The Associate Professional in Talent Development (APTD)

The Associate Professional in Talent Development (APTD) is a professional certification for TD professionals with at least three years of experience—those who are in the early parts of their careers or whose professional roles and aspirations are focused on foundational areas of the field.

An APTD understands that well-designed talent development strategies and solutions contribute to organizational success and has a strong grounding in the foundational knowledge of the field.

What Topics are Covered?

The APTD covers a subset of foundational knowledge from the Talent Development Capability Model and how to use that knowledge in talent development. It is focused on the capabilities required for successful performance by early career professionals. These areas were identified by the research as core building blocks for talent development professionals.

Download the current APTD content outline for a detailed overview of what knowledge and skill statements are covered on the new exam.

Who is It For?

The typical APTD credential holder has 3-5 years of experience in talent development. 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.

Need to Convince Your Boss?

Download and use this letter template to have a discussion with your employer about the value of the APTD.

How Does the APTD Differ from the CPTD?

• APTD covers a subset of the Talent Development Capability Model focused more on the knowledge statements than the skill and ability statements covered by the CPTD exam.
• The APTD is a knowledge-based exam and the CPTD exam is a skills-based exam.
• The APTD can be used as a stepping stone for the CPTD. APTD credential holders can take the CPTD with 4 years of experiene (vs. the standard 5 years required) and the APTD covers the professional development requirement for CPTD eligibility, should they pursue a CPTD 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 [email protected]