LCACP Overview
Suitably qualified and registered LCANZ members are able to become certified as Life Cycle Assessment Certified Professionals (LCACPs).
LCACP Certification:
- Allows the LCA practitioner to demonstrate an advanced level of expertise in LCA practice and a commitment to the LCANZ Code of Ethics.
- Enhances recognition by peers and respect of colleagues in the profession.
- Is reserved for professionals with a combination of educational qualifications, years of direct work experience, and publication of critically reviewed ISO-conformant LCA studies.
- Requires regular recertification to demonstrate continued or enhanced competence.
LCACP Certification is offered under an arrangement with the American Centre for Life Cycle Assessment (ACLCA). Candidates who meet the Exam Prerequisites, as prescribed in the ACLCA website, and who successfully complete the examination will be certified as LCACPs. The certification is recognised in New Zealand, Australia, and the USA.
The LCACP credential is not an educational certificate intended to certify students or practitioners new to the field. A Life Cycle Assessment Practitioner Affiliate Certification is being developed by ACLCA, ALCAS and LCANZ for early career LCA practitioners.
About the Exam
The examination is a closed book 3 ½ hour exam in English. There are 184 questions. The exam covers General LCA knowledge, ISO standards, LCI, LCIA, Project management, Data quality management, Post-impact calculations, LCA modelling/software, Statistics, Ethics, and Emerging Issues. For more details see FAQs.
The examination is based on the Criteria List which describes all the information an LCA Professional is expected to know. The Certification Management System describes all the details about how the system works in conformance with ISO 17024.
All candidates must submit Exam Prerequisites, as prescribed in the ACLCA website, for verification before they are able to book the exam.
Exam Process and Location
The LCACP exam has moved to an online platform from August 2021. It can be taken from anywhere in the world at your convenience.
The overall procedure for the exam is as follows
Exam Registration
- Candidate contacts LCANZ to enrol; pays application fee and sends prerequisites for approval.
- LCANZ approves the person to sit for the exam and provides link instructing them to pay the ACLCA exam fee.
- LCANZ will alert ACLCA of the candidate (name and email).
- Candidate pays exam fee to ACLCA.
- ACLCA will send the person (cc LCANZ) with details on setting up the date/time of the exam. A request will be made to include a photo that will be used to ‘match’ them in the online proctoring program.
- ACLCA will create an account and set the exam in system.
- Confirmation will be sent to the person along with a calendar reminder.
Exam
- On day of exam, person will sign in and take the exam
Results
- 3 days after completed exam ACLCA will alert person of their results and cc ALCAS/LCANZ . The email will include: Certification Number and expiry date (3 years from date of passing exam). Information regarding renewal will also be included.
- Those who pass the exam will be asked to complete a form to be added to the LCACP directory.
- Person will be posted to LCACP Directory 7-days after receiving their completed form.
Enrolment and Fees
To apply for enrolment, please email membership@lcanz.org.nz. You will be sent the hold harmless disclaimer to sign and return, an editable version of the Exam Prerequisites, and information on how to pay the application fee.
There are two fees. One for application (for which Exam Prerequisites will be verified) and one to sit the exam. Candidates will need to decide which of the five prerequisite paths to follow.
There is also a fee for recertification.
Application fee: NZD 225 payable to LCANZ
Exam and certification fee: USD 479 payable direct to ACLCA
Recertification fee: USD 325 payable direct to ACLCA
Ethics and Hold Harmless Disclaimer
By agreeing to the language below and participating in this certification program you expressly and irrevocably consent to and agree with the following:.
Certification is not a requirement for the practice of Life Cycle Assessment (“LCA”). The certification purports only to certify that you have met the requirements for certification set by LCANZ. These requirements pertain to education, experience and mastery of a practice-related body of knowledge.
LCANZ does not warrant or purport that you will achieve certification upon testing or that upon certification you will be competent in performing LCA services, nor is LCANZ responsible for your abilities or skills. To the fullest extent permitted by law, neither LCANZ nor its respective employees (paid and unpaid), committee and association members, agents, affiliates and contractors will be liable for any direct, indirect, incidental, special, exemplary, or consequential damages however caused and on any theory of liability, whether in contract, strict liability, or tort (including negligence or otherwise) arising in any way out of your success or failure to achieve certification nor of your use of the certification
You affirm that you will
- Conform to the LCANZ Code of Conduct for Life Cycle Assessment Certified Practitioners (LCACPs).
- Make claims regarding certification only with respect to the scope for which certification has been granted;
- Not use the certification in such a manner as to bring LCANZ into disrepute, and not make any statement regarding the certification which LCANZ may consider misleading or unauthorized;
- Discontinue the use of all claims to certification that contains any reference to LCANZ or certification upon suspension or withdrawal of certification, and return any certificates issued by LCANZ ; and
- Not use the certificate in a misleading manner.
If any part of this disclaimer is held to be invalid, the remaining parts will continue to be valid and enforceable.
LCANZ reserves the right to change examination criteria, examination methodology, or the certification mechanism at any time, without notice to candidates.
The hold harmless disclaimer must be signed and returned with application.
