Continuing Education

Many AFCEA event sessions and courses are approved for CompTIA continuing education units (CEUs), GIAC continuing professional education (CPEs), and/or CertNexus continuing education credits (CECs). Some events also have sessions recommended for acquisition training.

Maintain Certifications at AFCEA Events

AFCEA’s Continuing Education (CE) program is specifically targeted to support the Department of Defense Cyberspace Workforce Qualification and Management Program.

Event sessions may also support ISC2, National Contract Management Association (NCMA), Project Management Institute (PMI), GAGAS, and Defense Acquisition Workforce continuing education and/or certification maintenance requirements. Please check AFCEA International and AFCEA chapter event websites for more information about specific sessions and courses. 

Formal attendance documentation for many AFCEA continuing education sessions is a benefit of AFCEA membership. Be sure to register as a member when you register for the event.  Participation in at least an hour of an approved session qualifying for CompTIA CEUs, GIAC CPEs, and/or CertNexus CECs is a requirement for attendance documentation.  

On exiting the session, get your badge scanned to document your attendance.  If badge scanning is not supported at the event, be sure to see onsite staff to verify your name is on the appropriate attendance list for the session. AFCEA members receive their documentation via email. 

Maintain Certifications Through SIGNAL Media Webinars

SIGNAL webinars approved by CompTIA, GIAC and/or CertNexus are labeled. WorkCast, the company facilitating the webinars, sends a confirmation email that can be used to document attendance. Please be sure to whitelist the URL according to the instructions on the registration page to help ensure delivery to your inbox. You must prepare your attendance documentation using your name and registration receipt, the link to the session information, the event name, session name, session description and additional details such as session length and speaker information. Please check with applicable certifying organizations for their specific requirements.

Official attendance documentation is a benefit for AFCEA International members.

Not a member? Learn more.

Certifications AFCEA continuing education sessions may support:

CompTIA

CompTIA allows individuals to keep their skills current and many of their certifications up to date without retesting by participation in CEU-qualified training activities. 

CompTIA Continuing Education Program FAQs

 AFCEA members can receive up to a 15 percent discount on Certification Vouchers at traintestcert.com.

GIAC

Each GIAC certification remains valid for four years.  Two years after certification the renewal process will begin, and individuals must maintain their credentials through Continuing Professional Education credits (CPEs). Learn more.

CertNexus

CertNexus exams expire three years from the date of certification. To recertify, candidates can earn and submit continuing education credits (CECs) to recertify without retaking the exam. It is recommended that candidates begin recertification upon successful certification of each exam. Members must earn and submit the minimum number of CECs annually to maintain their certification. Click for more information on the CertNexus continuing education program.

ISC2

ISC2 credential holders must earn the minimum number of Continuing Professional Education credits (CPEs) annually during each year of the three-year certification cycle. Members must earn and submit the minimum annual number of CPEs to maintain their certification in “good standing.”

Project Management Institute’s program explains how to maintain credentials. 

GAGAS

Session content may also support Generally Accepted Government Auditing Standards (GAGAS) Requirements for Continuing Professional Education. We recommend consulting with your supervisor to determine which sessions would help met your individual requirements. A CPE hour may be granted for each 50 minutes of participation in group programs and activities that qualify.  Learn more. 

DEFENSE ACQUISITION WORKFORCE

Members of the Defense Acquisition Workforce may qualify for continuous learning points (CLPs) at the rate of .5 point/hour for a maximum of 4 points/day attendance relevant events. Learn more.

 

Section Title
Continuing Education FAQs
Accordion Items
Title
FAQ 02 - WHICH EVENTS HAVE SESSIONS APPROVED?
Content

If an AFCEA International event has sessions approved for CEUs, CPEs and/or CECs, the event website will normally have a continuing education page showing approved sessions and the show guides and applications will have similar information.

Title
FAQ 03 - HOW DO I OBTAIN THE ATTENDANCE DOCUMENTATION I NEED TO SUBMIT?
Content

Official attendance documentation is a benefit for AFCEA members at many AFCEA International and chapter events.  If we provide formal attendance documentation in support of an event, you must attend the entire session qualifying for CompTIA CEUs, GIAC CPEs, and/or CertNexus CECs to request attendance documentation. On exiting the session, get your event badge scanned. If badge scanning is not supported, check with event staff to determine how attendance is formally recorded to document your attendance. We will normally email documentation of your attendance within four weeks following the event.

Please be sure your email account will accept emails from the domain afcea.org. 

Title
FAQ 04 - HOW DO I PREPARE DOCUMENTATION FOR WEBINARS OR ONLINE EVENTS?
Content

You must prepare your attendance documentation using your name and registration receipt, the link to the session information, the event name, session name, session description and additional details such as session length and speaker information.  Please check with applicable certifying organizations for their specific requirements.  

Title
FAQ 05 - HOW DO I OBTAIN DOUCMENTATION IF MY ATTENDANCE IS NOT RECORDED BY AFCEA AT AN IN-PERSON EVENT?
Content

If AFCEA is not providing formal attendance documentation at an event, we recommend you prepare your own attendance documentation by using the information on the applicable certifying organization websites or the event website.  You can also refer to FAQ 04 on this page as the instructions for online sessions will normally apply to in-person events.

Title
FAQ 06 - HOW DO CERTIFYING ORGANIZATIONS RECEIVE MY ATTENDANCE RECORD?
Content

You must upload your AFCEA documentation email to the applicable portal according to the CompTIA, GIAC, and/or CertNexus instructions for their certification maintenance programs. 

Title
FAQ 07 - HOW DO NONMEMBERS OBTAIN DOCUMENTATION?
Content

For some events, nonmembers may buy a continuing education pass and receive attendance documentation, which is normally provided only to AFCEA members. 

Otherwise, nonmembers can build input for submission to certification authorities by using the session information on the applicable event website and in the FAQs 04 and 05 on this page.

At many events an attendee will have the option to join AFCEA or renew an expired membership. Once membership is current, an attendee can qualify for formal attendance documentation offered for members.

Title
FAQ 08 - DOES AFCEA TRACK THE CEU/CPE/CECs I HAVE EARNED?
Content

AFCEA provides initial attendance documentation when we have the appropriate records from AFCEA classes and events. We don't currently store records for individuals. 

It is important to save your attendance documentation emails so you have them when you need them.

Title
FAQ 09 - ARE THERE EVENTS WITH APPROVED SESSIONS IN MY LOCAL AREA?
Content

AFCEA chapters may also feature event sessions that meet CompTIA, GIAC, and/or CertNexus requirements as well as those of other certification and continuing education programs.

Title
FAQ 10 - WHAT IF I NEED CONTINUING EDUCATION FOR A DIFFERENT CERTIFICATION?
Content

Event attendance may also satisfy other continuing education requirements. Please contact the appropriate oversight organization for determination. Some applicable organizations might include ASIS, ISACA, ISC2, Project Management Institute (PMI) and National Contract Management Association (NCMA). 

Learn More About Continuing Education