Big things are happening with the Registered Parliamentarian (RP) credential. In January, NAP will begin accepting applications for the newly revised RP Credentialing Exam (RPCE). The RPCE will be offered quarterly for week-long intervals. (See schedule below). Candidates will select a date within the designated week in which they will take the credentialing exam. The exam must be completed within a seven-hour window – two three-hour sessions with up to a one-hour break between sessions.
Members currently finishing the Legacy RP Exam or the New RP Credentialing Process in Schoology will be subject to the rules and deadlines previously established for each exam type. Scroll down for detailed information.
Registered Parliamentarian Credentialing Exam
The Registered Parliamentarian Credentialing Exam (RPCE) requires candidates to objectively demonstrate core competencies needed to obtain the RP credential as well as to demonstrate the application of the core knowledge and basic business skills needed by every parliamentarian.
The RPCE consists of two sections, a 100-question multiple-choice exam and a performance exam that will require written answers to different scenarios, both of which must be completed within a seven-hour window. Both sections are based on the RP Performance Expectations developed by the NAP Commission on Credentialing. Registration Fee: $400.
How to Prepare
NAP offers various educational materials that will help members prepare to become a RP. The following are most relevant to the RPCE.
- RP Training Sessions: Developed by the RP education Special Committee and the Professional Development Committee, these training sessions are available to all NAP members. Recordings of each session are available free to members through the NAP Bookstore. Access them through your Digital Library. Click here for step-by-step access instructions.
- Be familiar with the RP Performance Expectations. The performance expectations will show candidates what they will need to know to successfully complete the RPCE.
- Practice questions: The practice questions from the New RP Credentialing Process in Schoology are a great resource for helping you prepare for the RPCE. Practice questions are accessible online at
How to Take the RPCE
The RPCE will be offered quarterly for week-long intervals. Candidates may take the exam any time during the 7-day testing window, however, it must be completed within seven hours. Candidates will be required to download ExamSoft, a virtual monitoring system that will lock down their computer system to preserve the integrity of the exam. The RPCE schedule is below. Exam results will be available within 60 days after the exam window closes.
| Exam Registration Deadline | Exam Window |
| January 10, 2023 | January 31, 2023 – February 6, 2023 |
| April 4, 2023 | April 25, 2023 – May 1, 2023 |
| July 4, 2023 | July 25, 2023 – July 31, 2023 |
| October 10, 2023 | October 31, 2023 – November 6, 2023 |
Previous Versions of the RP Exam
A few members are in the process of attaining the RP credential using one of the previous versions of the exam process. Regardless of the exam format, these candidates will be subject to the rules and deadlines previously established for each type of exam. There will be no deadline extensions and no new applicants accepted for either process.
The New RP Credentialing Process (Schoology)
Members enrolled in the RP credentialing process conducted through Schoology must successfully complete Step One, Parts 1-7, and attempt Part 8 before their 270-day time limit expires or before March 1, 2023, (whichever comes first).
The Legacy RP Exam
Members finishing the Legacy RP exam must successfully complete all five parts of the exam by December 31, 2022.
