Many companies want their writers to have credentials when competing for contracts. Some companies may force their writers to take the STC Foundation exam since the STC is a fairly reputable organization. The bad news is that it basically seems like a way for the STC to take your money over a period of years while offering no real benefits. Essentially, they’ve created a fake credential and are asking everyone to play make believe with them. I think the biggest problem with their certification program is that it’s a combination of amateur hour and greed.

The Cost

Let’s look at the cost of the STC Foundation certification:

Classic membership: $157.50-$225 (depending on when you join)*

Foundation exam: $250 for members, $495 for nonmembers

You can save a little money on the exam by joining the STC. Now that you’ve passed the test, you’re done, right? Not so fast. Over the next 2 years, you need to do certain things to maintain your certificate (give the STC more money). You have to accumulate 12 points over 2 years to maintain your status. If you don’t have 12 points in 2 years, you can get 24 points in 4 years and be okay. If you fail to get 24 points in 4 years, you have to retake the Foundation exam. Here are some of the approved methods for earning points.

Educational Event Points Cost 1 Renew your STC membership 2 $157.50-225 2 Watch an STC Recorded Webinar (self-study) 1 $39 members, $79 nonmembers 3 Watch an STC Live Webinar (free, sponsored, and community webinars excluded, of course!) 2 $59 members, $99 nonmembers 4 Take an online STC course 6 $595 members, $995 nonmembers 5 Attend STC Pre-conference courses (full day) 6 $400 members, $600 nonmembers 6 Attend STC Pre-conference courses (half day) 3 $200 members, $400 nonmembers 7 Attend the STC Virtual Summit 4 $495 members, $995 nonmembers 8 Buy the STC Summit Playback 2 $249 members, $499 nonmembers 9 Attend the STC Annual Summit 8 $1,395 members, $1695 nonmembers 10 3 university credit hours related to the TC industry 8 ???

Conveniently, 9 out of 10 of the methods involve you greasing the sweaty palms of the STC. So obviously, you need to join the STC. There’s no reason, other than misguided principles, to pay a fortune for classes and seminars. If you wait until the final membership registration deadline and only buy the recorded webinars (which I’m pretty sure you don’t even have to watch), your total will come to $547.50. For a nonmember, they’d need to do 12 webinars for $948. But don’t forget the cost of the original membership and exam cost, so the absolute minimum cost for members is $995 and $1,443 for nonmembers.

There are some other ways to get credits as well. For instance, you can publish a book about the TC industry. Your book about the TC industry, which I’m sure is really exciting and is getting lots of attention from publishers, will get you 5 points. You can also give lectures and seminars, but it’s completely up to the STC to decide if it’s legitimate or not.

Now, I know you’re thinking, “But my company is paying for it. I don’t care how much it costs.” That’s a fair point! What if you leave your company? Will your new company be as understanding as your previous company when it comes to footing the bill. The bigger question is whether you’d be willing to pay for it if they aren’t.

*There are other types of memberships, but the majority of people will fall in the “classic” category.

The Book

The book you need to study for the exam is Technical Communication Today (5th edition). On Amazon, you can buy it for $137.94. There are loose-leaf versions available in the $80-90 range. There’s also the option of renting it for $33.76. So you could add the cost of the book on to your total or I can save you a few bucks and tell you that the book is just a disgrace. There are several versions of the book as well, even one branded for the STC. I asked the coordinator of the certification program what the difference was between the 5th edition and the 5th edition for the STC. His response was that there is no difference; one is just branded for the STC. Amazing.

Upon completing the 656-page tome, I felt as though my IQ had dropped at least 20 points for having read it. I’d say that this book, like much of the content we write, was written for a 12-year-old student. My coworker even found several typos in the book, prompting him to ask, “If I find typos in the book, does it mean that I automatically pass the test?” (Seriously, this is the fifth go at it and you haven’t fixed the typos yet?)

The experts who wrote the book share their keen insights with sentences like:

“Letters, memos, and e-mails are forms of correspondence, meaning they are used to correspond with clients, supervisors, and others. They are used to share information, make requests, and convey decisions.” (p.84)

Personally, I was completely unaware of what ko…korruhspondance (sp?) was before I read this. There are lots of hidden gems in this book, but that’s another post. For now, let’s read some Amazon reviews:

★★★★☆

“Good condition”

★★★★★

“As described and quick shipping”

★☆☆☆☆

“I was so lost in my job before this book. This book taught me some really useful things that I had never thought about, such as considering my audience and creating deadlines. Before I read this book, I would sometimes write content from the perspective of a lonely Civil war general, but this book told me that wasn’t a good idea. I would also work on projects indefinitely, with no end date. I never understood why clients were so mad, but now I get it! For only 133$, this was a steal! Normally, I would spend my time eating things I found on the ground and trying to figure out how to perform basic daily tasks, like dressing myself. This book was the distraction I needed. So many useful facts!”

★★☆☆☆

“I opened this physically printed, unbound book, for which I had to purchase rings, to see phrases such as ‘Your ability to communicate with others through computer networks will be critical to your career’ and ‘Did you know that computers have changed the way we do research?’ The first document sample depicts instructions for how to connect a VCR. This is a laughable first impression for a revision dated 2015 and the author is quite frankly failing to prioritize the ‘technical’ in ‘technical communication.’”

★★☆☆☆

“Very common sense stuff. I haven’t had to use it once in my class.”

The Test

The test itself is administered online, but you have a proctor. I am not sure exactly how this works. Apparently, you need to have a microphone and a web cam. You also need a “reflective surface such as a mirror.” Their words, not mine. I wonder what reflective surfaces other than a mirror you could get away with. It would seem as though they do not have screen mirroring software that gives them access to your screen for the duration of the test, which is crazy, because I use dual monitors and a PDF of the book. All in all, it sounds like they want to convey a sense of giving a shit, but it’s such a half-hearted attempt.

You have 45 minutes to answer 50 questions. The passing grade is 35. Some of the questions are a little less than clear, and I’m sure that’s no accident. For example:

Identify the missing word.

An effective information graphic should ___________ the written text, not replace it.

a) accentuate b) enhance c) reinforce d) supplement

You may have noticed that all of those make sense and they are all things that the book tells you graphics should do at some point. Maybe I’m being a stickler, but answers b, c, and d are all synonyms. This is all very confusing, since the study guide they provide assures us that there will only be “one correct answer” for each question. It’s kind of ironic that the STC, an organization whose whole thing is “communication,” has such a loose understanding of language. Searching “information graphic” in the text will produce no results. We are told that graphics should be used to visualize a subject and its parts, illustrate your subject, highlight important concepts, support the written text, show how to complete an important task, and finally, on page 186, that we should incorporate graphics that reinforce the written text. The point stands that there aren’t any “incorrect” answers to this question. Put on your tinfoil hats, because I think they want you to fail this test so that you have to pay them to take it again.

The Long Con

There are going to be two more levels available in the future supposedly: The Practitioner-level certification and the Expert-level certification. I’m guessing you can’t skip straight to the Expert-level certification. And who wants to be a “practitioner” when you can be an “expert”?

Let’s also remember though that the STC suspended its previous certification program for years and the Foundation certification was delayed by many months. Personally, I will be surprised if the other two levels ever actually happen due to the cost of hiring the necessary evaluators and interviewers for the other two levels. Even if they do happen, how many thousands of dollars will it cost you to maintain your certification in the meantime (or will you be able to justify the cost to your employer)? Maybe the Practitioner certification will be available next year…or maybe it will be 5 years. Who knows? If it’s any indicator of things to come, they have also been developing an actual course for the exam. In April, they said the course will be available in “several months” because they need to train people. Well, it’s August 2016 now and they’ve been as quiet as a church mouse about it.

Remember, you have to get 12 points and that costs at least $995, or $1,152.50 if you do it over 2 years. So let’s be clear – it’s in their best interest to delay the programs for as long as possible while requiring you to maintain your credentials. I know that my company wants me to take the certification exam, but I’m going to do my best to show them what a monumental waste of time and money this is.