The Top Tip for Taking the Certified Special Events Professional (CSEP) Exam
By Jen Poyer, CSEP
This simple exercise is one of the most important tools for preparing to take the CSEP exam. I urge you to take a few minutes, grab a piece of scrap paper and pen, and follow the directions below. Read all directions completely before writing anything down on the paper. At the end, you will have a score to determine how well you did.
1. Write your first name in the upper left corner of the paper.
2. Write your last name in the upper right corner of the paper.
3. If your last name begins with a letter from A to M, circle your first name.
4. If your last name begins with a letter from N to Z, circle your last name.
5. Write today's date somewhere in the left column of the paper.
6. Write your birthdate somewhere in the right column of the paper.
7. If your birthdate is in a month from January to June, draw a SINGLE line under your birthdate.
8. If your birthdate is in a month from July to December, draw a DOUBLE line under your birthdate.
9. Add the DATE of your birthday to the DATE of today's date and put the number in the center of the top of the paper.
10. Write the word “score” in capital letters in the lower right corner of the paper.
11. Draw a box around it.
12. If your first name is in the upper left corner of the paper, give yourself 100 points.
13. If your first name is in the upper right corner of the paper, subtract -100 points.
14. Add the number in the center of the top of the paper to your score.
15. If there is any writing on the page before you have read this statement for the first time, give yourself a zero. Go back and read the statement at the top of the article telling you to read all directions completely before writing anything down.
I remember preparing to start the new school year as a child, and being told a story by my father about this very exercise. This moral of the story was to use the skills you have and follow directions to achieve success.
In our busy lives, many of us would blow by the initial statement and start following the list of directions, avoiding wasting precious time to reap the benefits as quickly as possible. If you had taken two minutes to read all of the directions, you would have realized that the last item on the exam undermined all of the work that had just been done.
I share this with you because one of the biggest keys to success when taking the CSEP exam is simply to follow the directions. Answer the questions in the most direct manner possible.
Some additional quick tips: Some questions have multiple parts—be sure that you answer each part. Read through all of the questions first so that you know what is coming and can plan your answers accordingly.
We are thrilled to announce that in addition to our standard Jan. 15-30 testing period, we will be able to offer a satellite testing location onsite at The Special Event in Nashville, Tenn. The 4.5-hour exam will take place on Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2014, beginning at 9 a.m. To register for this special testing location, simply complete the CSEP application online at csep.ises.com by December 1, 2013.
Name: Jen Poyer, CSEP, Chair, ISES Certification Committee
Company: Catalina Island Conservancy
Address: 125 Claressa Ave.
Avalon, CA 90704
Phone: 310/510-2595
Web: www.catalinaconservancy.org
Next Page: The ISES Brand, Reimagined
The ISES Brand, Reimagined
ISES recently launched its new Brand Story, which is now being rolled out internationally.
ISES Brand Vision
Our brand vision expresses our place in the world.
It captures our reason for being and defines our direction as a business; it is our road map. We must know clearly who we are, where we are going and where we aspire to be in the future. Our strategy may change depending on a range of factors; but our brand vision never will.
ISES Brand Values
Our brand values are the set of principles that we believe in. Our values are truths, which are the primary driving force behind our brand, our actions and our decisions.
The truths they stand for guide us through our organization's communications, our marketing, our decisions, and most importantly, our relationships and connections with our audiences, vendors, prospects and clients.
We Value Creativity.
Creativity is very important to us and, more importantly, to the people we work with and for. It’s our main commodity. Our intellectual property and our trademark.
We Value Inspiration.
Being inspired and inspiring others is what we do. It's who we are, and who our members are. It's our ability to generate unique thought.
We Value Teamwork.
Teamwork is at the heart of what we do, both as a membership organization but also as a facilitator of business collaboration. It’s about our ability to bring people together to achieve great things. We are able to do this because our members are the best at what they do.
We Value Education.
Education is our only tangible product, and it's something we lead the way in throughout the creative event industry. We have the power to bring people together to encourage debate and challenge the conventional.
We Value Relationships.
We believe establishing good professional and personal relationships are an essential part of who we are. ISES is a community of people rich in spirit, and, as a community we care about each other and what happens to people in our world.
Next Page: ISES Editorial Team and Staff
ISES Editorial Team and Staff
ISES Editorial Committee
Caroline Sewell
Volunteer Editor
Encore Events Inc.
Greater Triangle N.C.
[email protected]
Christina Currie
Christine Currie Events Inc.
Chicago
Stacy Heit
America's Promise Alliance
Washington D.C.
Carol Roleder
Craig's Crew Inc.
Los Angeles
ISES Staff
Kelly Rehan
Managing Editor
[email protected]
Kevin Hacke
Executive Director
[email protected]
Kristin Prine
Operations Manager
[email protected]
Lauren Rini
Senior Coordinator of Specialty Programs
[email protected]
Tom McCurrie
Chapter Services Senior Associate
[email protected]
Caitlin Cusack
Membership Services Associate
[email protected]
ISES INTERNATIONAL
330 N. Wabash Ave.
Chicago IL 60611
312/321-6853
[email protected]
www.ises.com
