Approved By:	ESPCC
Approval Date:	February 24, 2012
Revision Date(s):	August 23, 2019; January 22, 2021; January 24, 2025
Date Last Reviewed:	January 24, 2025

Records Retention

All documents created or received by the credentialing program will be retained according to the following schedule. The use of the term “documents” in this policy includes all printed and electronic materials. Documents received in hard copy may be converted to electronic format for storage. All
confidential materials will be retained in compliance with the security policy. All print materials must be securely stored by National APSE.

Sub-contractors will have agreements with separate data and records retention policies.

For the purposes of document retention, the following terms are defined:

• Active credential holders: A current CESP.
• Inactive credential holders: An active credential holder becomes an inactive credential holder once their credential expires.
• Active candidate: An applicant who has submitted an application for examination but has not yet sat for the examination.
• Inactive candidate: An individual who did not pass the examination or was deemed ineligible during the application process.

Documents Retained Indefinitely

• Examinations (at least one copy of each examination form)
• Examination development documentation including, but not limited to, role delineation surveys and reports, test specifications (content outline), records of item writing activities, cut-score studies, and technical reports.
• Examination results (scores)
• Examination items (item bank)
• Active candidate and credential holders’ data.
• Active contracts
• Audit reports and financial statements
• Meeting minutes of all Council and committee meetings
• Signed Conflict of Interest and Confidentiality forms
• Legal correspondence and documents

Documents Retained for 7 Years

• Inactive credential holders’ files
• Expense reports
• Accounting/bookkeeping records (except as noted above)
• Expired/terminated contracts

Documents Retained for 3 Years

• Inactive personnel files
• Inactive candidate files
• General correspondence

Documents Disposal

When an electronic document ages to reach the end of storage requirements per the Records Retention schedule, credentialing program staff work with technology solution vendors to ensure that documents and data are destroyed in their entirety. This includes confidential and operational documents held in cloud-sharing technology services. All technology vendors must be GDPR compliant.

Subject Matter Expert and ESPCC confidentiality agreements outline the requirement to delete secure materials from electronic records or computers once their role or work has ended. Print materials are shredded into cross-cut particles and disposed of by credentialing staff who are covered under the confidentiality agreement.

APSE follows General Accepted Accounting Practices (GAAP) for accounting and bookkeeping records.