CARM Essentials Micro-course Academic Policy & Conditions

Enrolment

There are no academic or experience pre-requisites for enrolment in the CARM Essentials Micro-course. Enrolment is open to all and may take place at any time.

Tuition Fees

NOTE: This course is taxable. All tuition fees are in Canadian dollars.

Course Access

Access to online course content will be provided upon completion of electronic application and processing of payment. Access is provided for 60 days from the date the student gains access to the course content.

Final Examination

Each student enrolled in the course must complete their final examination online within 60 days of starting the course; the exam is available at any time. The final examination is online and open-book.

A grade of 70% or greater on the final examination is required to pass. Results will be made available to students within three (3) business days. Completed examinations will not be returned to the student.

Should a student be unsuccessful, the exam may be re-taken once for a fee of CDN$40. A student must register, provide payment, and complete the second exam within three (3) weeks of receiving results of the first exam.

Withdrawals

Students may withdraw from this course at any time; however, there will be no refund of tuition fees when notice of withdrawal is received after the student has gained access to the course materials.

A student who wishes to withdraw may arrange a transfer of enrolment to another student who is in the same enrolment category. This requires written notification from both parties, including a course application completed by the replacement student. The course must be completed within the original timeframe of 60 days.

Re-Enrolment

If a student fails a second attempt at the final examination, they may re-enrol in the course. If re-enrolment takes place within two weeks of being advised of the results of the second exam, tuition will be one-half the posted fee. For students who re-enroll at a reduced cost, there will be only one opportunity to write the final examination. If the student is unsuccessful, any future enrolment will be at the regular cost.

Certificates

Upon successful completion of the CARM Essentials micro-course, the student will be provided an electronic certification of completion that the student may save, print, and post on LinkedIn.

Communications

Email is the preferred method of communication. A student is responsible for maintaining the reliability of his/her e-mail address by updating the contact information in their CSCB accounts.

By maintaining your CCS (Certified Customs Specialist) designation on an annual basis, you demonstrate your ongoing commitment to professional development and the high quality of service expected from those with the CCS designation. Timely, complete information is critical to the CCS and the CSCB will provide you with the means by which you can receive information on new customs policies, administrative programs and fast changing international trade agreements, giving you the knowledge you need to stay current.

Eligibility Status

Certified Customs Specialist designation status is limited to:

1. persons who successfully completed the Certified Customs Specialist course and who maintain their CCS status on an ongoing basis; OR
2. persons who successfully challenge the Certified Customs Specialist examination and who maintain their CCS status on an ongoing basis.

The CCS designation program has annual reporting and payment requirements. 

Annual Fee

In January of each year, CCS designates who attained the required number of points for the previous calendar year will be sent a notification advising them how to pay their fees. Currently, the renewal fee is CDN $105 (plus applicable taxes) per year.

Payment must be made online by February 28 of the same year. Designates will receive one overdue reminder notice in March. Any designates who have not paid their annual fee by the end of May of that year will be converted to “expired” status, and their access to CSCB resources will be removed.

The CSCB will consider requests to reinstate designate status until end of calendar year.

Candidates who miss the payment deadlines due to extended absence (six months or longer) from work that is attributable to illness, parental leave, or other exceptional circumstances should contact the CSCB as soon as possible to advise of the circumstances. In some cases, the CSCB will allow a designate’s status to be reinstated if their employer attests to the reason for a prolonged absence from work. The annual renewal fee will still apply and will not be prorated.

CSCB member firms are offered a rebate of CDN $20 per CCS designate on their membership dues. To facilitate the application of the rebate on their membership dues invoice to be prepared on July 1st, the MOU employer must pay the renewal fee for all of their CCS designates by April 30. The CSCB will consider requests for extension on a case-by-case basis in May and June.

Obtaining CCS Points

20 professional development points are required per calendar year to maintain the CCS designation. Points in excess of the required 20 cannot be “banked” for allocation in a future year.

NOTE: CCS program graduates must start collecting points in the year following graduation. For e.g. if you graduated in September 2025, you need to obtain 20 points in 2026.

Points may be obtained in several ways, including:

CCS Points Approved Activities

Please refer to a list of all CCS Points Approved Activities. This list is updated regularly.

Please do not assume that an event approved for points in one year will be approved, or that the same number of points will be assigned, in the following year.

Event Eligibility and Approval

To be deemed as eligible for CCS points, an event must be approved by the CSCB. To do this in advance of the event, please log in to your CSCB account and complete the External Event Approval form.

Proof of attendance at any non-CSCB event is required. Any valid proof of attendance will be accepted, as outlined in the table above.

General Requirements for Event Eligibility for CCS

• The event must be educational in nature and directly related to customs, trade, or border management topics.
• The duration and content of the session will determine the number of CCS points awarded.
• The content must have Canadian relevance — it should expand upon or complement topics covered in the CCS program such as:
  • CBSA programs and procedures
  • Canadian trade compliance and regulations
  • Tariff classification, valuation, or release and accounting processes
  • Rules of origin and trade agreements
  • Canadian trade policy or legislative updates
  • Other government department (OGD) requirements for import/export
• International or general trade content may be accepted only if it is directly applicable to Canadian customs operations or compliance.

Examples of Non-Acceptable Topics

• Sessions unrelated to trade, customs, or compliance (e.g., generic business development)
• Events focused primarily on product promotion or sales
• Unverifiable or informal training without proof of participation
• Participation in working groups or committees of other organizations

Recording Points

Here's what you can do to ensure that the CSCB has a record of your points:

For CSCB activities:

• For CSCB events, CCS points will be added automatically based on attendance lists.
• For CSCB courses or CCS Designate quizzes, points will be added automatically upon successful completion.
• For CCS designates who sit on national or regional boards or committees, points will be added automatically.

For non-CSCB activities pre-approved for points:

• For non-CSCB activities, you must provide evidence of participation, as outlined in the table above. Points will then be added to your account. Please log into your CSCB account and access the Activities Approved for Points/Credits page to submit your proof of attendance.
• For in-house training offered by CSCB member firms, please have the training facilitator provide the CSCB with a list of CCS designates who completed the in-house training. Points will be added based on the provided attendance list.
   

If you do not submit evidence of attendance for events hosted by organizations other than the CSCB, CCS points will not be awarded to you.

Checking Your CCS Points Status

You should access your CSCB account on a regular basis to check your points status. If you think your record is incomplete, please provide us with proof of attendance in a relevant industry activity by December 31. You must acquire 20 points by December 31 to maintain the CCS designation.

Regaining the CCS Designation

Former CCS designates who wish to regain their designation may do so by challenging the CCS exam, as long as their designation has not lapsed for more than 5 years. For further details on fees and deadline, please refer to the Challenging the CCS Examination policy. 

Former CCS designates may also enrol in the CCS course at a discounted rate. Contact [email protected] for details.

Individuals seizing this opportunity may do so only once.

Leave of Absence

If a designate is away from the workplace for three consecutive months within a calendar year due to employer-authorized leave, 10 CCS points will be waived from the designation maintenance requirements. This waiver process can be accessed twice within a calendar year, for a maximum waiver of 20 CCS points.

Proof of authorized leave from the employer is required.

Please note, the annual renewal fee will still apply.

Replacement of Certificate

If for any reason you would like a new certificate, please fill out the Request for Reproduction of a Certificate form and email it to [email protected] accompanied by a fee of $25.00 + applicable taxes.

CCS Retired Status

The "CCS Retired Status" is available for individuals who are no longer working in international trade.

Retired designates can still engage in professional development activities but are not required to earn points. For more details, visit CCS/CTCS Retired Status.

Eligibility Status

Certified Trade Compliance Specialist designation status is limited to:

• persons who successfully complete the CTCS program of study and who maintain their CTCS status.

To maintain the CTCS designation, an individual must:

• pay their renewal fees annually; and
• earn 50 professional development credits triennially.

Annual Fee

The annual fee is CDN $275 plus applicable taxes. Renewal opens in January, at which time CTCS designates are advised via email on how to remit their fees through their CSCB accounts. NOTE: Renewal fees are waived for CTCS program graduates in their year of graduation and in the first year following graduation.

Payment must be made online by February 28 of the same year. Designates will receive one overdue reminder notice in March. Any designates who have not paid their annual fee by end of May of that year will be converted to “expired” status, and their access to CSCB resources will be removed.

The CSCB will consider requests to reinstate status.

CSCB member firms are allowed a rebate of 10 percent of CTCS fees paid under the MOU, which is reflected in a reduction of CSCB membership dues.
 

Obtaining Professional Development Credits

CTCS designates need to obtain 50 professional development credits triennially for which proof of participation may be required. The current three-year cycle runs from January 1, 2025 to December 31, 2027. Credits may be earned in many ways, including the following. 

NOTE: During a CTCS designate’s initial calendar year, the credit requirement will be pro-rated based on the number of months remaining in the 3 year period. 

Note: credits awarded will be based on factors including content and duration. Credits in excess of the required 50 cannot be “banked” for allocation in a future 3 year cycle.

* As part of the CTCS designation benefits, every CTCS designate is entitled to one CTCS module per 3 year credit-cycle, to be completed in that credit cycle, at no cost.

CTCS Credits Approved Activities

Please refer to a list of all CTCS Credits Approved Activities. This list is updated regularly.

Please do not assume that an event approved for credits in one year will be approved, or that the same number of credits will be assigned, in the following year.

Activity Eligibility

To be deemed as eligible for CTCS credits, an activity must be approved by the CSCB. To do this in advance of the activity, login to your CSCB account, and complete the External Event Approval. We will then advise you if taking part in the activity is eligible for CTCS Credits.

Proof of attendance at any non-CSCB events is required. Any valid evidence of participation will be accepted, as outlined above.

General Requirements for Event Eligibility for CTCS:

• The event must be educational in nature and directly related to customs, trade compliance, or border management topics.
• The duration and content of the session will determine the number of CTCS credits awarded.
• The content should expand upon or complement topics covered in the CTCS program such as:
  • CBSA programs and procedures
  • Canadian trade compliance and regulations
  • Tariff classification, valuation, rules of origin and trade agreements
  • Canadian trade policy or legislative updates
  • Other government department (OGD) requirements for import/export
• Webinars may include non-Canadian content if they contribute to a deeper understanding of trade compliance.

Examples of Non-Acceptable Topics:

• Sessions unrelated to trade, customs, or compliance (e.g., generic business development)
• Events focused primarily on product promotion or sales
• Unverifiable or informal training without proof of participation

Recording Credits

Here's what you can do to ensure that the CSCB has a record of your credits:

For CSCB activities:

• For CSCB events, CTCS credits will be added automatically based on attendance lists.
• For CSCB courses or designate quizzes, credits will be added automatically upon successful completion.

For non-CSCB activities pre-approved for CTCS credits:

• For non-CSCB activities, you must provide proof of attendance, as outlined above. Please log into your CSCB account and access the Activities Approved for Points/Credits page to submit your proof of attendance. Credits will then be added to your account.
• For in-house training offered by CSCB member firms, please have the training facilitator provide us with a list of CTCS designates who completed the in-house training. Credits will be added based on the provided attendance list.

Leave of Absence

If a designate is away from the workplace with authorized leave for three consecutive months within a calendar year, 7.5 CTCS credits will be waived. This waiver process may be access a maximum of  two times for a total of 15 CTCS points within the calendar year.

Proof of authorized leave from employer is required.

Please note, the annual renewal fee will still apply.

Re-certification

Former CTCS designates who wish to regain their designation may do so by re-certifying, as long as their designation has not lapsed for more than 6 years. For further details on fees and eligibility, please refer to the CTCS Re-certification Policy.

Individuals seizing this opportunity may do so only once.

CTCS Retired Status

The "CTCS Retired Status" is available for individuals who are no longer working in international trade.

Retired designates can still engage in professional development activities but are not required to earn points. For more details, visit CCS/CTCS Retired Status.