MOCPA is thrilled to be partnering with the AICPA to offer specialized certificate programs that allow you to showcase your expertise!

Here is a video and set of frequently asked questions to help you understand the benefits and how you can display your new achievement.

Watch this video (2:36) for an overview of digital badges through the Acclaim platform.

1. What is a digital badge?
   A digital badge is a validated, visual representation of your significant achievement with a specific description of the knowledge and skills you’ve achieved to earn it.


2. What are Credly and Acclaim?
   Credly empowers organizations to officially recognize individuals for demonstrated competencies and skills. Their mission is to connect people to opportunity based on their talent and capabilities. Thousands of organizations use Credly to make their students’, employees’, and members’ achievements visible, including Yale University, Harvard, the New York City Department of Education, Adobe, SUNY, University of Central Florida, Training Magazine, and Smithsonian. Acclaim is one of Credly’s badging platforms.

    

   Accepting your badge

3. What are the advantages of sharing my new digital badge?
   Digital badges are quickly becoming the global standard for recognizing and publicizing professional development. Sharing your digital badge with your social and professional networks (see “How do I share my badge?” below) helps you gain recognition for your achievement from clients, colleagues, and potential employers. A digital badge strengthens credibility and visually declares your commitment to quality. According to a recent LinkedIn study, profiles with certifications and badges receive six times the number of profile views. Watch this video (1:38) for an overview.

    



4. When will I receive my digital badge?
   Once a digital badge’s specific criteria are met, you will be issued a digital badge approximately 15 business days or less. You will receive an email from admin@youracclaim.com with instructions and a link to claim your badge on the Acclaim platform.

    



5. How do I accept my badge on the Acclaim platform?
   It’s easy to log in to the Acclaim platform to accept the AICPA and CIMA digital badge you have earned. Within the notification email you receive from admin@youracclaim.com, click the “Accept your badge” button or URL. You have the option to use your email address, Facebook or LinkedIn information when you create your free youracclaim.com account.

    



6. Do I have an obligation to accept the badge?
   You do not have an obligation to claim and display the digital badge. However, downloading, embedding, and linking your unique digital badge enables potential clients, professional contacts, and employers to easily verify your accomplishments. You have the option to make your badge private once you’ve accepted it so others will not see it.

    

   Sharing and linking your badge

Sharing and linking your badge

7. How do I share by badge?
   Once you’ve created an account on youracclaim.com and have accepted your digital badge, click on it and choose to “Share” to your choice of social media networks, such as LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter or Xing. You can also include the digital badge in your e-mail signature, digital resume or your personal blog/website.
   

   From the “Share” menu, choose the “Download Badge” option (downward arrow icon) to download the badge as a PNG file. Then, look for the link icon to link the PNG image to your verifiable badge. Or, copy the HTML code from the embed icon (left and right arrows with a forward slash in between them) and use that on your web page, blog or any platform that accepts HTML.

   Important! For your badge to be verified and allow others to see your accomplishment, the badge must be linked through the Acclaim platform.

   You can link multiple e-mail addresses to the Acclaim platform , so if your digital badge is delivered to your work e-mail, but your social media accounts are linked to a personal e-mail, it is a seamless experience to share your accomplishment. These instructions are also available here.

   You can also watch this video (:40) on how to share your badge.



8. How will someone know my digital badge is authentic?

    

   Your badge needs to be linked to your profile on the AICPA and CIMA Acclaim platform which contains verified information. Every digital badge has a unique URL that should be embedded in your social profile or on your website.
9. What do the AICPA and CIMA badges look like?

    

   Images of digital badges offered by the AICPA and CIMA are shown here.

    

   Important! When a badge is linked properly, the badge image itself will update automatically if an update occurs. If the badge you’ve earned from the AICPA and CIMA does not match the badge image shown on the AICPA and CIMA Acclaim platform, please ensure your badge is linked properly. You may need to re-download the new image and link it.

10. How will I know my digital badge is properly linked?

     

    To check if your badge is linked properly, once you share your badge, whether on email, a personal webpage, or social media network, click on the badge image. If your Acclaim badge profile does not appear or you don’t see a URL when you hover over the image, your digital badge is not linked properly and cannot be verified.

     

    Badge expiration

11. How much time do I have to accept the badge?

     

    There is no time limit to claim or accept the badge; however, please refer to the question "Does my digital badge expire?" below.

     

12. Does my digital badge expire?

     

    Some of our AICPA and CIMA digital badges expire while some do not have an expiration date.

     

    For badges that expire, if there have been no significant updates related to information covered in the topical area covered by your badge, your badge will be renewed for another year. If significant changes have occurred, you will be notified about additional education that must be completed to maintain the badge. If you complete the additional education, you will remain a badge holder in that topical area and your digital badge will be updated to reflect competency in the new areas. If you do not complete the additional education, your digital badge will expire automatically.

    Please refer to the badge’s information page for further detail about potential expiration dates for the digital badge.

13. What happens when my digital badge expires?

     

    Your inactive digital badge will still be listed on your Acclaim account with the expiration date prominently displayed.

     

14. Can someone copy or steal my badge?

     

    No, your digital badge is awarded to the name and email address you used to complete your purchase on the AICPA Store. If someone were to copy the badge it would not be linked and, therefore, unverified and invalid. If you notice misuse of your digital badge image or URL, please contact us at digitalbadge@aicpa-cima.com.

     

15. If I have other badges that aren’t issued by AICPA and CIMA, is there a way to merge my accounts into one account?

     

    Yes, digital badges issued and received on credly.com or youracclaim.com are fully compliant with the Mozilla Open Badges standard. All Credly and Acclaim account holders can send their badges to the Mozilla Open Badge Backpack and import other open badges earned elsewhere into their Credly profile. Watch this video on how to merge accounts.

     

16. Where do I go if I have questions about my digital badge?
You can email digitalbadge@aicpa-cima.com.