Why take courses with ElectroSpec?
ElectroSpec offers 24 hour/7 days a week coursework and exam scheduling by Master IPC Trainers (MITs) for the absolute best price in the industry, giving you the most flexibility in your work and personal life. All courses include detailed illustrations, video presentations, interactive activities, and practice quizzes, all of which are formulated to make complex topics easy to understand and master. Each topic is carefully selected to align with the skills and competencies vital to advancing an electronics career at any level.
Are exams included in the training price?
Each course includes the applicable exam with up to one exam retake if necessary (for CIS only). You can take the exam only (challenge test) and skip the training, but it’s only recommended if you are familiar with the IPC Standards and the contents.
Does each course provide a certification?
Yes, upon successfully passing the exam, each course offers an industry traceable certificate to the student. The student retains ownership of the certification for the entire 2-year period.
How long is my certification good for?
Each IPC certification is valid for 2 years, based upon the month the exam was taken. To retain a continuous certification status, a recertification course or exam must be taken 6 months prior to the original certification expiration date as IPC no longer offers extensions.
What forms of payment do you accept?
ElectroSpec currently accepts all major credit cards and PayPal.
Do you offer discounts for multiple students and/or multiple courses?
ElectroSpec does offer bulk discounts for companies, organizations, and individual students, with discounts of 10% off for multiple students and/or courses purchased in quantity of 5 or more. Prior to submitting an order, please contact us to inquire.
How do I redeem a coupon?
At checkout, there is a box allowing you to enter a coupon code prior to submitting your order. If your coupon code is not recognized, please contact us for resolution.
What revision am I getting trained and certified to?
IPC Courses are taught at the latest revision. You can choose any revision to be tested to, but the default is the latest revision which matches the training. Please contact us and let the instructor know if you desire a previous revision. There is no revision listed on your certification, i.e., you are certified for all revisions of the applicable IPC Standard.
What languages are available for training and certification?
Our online training for IPC-A-610, IPC/WHMA-A-620, and IPC-A-600 is offered in English, Spanish, and French. IPC-6012 is only offered in English. At this time all in-person training is offered in English only. You may purchase your IPC standard in any language that is available, and take your exam in any language that is available. Please see each specific course page for details on language options.
What am I allowed to use during the certification exam?
Only the IPC Standard can be used during the certification exam. Hard copy is preferred to avoid problems with the IPC Remote Proctor. The Remote Proctor (Lockdown Browser Software) will not allow you to view the electronic version of the IPC Standard on the same computer.
Which course should I take first?
IPC-A-610 includes major principles, sections, and requirements from IPC-J-STD-001, IPC/WHMA-A-620, IPC-A-600, and IPC-7711/7721, all in a single course. This electronics assembly course sets up a student for a more comprehensive approach to other training and certification courses.
Should I take IPC-A-600 before IPC-6012?
Yes, it is recommended that you take IPC-A-600 before IPC-6012. IPC-A-600 covers the majority of requirements for rigid, flexible, and rigid-flex printed boards and prepares the student for a deeper study in IPC-6012.
What should I do before I take the IPC Certification Exam?
If taking online training, it is recommended that you watch all the videos and review all the module questions to prepare for the certification exam. Additionally, since the exams are open book, it is recommended that you familiarize yourself with how to properly navigate the IPC standard.
How do I schedule my exam?
Your instructor will reach out to you and ask you preferred date and time for you to take your exam. You should pick a time and day that you can take all your modules in a quiet and undisturbed area. Instructors are very flexible for your requests. The exam block is scheduled for 8 hours, but most students take 2-3 hours to complete all module exams. Ensure your pre-course and test activities are complete prior to attempting to take your certification exam; however, these can be taken out of order.
Can I retake the IPC Certification Exam?
Each course includes up to one retake of the certification exam (CIS only). You only have to retake the module that you did not get a passing score, i.e. you do not have to take all the modules again. If by some chance more than one retake is needed, then members from the ElectroSpec team will reach out to you for scheduling, questions/answers for coursework, and any additional costs that may be required. It is ElectroSpec’s highest priority that you successfully pass each module on the first try, and have no more than one retake if necessary. ElectroSpec prides itself in multiple retakes not being a common occurrence for students.
Do I need to finish all the videos to take the exam?
It is in your best interest to watch all the videos and review all the module questions, however you may take the exam at any time if you are confident in the material. If you want to simply take the exam without watching the videos or reviewing the module questions, you may opt to purchase the exam only.
Where do I go to take the certification exam?
Go online to IPC Edge. You will need to create an IPC Edge account. Once you make an account, navigate to My Courses and look for your course RP_IPC-A-610 (or whatever course you are taking). Update your profile, view IPC Essentials in its entirety, and take your IPC Policies and Procedures Test. Although you don’t have to pass IPC Essentials, you must pass the IPC Policy and Procedures Test. The results of any exam taken on the IPC EDGE Learning Management System are available as soon as the candidate submits the exam, or the exam time expires, i.e. eight hours from the time the test is scheduled to start. Note you will need your own computer or tablet with microphone and camera access and your IPC Standard.
How long do I have to wait to take an exam retake?
Students that fail to pass a certification exam may attempt to retake the exam after the cool down period specified in the certification program’s Policies and Procedures. The method utilized for the retake attempt must be the same method of the initial attempt. For example; if a candidate’s initial attempt utilized the online remote proctor examination method and the candidate fails, the retake attempt must also utilize the online remote proctor examination method as well.
The certification exam cool down period is used to protect the integrity of certification exam items and to ensure that students are afforded the opportunity to obtain additional training as necessary.
- First Failure - In the event that a student fails his or her first attempt to pass a certification exam, the student shall wait a minimum of 1 calendar day before attempting a retest.
- Second Failure - In the event that a student fails his or her second attempt to pass a certification exam, the student shall wait a minimum of 2 calendar days before attempting a retest.
- Third Failure - In the event that a student fails his or her third attempt to pass a certification exam, the student shall wait a minimum of 7 calendar days before enrolling and paying the appropriate fees to attempt a retest.
Students may opt to retest only the failed portion(s) of the certification exam if completed within 90 calendar days following the initial failed exam. If the student waits longer than 90 calendar days they must retake all required modules as if they were a new student.
Is my ElectroSpec account linked to my IPC Certification Portal and IPC Edge accounts?
No, these accounts are different and must be created separately. The ElectroSpec account gives you access to select a course, make payments, watch training videos, review homework/test questions, and exercise your knowledge on a lab which resembles some questions on the certification exam. The IPC Edge account gives you access to IPC Edge where you will take your online exam, take IPC Essentials pre-test course, review and test on IPC Policies and Procedures, and print out your certificate. IPC Certification Portal maintains your IPC training record and provides additional resources.
How do I setup an IPC Certification Portal and IPC Edge Account?
Go online to IPC Edge.
Click on “Sign in to IPC Edge”
Click on “New User?”
Fill out the information and click “Submit”.
Log in to your new account and navigate to “My Courses”
Explore the website.
Note:Your email used to create an ElectroSpec Account will be used to search for your IPC account. Please ensure they match or let the instructors know if they differ upon purchase.
How do I reset my IPC account password?
Navigate to the login page depending on what you are trying to accomplish, you may login at any of these sites:
- The online IPC Store is used for purchasing exam credits, standards, and other IPC products.
- The Edge 2.0 instructor certification portal is used for entering classes and enrolling students.
- The Edge 2.0 testing site is used for scheduling exams, entering scores, and is where students will login to take their certification exams. Other educational products such as the video training library are also housed on this site.
- Select the password reset option:
- Enter your email address:
4. Retrieve reset message from your email box
5. Follow link and enter new password:
Your password is now reset, and you should be able to use it to login immediately.
Note:
If you do not receive an email message containing a password reset link please try the following:
- Check your "Spam" or "Junk" folder.
- Check that 'ipc.org', 'ipcedge.org', and 'netsuite.com' are all whitelisted (or added to your safe senders list) in your email application.
- If you are checking your email through a mobile application, please try checking on a desktop or laptop device.
- Contact your IT department to request that 'ipc.org', 'ipcedge.org', and 'netsuite.com' are whitelisted in your network firewalls.
