On the Readers Speak page of our Aug. 26, 2019 issue, we published a question about what conclusions had been drawn about the value of the Electronic Payments Association's Certified Payments Professional (CPP) certification.
While we couldn't provide data on the efficacy of the program, we did point to a page on the ETA's website that describes the benefits of becoming a CPP. We also mentioned that we'd love to hear from readers who have experience with the program. In response, Corbett Manders, CPP, emailed the following:
"I saw the note in The Green Sheet about CPP experience and figured I would share mine. I originally decided to go for it because I'm a good test taker and figured this would be no big deal.
"I studied what I could because there is no single place to get all the information you'll need to complete the test. A majority of it comes from experience. That was tough because I had to search for information and answers to practice tests from colleagues with a lot more experience than myself.
"My ISO also didn't think it was a big deal, but after some convincing they helped pay for the test.
"The test itself was actually quite difficult; I did pass on the first try, but I wouldn't look forward to doing it again if I had to. Many multiple choice questions were similar to a full-blown case study, requiring you to know many facets of the business. The difficulty of the test actually convinced me this was very much needed in the industry. Before the test, I wouldn't have thought there was a big difference between a CPP and an industry professional without it. After the test, I absolutely recommend it. You'll learn a lot."
Many thanks to Corbett for sharing his experience with the CPP program. If you want to offer insights on CPP certification or on other initiatives or trends in the industry, please email us at greensheet@greensheet.com. We will, of course, welcome your questions and feedback, too. 
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