates are required to identify and select only ONE lighting scenario to complete their evaluation.

You will receive your Certified Professional Photographer certificate in the mail approximately two-three weeks after the date that you have received your passing email notification.

Images taken in a workshop environment or under direct supervision of an instructor are not allowed for image evaluation. All images submitted must be self-directed and individually set up. 

You can order the Blick Art Materials Supply List here. 

In order to participate in the Technical Image Evaluation, candidates must pass all 5 (or 6 if you declared your candidacy after February 1, 2025) of the CPP Exams to be eligible to participate in the evaluation. However, you can purchase your Blick Art Materials Supply List at any given time before or during your two-year CPP Candidacy. Review evaluation periods and deadlines in advance and place orders accordingly and please allow 5-10 days for shipping.

To keep evaluations uniformed and impartial, candidates are required to use items listed on the Blick Art Materials Supply List.

Please contact [email protected] and we’ll be happy to assist you.

When purchasing your Technical Image Evaluation kit, at times a(n) item(s) may be Out of Stock please check the alternative materials list on the Ordering Guide to view alternate item(s). Please note that alternative items at times will be added to the kit list so items you receive can vary. Please email [email protected] if an item on the list is out of stock.

As some items may be out of stock at time of purchase, alternative variations are used in place of out-of-stock items. Please be aware use of alternative items will differ from sample images that are currently posted online (you might find this specifically with different gray paper variations). If you have concerns please reach out to [email protected] for additional information!

Images and placement of items should closely resemble the sample images that have been provided in the Technical Image Evlauation Handbook. 

If any of your images fail, you must re-submit new images that fit the criteria in the next Technical Image Evaluation you decide to participate in.

Any previously ACCEPTED images from a previous evaluation will be carried over and you will not be required to re-upload. If previously ACCEPTED images do not appear in your evaluation please contact [email protected] prior to evaluation deadline.

Images must be shot and submitted in the smallest RAW format available on your camera. Images cannot be edited in any way and must be submitted during the image submission period.

You can find videos that go into more detail on The Technical Image Evaluation in the CPP Curriculum after Module 6 or click the link below.

https://www.ppa.com/edu/track/the-technical-image-evaluation

PPA launched a new and improved CPP Curriculum in 2025 that is broken down into six modules (sections) to help candidates learn at their own pace. Each module contains educational videos by different instructors, visual presentations, quizzes, the Photography Certification Guide, and the on demand exam that corresponds with that module. 

*Tip: You will need to use Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge as your browser to take each of the exams. 

It is $200 to declare your candidacy and you will have two years to pass the exams and pass the Technical Image Evaluation. The cost to access the exams is $25 and candidates get 10 total attempts over the 6 exams.

*Any candidate that declared their candidacy before February 1, 2025, does not have to pass the Introduction to Business Exam.* 

The modules are located under the “Benefits > Certification Curriculum” menu at the top of the page after you log into your PPA account.

You may start in any module and skip around, or you can just start with the first module.

Module 1: Cameras, Lenses, and Attachments

Module 2: Lighting and Flash Photography

Module 3: Design and Composition

Module 4: Exposures and Metering

Module 5: Digital Post-production

Module 6: Introduction to Business 

Sign in to your PPA member account.

Navigate to the “Benefits” tab and click on it.

Click on “Certification Curriculum”.

Navigate to the Module in which you would like to take the exam. At the bottom of the module content on the right side, you will see the Certification Exam that correlates with that module.

Click on the exam and you will be prompted to pay for the first 10 attempts for $25. If you use the 10 attempts across all 6 of the exams and need more, you will again be prompted to pay another $25 for 10 more attempts.

You will then go through a few system checks, add the browser extension, a room scan, and an ID scan before you begin. 

The exam can only be taken on a Google Chrome  or Microsoft Edge browser, and you will be required to add an extension to take the exam. The process should only take a few minutes, and you will be able to take that section of the exam as soon as the process is complete. 

Those who declared their candidacy before February 1, 2025 do not have to pass the Introduction to Business exam.

*You must be a declared and active CPP Candidate or a CPP up for recertification within 90 days of your expiration date to take the CPP Exams.* 

The certification exams are comprised of 8-25 multiple-choice questions each. The material is pulled from the CPP test specifications, and all exam questions are referenced in the available Photography Certification Guide or the Benchmark Business guide.

You will have to score 70% or higher to pass each of the exams. 

If you do not pass a module exam, you will only have to retake that specific exam. 

The exams are on demand which means you do not have to schedule with a proctor. When you click on the “Exam 1, 2, 3…etc” you will see the set-up section open on the page. Just follow the prompts to begin the exam. 

CPP Exams are not associated by specialty (Portrait, Sports, or Commercial), but you will need to have a good understanding of the fundamentals of photography to pass the exam. 

No need to register. Just click on an exam at the bottom of a Certified Professional Photographer Module when you feel comfortable enough to take the exam.

You will be prompted to pay $25 for the first 10 exam attempts the first time you decide to take an exam. 

You will receive your results in your PPA account under “Achievements” > “Certifications” 

For exams taken online, you will receive your results in your PPA account approximately 1-3 business days after your exam date. All exams must be reviewed before scores are released.

• You will see your score as a percentage and see a "Pass" or "Fail".
• If you have passed the required exams, you will automatically become eligible to submit your images to The Technical Image Evaluation when it opens every month from February to November.

No, you do not have to complete the module(s) before taking the exam for each module. The progress bar is just there to help you track your personal progress. 

Candidates will have 10 attempts over the six exams and can add more attempts is needed.

You may take the exam as many times as you need during your two-year candidacy period. After that initial two-year period, you will need to start the process again, but there are no limits as to how many times you might be allowed to do this again. 

It is $25 for 10 attempts. If you use the 10 attempts, you will need to purchase another 10 attempts for $25.

CPP exam accommodations 

The CPP examination program provides reasonable and appropriate accommodations for individuals with documented disabilities within the meaning of the Americans with Disabilities Act, as amended (ADA).  

Under ADA, a disability is a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits an individual's ability to perform one or more major life activities, as compared with most people in the general population. PPA will make reasonable efforts to accommodate eligible candidates, who provide documented evidence of their disability or need for special arrangements that do not present an undue burden to the proctor and do not fundamentally alter the measurement of the knowledge the assessment is intended to test.  

If you require special testing arrangements, you must inform PPA of your needs via email as soon as possible so arrangements can be made with the proctoring company. Please email [email protected] for special accommodation requests.

We recommend allocating about 30 minutes to an hour from your schedule for each of the CPP Exams to allow time for set-up and test taking. 

• Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge browser
• Your government issued identification (driver’s license, ID, Passport). The name on your ID must match the name in your PPA account.
• A webcam
• A quiet location clear of any reference material
• Strong Internet connectivity. We recommend a hard-wired Internet connection if possible.
• Your PPA log in
• Pocket-style or computer application calculator

You must use Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge.

It is recommended for candidates to take the exam in an area that is quiet,  free from clutter, and free from distractions. Candidates will have to perform a 360-degree room scan to confirm they are not using any unpermitted items. A room with a door that can be closed is recommended.

All exam sessions are recorded and reviewed to ensure that the exam-taker followed the rules. The exam will remain "In Review" until the Credentialing Coordinator approves the exam. This usually takes 1-3 business days. 

This depends on various factors such as your current skill level, fundamental knowledge of photography, and your overall pace with the exams and Technical Image Evaluation. It is recommended that members utilize the CPP Curriculum as it is accessible to all PPA members and declare their candidacy when they are ready to take the exams so they can maximize their two-year candidacy period.

The CPP Curruclum and testing area is located here: Curriculums | Professional Photographers of America

The exams are at the bottom of every module on the right side in the "Exam" section.

Candidates can take the exams in any order and at any time during their candidacy period. The exams are on demand so they can be taken whenever the candidate feels ready.

To access the exams, candidates will need to pay $25 for the first 10 total attempts. If all 10 attempts are used and more are needed to pass the exams, candidates may purchase an additional 10 attempts for another $25.

Candidates will be prompted to pay for exam access at the first exam attempt. 

Candidates who passed the exam before February 1, 2025 are not required to retake the exams in the new module format. 

You will still need to submit images to the Technical Image Evaluation to complete the certification process. 

All PPA members have access to the curriculum, including students! When you feel ready to take the exams, declare your candidacy and pay the exam fee to get started. 

The questions are not released in order to protect the integrity of the exam.

Recertification signifies that you are continuously learning and evolving in your craft. By maintaining your CPP designation, you distinguish yourself as an accomplished professional photographer committed to the improvement of your skills and knowledge. Recertification enables you to become more competitive, and more proficient in your photographic career. It builds upon your expertise through continuing education and work experience. Recertification also provides you with the opportunity to reaffirm your commitment to your profession and the quality of work you provide for your clients.

Recertification entails the submission of 15 Continuing Education Units (CEUs) and a $100 recertification fee or retaking the CPP exams.

Continuing Education Units may come from any photographic development or educational event or (PPA event or non PPA event) that a CPP has attended.  

Please review the chart below to learn how to earn CEUs or what your CEUs may fall under the CEU point structure.

You must recertify every three years from the date you originally became a Certified Professional Photographer.

Unfortunately, if you are unable to complete the recertification requirements, your certification will be discontinued. You will need to reapply as a candidate and complete the candidacy requirements to re-obtain your credential.

Complete the CPP Recertification Form ( https://www.ppa.com/my-ppa/cpp-candidate/recertification ) with a list of your accrued continuing education units that you have accumulated during your certification cycle. The cost for recertification is a $100 fee. The fee can be waived if you have attended THREE consecutive Imaging USA conferences during your certification.

Log into your PPA dashboard, navigate to the “Achievements” tab and select “Certifications” to view your Certification status and expiration date.

You can document any continuing education units you may have accumulated or plan on attending during your certification cycle by creating a word doc or spreadsheet to maintain records of your attendance.

Example:

“Title of event/class/workshop – Date(s) Attended – Instructor/Presenter = (please refer to continuing education chart for CEU conversion)” 

Once you have passed all 5 of the exams, please submit the CPP Recertification Form indicating you have completed and passed the exams.

Once you have submitted your CPP Recertification Form, (all forms are processed manually, so please give 1-3 days for processing time), you will receive an email confirmation that your recertification has been processed and accepted. 

We hope you enjoy your retirement! Unfortunately maintaining a CPP Certification means to continue accumulating continuing education units for your certification. If you are nearing retirement, please notify us at [email protected], so we can turn off your recertification reminders.

Please email [email protected] to inquire the next steps to regaining your certification.

Please email [email protected] to inquire about the next steps to regaining your certification.

CPPs may submit a maximum of ten (10) CEUs from the 15 CEUs required to recertify from online education. This online education can come from PPA webinars, PPAedu, Facebook lives, and PPA web content. These will count for 0.25 CEUs per hour of video watched (any combination of videos that will equate to 60 minutes of video will equal to 0.25 CEUs). Please provide “Title – Date Watched – Instructor/Presenter - Platform - Length of Program” when entering information on the CPP Recertification Form.

Yes, continuing education units pertaining to maintaining your photography business counts towards your recertification.

Merits are separate from CEUs in that Merits only apply to earning a degree and cannot be used for recertification.

CEUs are actual hours of time of photography education that get converted into CEUs. Only CEUs can be used to recertify.