Associate Professional in Talent Development (APTD)

The Associate Professional in Talent Development (APTD) is a certification for talent development professionals who are in the early part of their careers or whose professional roles and aspirations are focused on a few areas of expertise. The competencies included in the APTD are the basics of talent development that professionals can use every day, no matter the level within an organization or company. It may be a destination for some or a stepping stone to the CPLP for others.

What Topics are Covered?

The APTD focuses primarily on three areas of expertise (AOEs) from the ATD Competency Model: Instructional Design, Training Delivery, and Learning Technologies. Evaluating Learning Impact and the foundational competency of Global Mindset also will be included in questions from the main AOEs throughout the exam. These competencies were identified by the research as core building blocks for talent development professionals.

Who is It For?

The typical APTD credential holder has 3-5 years of experience in talent development in a role that is primarily focused on training delivery or instructional design. Fifteen percent of the candidates who have earned the APTD so far are in a management role.

Many of our APTD candidates are “accidental trainers” without formal education in training and development. Some work full time in the field, while others work half time. The APTD is the first certification from ATD CI that welcomes professionals from other fields who have at least 50% of their time devoted to talent development activities.

As a building block for your career, APTD credential holders are able to test out of three portions of the CPLP exam should they pursue the CPLP certification in the future.

How Does the APTD Differ from the CPLP?

• APTD covers three (3) main areas of expertise versus ten (10) areas of expertise covered by the CPLP certification.
• There is one knowledge exam for the APTD vs. two exams for the CPLP credential.
• The APTD can be used as a stepping stone for the CPLP. APTD credential holders can test out of three portions of the CPLP exam should they pursue the CPLP certification in the future.

For more information about the APTD certification, please download the APTD Certification Handbook at the bottom of this page or email us at APTDcertification@td.org.