Credentialing Exam Handbook
Below are significant excerpts from the Exam Handbook. Click here for a PDF of the full Handbook.
Note that the handbook PDF has some old links. We are working on an update that will be released soon.
ESD professionals around the world embrace a shared purpose and core principles. The Association of ESD Professionals (“Association”) was formed, in part, to promote a common, well-recognized, global standard of what constitutes professionalism and competence for empowerment self-defense (“ESD”) instructors, curricula development specialists, researchers, advocates, and other ESD professionals. The Association credential (called ESDP which stands for ESD Professional) will also distinguish empowerment self-defense from other types of self-defense.
The Credentialing Program was developed through research, consultation, and engagement with the worldwide ESD community following best practices for task analysis and exam development. The Association has established a standard that crosses borders, aligns with diverse cultures, and will effectively serve organizations of all types and sizes. Achieving the ESDP credential (“ESDP” or “Credential”) from the Association signals that a candidate’s practice is in alignment with the principles of ESD and that they have demonstrated professional competence, a commitment to social change and violence prevention, and high standards of ethical practice.
This handbook will guide candidates through the process of attaining the ESDP Credential, a formal credential that will recognize the ESD practitioner as an ESD professional.
The International Association of ESD Professionals provides a collaborative, unaffiliated industry support space in which Empowerment Self Defense certificate programs and ESD Professionals can collaborate in the growth of the industry. The Association provides Industry and Membership support, unaffiliated continuing education, and a Credentialing Program designed to increase public awareness and trust in Empowerment Self Defense as a key to global violence prevention.
Our goal is to increase public safety and trust in the Self Defense Industry by setting Empowerment Self Defense-based standards, continuing education, certification, practices, and industry collaboration. In this way, members of the public seeking Self Defense training can be confident in selecting certified, capable instructors that will provide effective, trauma-informed, safety education; individuals seeking to become Self Defense Instructors can find accredited certificate training programs; and organizations in need of Empowerment Self Defense services and instruction can be assured that they are hiring a trained professional.
Vision:
To establish Empowerment Self Defense as a key tool in Global Violence Prevention.
- That the public has the right to seek out Self Defense Education that is safe, trauma-informed, and effective;
- That Self Defense Instructors must be trained to deliver safe, trauma-informed, effective programs;
- That Empowerment Self Defense must be the standard upon which Self Defense courses are built;
- That the public has the right to access to vetted Self Defense Instructors, free from concerns about malpractice and abusive behaviors on their Instructors part;
- That Self Defense Instructors need access to continuing education, industry support, and business tools to succeed in delivering effective Self Defense Programs;
- That these educational and business opportunities must be free from bias, not favoring one certificate program over another, leaving the Instructor free to choose the right fit for their needs; and,
- That the Self Defense industry has an obligation to deliver a certain amount of volunteer/ pro bono services to communities in need.
Empowerment self-defense, otherwise known as ESD, is a comprehensive, evidence-based system of violence prevention that takes a holistic approach to self-defense by focusing on empowerment, individual choice, and self-determination.
ESD follows the core principles of “Think, Yell, Run, Fight, Tell.” ESD teaches participants how to understand and navigate power relationships, minimize abuse and violence, and end assaults. It teaches participants awareness, recognition of threats and harmful behaviors, boundary-setting, and de-escalation skills. It prepares participants for situations that cannot be diffused, providing options such as yell, run, or fight. ESD demands participants have the right to choose to protect themselves, including by using physical force, and trains participants in techniques which may be used to respond to physical violence. ESD encourages participants to consider and prepare for many types of harmful, or potentially harmful, situations and supports participants in sharing their stories.
ESD distinguishes itself from other forms of self-defense or self-protection and from martial arts.
ESD deliberately embraces:
Inclusivity
Accessibility
Modeled diversity
Awareness of intersecting identities
Trauma-sensitive teaching
Recognizing social, intimate, and known relationships between victims and perpetrators
Addressing the full spectrum of violence and harmful behaviors
Avoiding stereotyping or typecasting perpetrators, victims, or survivors
Non-prescriptive provision of options
Honoring all responses to violence as modes of survival
Valuing intuition
Individual agency, self-determination, and choice
Inclusion of healing modalities
Understanding the systems that support violence
Use of voice
Physical response to violence as one option among many
Statistical relevancy
Responsiveness to research
Pre- and post-incident skills
Personal development
ESD practice specifically rejects:
Fear-mongering
Sensationalism
Victim-blaming
Restriction of life choices or decisions as “safety”
Providing clear-cut answers or one right decision in every case
Extensive, lengthy, complicated training, especially for physical techniques
Combative approach
All-or-nothing approach
Training centered on “stranger danger”
Exclusive use of traditional martial arts
Physical training without addressing the emotional/psychology piece
The practice of ESD overlaps with related and tangent professions such as martial arts, healing arts, victim support and advocacy, restorative justice, social work, physical fitness, physical and mental health professionals, human resources, and law enforcement. Instructors and practitioners will often use knowledge, skills, and experience in these associated fields to inform or enhance their individual curriculum.
The Credential awarded by the Association of ESD Professionals certifies ESD professionals to practice ESD within the scope of practice described in the statement below.
Scope of Practice Statement
The ESD professional demonstrates knowledge, skills, and experience in the following areas:
Instructs participants in multiple emotional, verbal, and social skills useful in creating a sense of empowerment, agency, and self-determination.
Instructs participants in multiple responses to threatening or harmful interactions with others, including emotional, psychological, mental, and verbal interactions.
Instructs participants in multiple physical techniques useful for responding to violence against them or others.
Teaches and advocates for a violence-free world and brings awareness of larger social and violence-prevention issues.
The Association Credentialing Program will not test or recognize knowledge, skills, experience, or material outside the Scope of Practice as outlined above. While an ESD professional may incorporate other related material or knowledge into their practice, those areas of expertise are administered by their own governing bodies.
The IAESDP is an independent organization providing a global standard for ESD professionals. The Association does not teach ESD, nor does it train ESD instructors. The Association is not managed or owned by and does not manage or own any organization that teaches ESD. The Association does not have a stake in the outcome of any one candidate's exam results. The Association’s ESDP Credential is earned upon successful completion of the Credentialing Exam and maintained through the Continuing Education component of the Credentialing Program.
The Association’s Credentialing Program is different from certificate programs that include ESD training and require candidates to complete a specific course of study with the organization that is awarding the certificate. The Association, on the other hand, does not provide ESD training and accepts candidates with a broad range of experiences and backgrounds regardless of where they received their training.
The Association maintains a register of all professionals holding the Credential. The register includes date the credential was earned, Credential renewal date, and record of continuing education credits.
The IAESDP will hold exams multiple times each year. Each Exam Period will consist of a one-week window of time in which candidates may choose when to take the exam; no matter the candidate’s time zone, the candidate can take the exam at a convenient time.
Exams are expected to take approximately three hours and will consist of multiple choice and open response questions.
The Association recognizes that ESD professionals enter the profession with a variety of personal and career experiences; with a variety of skills, knowledge, and abilities, and with outlooks formed by varying international and cultural contexts.
For these reasons the Association does not, at this time, require any particular course of study or duration of experience to be eligible to apply for the Credentialing Exam.
However, the Association strongly recommends that candidates have a clear understanding of ESD principles and practices that are normally gained through formal education with an instructor or organization capable of providing such education and/or through experience teaching ESD and for some, through the development of ESD.
The Association recommends that candidates have at least 100 hours of ESD education and teaching experience, combined, prior to taking the exam.
Education
Of these 100 hours, it is recommended that 50 hours are for teaching or assisting an ESD instructor. The Association recommends that your ESD education involve the supervision of suitable experts in the field, supplemented by additional independent study, research, reading, private practice, or mentorship in ESD or adjacent fields. Education may be obtained from any organization, institution or for- or not-for-profit corporation or business which provides it.
Martial arts education is not required, though a thorough understanding of physical techniques and their execution is strongly recommended for candidate success.
Regardless of the educational source, it is recommended that candidates thoroughly examine the Subject Matter Covered in the Exam, below.
Experience
The Association recommends that your ESD experience involve time spent as an ESD instructor, as an assistant to an ESD instructor, or otherwise engaging with ESD participants.
Hours of experience may be of any sort and carried out in any capacity. It is strongly recommended that the candidate have some experience in managing groups of at least ten students. Instruction experience can be paid or unpaid. Specialty experience such as managing participants with specific needs due to things like disabilities or trauma, of certain age groups like children, in particular populations like LGBTQ+, and so on is not necessary for successful completion of the Credentialing Exam.
Applications for all Exam periods are accepted on a continuous basis. To access the Application, visit our Credentialing Program web page.
Exams are offered Quarterly during the months of February, May, August, and October.
STEP ONE—APPLY: Fill out the Application. Receive an email with a link to the Enrollment page.
STEP TWO—ENROLL & PAY: Enroll and provide payment for the Exam.
STEP THREE—REGISTER: Receive an email with instructions for how and when to register for the Exam in the Exam portal and create your Exam Account. Registration will include a systems/computer check, including the Ice Cream Test (it's quick & fun!).
STEP FOUR—PREPARE: Prepare for the Exam by reviewing this Exam Handbook carefully, studying the Association Code of Ethics, studying the Core Competencies, and checking out our website Credentialing Page.
STEP FIVE—TAKE EXAM: Log into OWL (the Exam portal) on a date and time of your choosing that falls within the Exam Period. Take the Credentialing Exam.
GOOD LUCK!!
Candidates should read the Application and instructions carefully. Incomplete Applications may delay the registration process, which could result in the candidate being unable to take the Exam in their preferred Exam Period.
Candidates will find the Application here.
Please have the following ready prior to filling out the Application:
- Resume or CV
- First Aid & CPR Certificate(s)
You will also be asked to submit or agree to the following (links and instructions are provided in the Application):
- Background Check (US residents Only)
- Two Letters of Recommendation
- Association Code of Ethics
- Confidentiality Agreement
Any questions concerning any step of this process should be directed to credentials@esdprofessionals.org.
Once the Application, payment, and registration have been processed, the candidate will receive an email with instructions for how and when to access the Exam.
The Exam link is single-use. Once the candidate begins the Exam, it cannot normally be restarted. Should the candidate exit out of the exam, close the browser, or fail to complete the exam, the Association cannot guarantee the candidate's responses will be saved or that the Exam can be validated.
If the candidate experiences difficulty with an Internet connection, software, or other problems, the candidate should immediately contact us. Staff will respond as soon as practicable, taking into consideration time zone differences. Every effort will be made to preserve the candidate's progress in the Exam and to reschedule uncompleted sections.
Rescheduling an Exam
Rescheduling an Exam Period is generally not recommended. However, Candidates may reschedule to the next Exam Period without penalty, up to seven days prior to the opening of the Exam Period, by notifying the Association.
Candidates may not re-schedule the Exam after the opening of the Exam Period.
Cancelation & Refund Policy
Before Payment
If you have submitted an Application but you have not made payment, please email us to stop the Application process. Applications will be held for two Exam Periods or until the expiry of relevant requirements, whichever comes first, after which candidate must re-apply.
After Payment
Prior to the first day of the relevant Exam Period, the Association discourages cancellations, but will consider requests to cancel for refund on a case-by-case basis. Please contact us to discuss your circumstances.
Once the Exam Period has opened, the Association does not accept cancellations.
Exceptions
The Association recognizes that unforeseen events do occur and will make occasional exceptions to the Cancellation Policy. Occurrences beyond the control of the Credential candidate (such as accident, injury, illness of candidate; family emergency; natural disaster; act of war or terrorism; civil or military disturbance; government interruption; or utility or computer interruptions outside candidate’s control) will be considered. Please contact the Association to discuss.
The exam will consist of multiple choice and open response questions.
The exam is expected to take approximately three hours to complete, though time may vary widely between candidates. The entire exam has a time limit of five hours, and the exam will automatically end after this time. The candidate will not be able to return to the exam once the 5-hour time period has elapsed. If a candidate completes the exam in less than two hours, it is strongly recommended that the candidate return to the exam to ensure all answers are complete and no questions have been skipped or unintentionally left blank.
Candidates can expect to be notified of exam results within 30 days of the final day of the Exam Period.
Five Modules
The exam consists of five modules:
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- Emotional, Verbal, & Social Skills
- Physical Skills
- Safety and Trauma-Sensitivity
- Ethics & Social Change
- Classroom Management.
What the Exam Tests
The Exam will test candidate understanding of the core subject areas listed in the Core Competencies. The questions are intended to test the candidate’s knowledge of the ESD concepts and how those concepts are put into practice.
ESD concepts can be highly nuanced, dependent on many variables, and subject to the context of each individual situation. Some questions, especially single-select multiple choice, may present more than one answer that seems to be correct. These types of questions often leave a candidate wishing they could respond with, “it depends.” The Exam questions are designed to test knowledge of concepts, not to provide specific prescriptions or outcomes. Candidates are encouraged to select their answers based on the concept being tested and which of the possible answers best illustrates that concept.
Subject Matter/Core Competencies
The Association recommends candidates have a comprehensive knowledge of the subject matter that has been identified as core competencies for the profession. Click here to access the full list of subject matters/core competencies.
Scoring
In order to receive an overall passing grade, the candidate must receive a passing score on the Exam overall and must receive a passing score on each of the five Modules of the exam. Multiple choice questions will be graded against pre-determined answers using an automated process. Open response questions will be graded by credentialed experts according to a detailed scoring rubric in a blind process.
Exam Results
Results will be provided to candidates via email. We anticipate results will be available within 30 days of the last day of the Exam Period. We ask for patience as we develop our process and timelines.
The Exam is a pass/fail exam, and the results provided will indicate a pass or fail for each Module and for the Exam overall.
Results will be kept confidential and will not be available to anyone but the candidate. However, aggregated results, stripped of identifying information, may be made public on the Association’s website, in reports shared with partners, and in internal reports for purposes of review and improvement.
Re-Taking the Exam
Candidates failing to pass the Exam may re-take the exam. Candidates are strongly encouraged to complete additional study, education, or experience before attempting the Exam a second time. Candidates who have failed the Exam twice consecutively will be required to re-apply, and demonstrate additional education, experience, or similar investment in their practice.
Candidates receiving an overall passing score, but receiving an unsuccessful score on specific Modules will not be required to retake the entire exam. Instead, candidates need only re-take the Modules for which they failed to receive a passing score.
Grievances & Appealing Exam Results
All appeals must be filed within 90 days of the exam results. Appeals will be adjudicated by the Review Panel. The Review Panel will consist of members of the Credentialing Pool and will not include graders of the exam in question. The Review Process will be conducted in as fair and impartial a manner as possible.
Credential documents will be forwarded to successful candidates. In addition, there may be additional opportunities to be recognized at Association events.
Putting Your Credential to Use
Successful candidates will be awarded an Association Credential, otherwise known as an ESDP Credential. Once a candidate has earned an ESDP, they may use it after their name to indicate their qualifications. Example: Hana Devi-Smith, ESDP. It will be the responsibility of all credentialed professionals to maintain their Credential through the Association’s continuing education program. Every three years, candidates will be required to fulfill the continuing education requirements. Should a candidate fail to do so, they will no longer be permitted to use the ESDP mark.
However, credentialed professionals who are no longer practicing ESD may use the mark indefinitely as long as they follow it with “emeritus,” like this: Hana Devi-Smith, ESDP, Emeritus.
Continuing Education
Credentials must be renewed every three years. To renew credentials, ESD professionals will fulfill continuing education requirements. Development of the Continuing Education component of the Credentialing Program includes input from a Continuing Education Advisory Council, a group of professionals from the worldwide ESD community who weigh in on key decisions regarding the nature of the program.
The IAESDP does not discriminate against any applicant/Credential candidate on the basis of race, color, creed, age, sex, gender, national origin, religion, disability, marital status, parental status, ancestry, sexual orientation, military discharge status, source of income, or any other status protected by law. All Credential candidates will be judged solely on impartial criteria developed by the Association, which receives input in service of and at the direction of Association membership.
The Association believes in equality of opportunity and access. The Association endeavors to maintain an environment in which everyone feels safe and welcome. The Association is committed to interacting with Credential candidates, continuing education participants, members, and all people in a way that honors dignity and independence.
The Association works to avoid and remove barriers to accessibility broadly-speaking and through individualized support. Exam appearance and functionality can be assessed by individual candidates prior to taking the exam.
All accommodation requests must be outlined in the appropriate section of the application form. The Association will do its best to honor all accessibility and accommodation requests. We will also try to honor requests made after submission of the application, but we cannot promise fulfillment.
Please see the full handbook for a list outlining some of the accommodations available upon request. We can accommodate for things like hearing impairment, sight impairment, languages, Learning, Intellectual, or developmental disabilities, and mental health conditions or physical disabilities or health concerns.
Individualized accessibility plans can be provided when arranged in advance. Although the Association attempts to seamlessly provide accessibility, some temporary disruption of accessibility may occur outside the control of the Association. In such cases, the Association will restore accessibility as soon as practicable. No negative consequences or penalties will be imposed upon the candidate in such cases.
The Association also offers financial assistance for qualifying Credential Exam candidates. If you would like to apply, please fill out the Credentialing Program Financial Assistance Form on the Application.
Language Accessibility
The Association is committed to ensuring the Credentialing Exam is available in multiple languages. The process of translating the Exam is rigorous and detailed (and therefore expensive). We ask your patience as we develop the Exam, supporting documents, and on-going communication standards in multiple languages. Keep an eye on our website for continuing information.
All information received by the Association in the application materials are confidential. It is critical to the integrity of the Exam and the Association Credentialing Program that the Exam and all its contents remain confidential. All Exam candidates sign our Confidentiality Acknowledgment when they submit their applications. This protects the integrity and confidentiality of the Association Credentialing Exam before, during, and after the Exam process. In the rare instance that a candidate violates the Confidentiality Policy, the Association’s Credentialing Review Panel will consider whether nullification of exam scores, revocation of Credentials, or a ban on future Credential application and exam opportunities is appropriate.
The IAESDP has ongoing volunteer opportunities available for those wishing to participate in the continuing development, evaluation, and growth of the Credentialing Program.
Credentialing Advisory Councils
The Association’s Advisory Councils, made up of volunteers from the international ESD community, are instrumental in the development of the Credentialing Program, including the Exam and Continuing Education and Accreditation Programs. The Councils engage with the Association to provide feedback and maintain strong links of communication between the Association, its members, and the ESD community. Some Councils are open to all members of the ESD Community, regardless of membership status. Others are restricted to Association members. As of January 2023, existing Credentialing Advisory Council members are invited to continue their participation on the new Continuing Education Advisory Council, and we are inviting new Association members to join.
The Advisory Council positions are volunteer and require a commitment of approximately 10 hours per year.
Please send us an email if you are interested in contributing in this way.
Credentialing Pool
Members of the Association’s Credentialing Pool participate in exam question development, question review, exam materials development, and/or grading exams. Members of the Credentialing Pool volunteer to help with one or more of these tasks as needed and as their availability allows.
In addition, the Credentialing Pool houses the Credentialing Review Panel. In joining the Credentialing Pool, members commit to participating in one Review Panel per year, as needed, to hear grievances and disciplinary matters relating to the Exam and other aspects of the Credentialing Program. Depending on the size of the Credentialing Pool and whether there are any grievances or disciplinary matters to consider, participation on the Review Panel may not be necessary every year.
To be eligible to join the Credentialing Pool, you must have earned a Credential and be an Association member in good standing.
The Association believes it is important that the membership of the Credentialing Pool and Advisory Councils be as diverse as possible. See the full Handbook for the list of criteria considered when recruiting and admitting ESD professionals
Thank you for participating in the Association Credentialing Program. We believe that the ESDP Credential will help ESD professionals build their clienteles and enjoy great success in their ESD non-profit and for-profit practices. We also believe that as the Credentialing Program grows, so too will the reach of ESD worldwide.