Certification Program - Arizona Nursery Association

A professional trade organization dedicated to the promotion and advancement of the nursery industry for its members and the public they serve.

The Arizona Certified Nursery Professional (ACNP) program is sponsored by the Arizona Nursery Association (ANA) and is one of the most popular educational programs in the industry.

Qualifications:
Applicants must complete and pass all four parts of the exam with a score of 70 percent or higher, with an overall score of 75 percent. Only parts of the exam not passed need to be retaken. All four parts of the exam must be successfully completed within two years from the date first taken. If not passed, it is necessary to start the testing process over again.

ACNP exams are scheduled throughout the state. This schedule also is available from the ANA office.

The ACNP study manual is an 84-page text that covers the following subjects:

How plants grow
Houseplants
Annuals and perennials
Turfgrass
Fruit trees, vegetable gardening
Landscape design and plant selection
Xeriscape
Soils
Fertilizers
Planting and establishment
Water and irrigation methods
Plant pest problems
Insects
Diseases
Animals
Weed and weed control
Naming of plants and plant lists
Basic retail nursery overview
Salesmanship

The price of the manual is included in the cost of the class.

Classes:
The class is designed to help prepare participants for the exam. A certificate of completion will be issued at the conclusion of the class. The ACNP manual will be available at the beginning of the class. Please bring any materials necessary to take notes.

Exam:

Part 1 - General Information (167 questions, 60 minutes) This portion of the test covers soils, chemicals, plant diseases and pests, salesmanship and other relevant subjects. The answers are true or false, multiple choice, or matching.

Part 2 - Landscape Design (20 questions, 30 minutes) A landscape plan showing the building location, direction of exposure, locations of plants to be selected, and general information regarding the type of plant for each area will be provided. Grading is based on using the correct type of plant for the location with regard to exposure, whether or not each is positioned correctly to be suitable when mature, and also on overall selection to create a pleasing and workable design.

Part 3 - Descriptive Identification of Plants (60 questions, 30 minutes) Each question will be a description of different plants, leaf types, sizes at maturity, types of flowers or berries, and hardiness. There will be multiple choice answers of botanical names to choose from to best fit the description.

Part 4 - Visual Plant Identification (25 questions, 60 minutes) Twenty-five different plants will be placed throughout the room. Each plant must be correctly identified by both common and botanical names with their correct spelling. Ten of these plants are selected by the examiner for more information such as height, exposure, blooming season, hardiness, etc.

Register Today for the ACNP Class & Exam 2009

This one-day class for the Arizona Certified Nursery Professional (ACNP) will be taught by industry professionals.

ACNP Class Phoenix Metro Area
August 14, 2009
The Buttes Resort, Tempe
8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Cost: (Includes ACNP manual, morning & afternoon refreshments, and lunch)
$150 for ANA members
$245 for non-ANA members

ACNP Exam Phoenix Metro Area
September 2009
Desert Tree Farm, South Yard
Refresher Class & Exam

Pre-registration is required!
For more information and registration call the ANA office,
(480) 966-1610 or (520) 623-4148.

There are three modules offered in the Advanced Certification Program. They are: Integrated Pest Management, Turf Management, and Irrigation Management. These certification modules are designed as an independent study program with exams offered at regularly scheduled ACNP exams.

The cost for each module, including instructional material, is $80 for ANA members and $200 for non-members.

Registration:
Pre-registration for the classes and exams is required by calling (480) 966-1610 or (520) 623-4148. Study manuals may be purchased on the first night of the class, or from the ANA office. The manual can be shipped to you for an additional $4.50. To order, contact ANA at (480) 966-1610, (520) 623-4148, or e-mail slanctot@azna.org.

Recognition of Certification:
Upon completing and successfully passing the exam, each participant will be asked to sign a Code of Ethics contract and will then receive their ACNP name badge and certificate.

The ACNP program is a comprehensive program that requires a significant amount of knowledge to complete and an ACNP should display their certificate and badge with pride. An ACNP is a great value to their employer because they are an expert in the nursery field and can better serve their customers.