Sherry Hinman Certification Steering Committee Editors’ Association of Canada EAC 2015 Conference—Editing Goes Global June 14, 2015

Sherry Hinman Certification Steering Committee Editors Association of Canada EAC 2015 ConferenceEditing Goes Global June 14, 2015

Outline About the certification program Before you register Are you experienced? Professional Editorial Standards Exercise 1 Test format Upcoming tests Preparing for the tests Study materials Study methods Study schedule Choose your resources Practise, practise, practise

Outline (contd) Ready to go Get it together Pack your bags Tips from certified editors: Before test day Test daywriting the test Budget your time Tips from certified editors: Test day Exercise 2 RDMs Exercise 3 Appendix 1: Sample work-back schedule Appendix 2: Create a style sheet

The certification program Certification is the gold standard of editing EAC certification credentials give editors official recognition of the excellence of their knowledge and skills This landmark program gives editors a marketing advantage As Canadas national association of editors, EAC is well qualified to acknowledge editing excellence EACs certification program is for editors of written material who work in English The program is open to EAC members and non-members To earn a credential, candidates must pass a test With the 2011 tests, a credential maintenance component was added to the program

Why certify? Proof of excellence to yourself, your peers or your employer/clients A way to identify your strengths and any gaps in your knowledge and skills A way to set yourself apart from the competition when bidding for editing contracts A professional credential attesting to your knowledge and skill in editing after a change in career A way to promote and maintain high professional standards of editing, develop professionally and participate in enhancing the status of editing as a profession in Canada

Are you experienced? Am I ready? No formal prerequisites for certification tests EAC strongly recommends a minimum of five years experience Doesnt have to mean 5 years full time in a publishing house Everyones situation is different: Full time or part time as an editor? Breadth of experience? Breadth of mediummagazine publishing, books, websites, corporate and government documents? Becoming certified is valuable for both freelance and staff editors

Do you live outside of Canada? All are welcome to take the EAC certification tests Benefits of EAC certification are recognized worldwide Must travel to one of the Canadian cities where the tests are offered Program designed to test the skills of editors working within Canada Many standards underlying tests are common to editorial practices in other countries, but tests do require some familiarity with Canadian practices, resources and issues Do not need to be a member of EAC to take the tests, though members do pay lower test fees

My experience Take a few minutes to write down a few things that make you qualified to be a certified editor. (See handout, p. 2.)

Professional Editorial Standards (PES) EAC document based on years of research, review and consultation with editors and professionals in publishing to answer the question, What do editors do? Think of PES as a checklist; standards outline knowledge and skills editors must have to edit at a professional level with minimal supervision; they apply to editing in all media

Professional Editing Standards (PES) (contd) Which standards describe your strengths? Which ones interest you most? Which ones describe skills youd like to develop? If youre a freelancer, which standards describe the services you want to offer? Most importantly, certification exams are developed to test these standards If your goal is certification, become familiar with PES (if you arent already) and know how you measure up against them The PES document is available at no charge on the EAC website, here: www.editors.ca/resources/eac_publications/pes/index.html

Which standard(s) is/are being tested? Exercise 1 (See handout pp. 2-3.)

Test format Building on the foundation of PES, there are four certification exams: Structural editing Stylistic editing Copy editing Proofreading

Test format (contd) All tests have the same format All tests are three hours Tests are open-book Candidates allowed to bring one dictionary, Editing Canadian English and up to three style guides to the tests Candidates receive list of approved resources after registering Editors may be certified in one or more of these types of editing To earn the designation of certified professional editor (CPE), you must pass all four tests

Test format (contd) Part A In each exam, part A consists of short-answer and multiple-choice questions Tests your knowledge in the fundamentals of editing (section A of PES) Worth about one-third of the marks for the exam Part B In each exam, part B is a scenario and test passage Assesses knowledge and skills in the standards for the specific area of editing being testedstructural editing, stylistic editing, copy editing or proofreading (sections B, C, D or E of PES) Worth about two-thirds of the marks for the exam Involves hard copy markup and may include other tasks, such as writing a letter to the author(s) or developing a style sheet

Upcoming tests Saturday, November 14, 2015 Copy editing 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Stylistic editing 2:30 to 5:30 p.m. November 2016 (date to be determined) Proofreading Structural Editing Demand and resources permitting, tests offered each November in Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Saskatoon, Winnipeg, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal and Halifax Registration opens in July

Study materials Start with an in-depth review of the standards that will be tested, assessing your ability to apply them The two best materials for doing this are: PES Certification Study Guides

PES Refer to PES to determine standards that will be tested in the exam you have registered to write Which ones do you need to learn? Which ones do you need to practise? Example: EAC copy editing exam Youre confident in your copy editing abilities, and youve determined that you meet PES for correctness (D1D4), accuracy and completeness (D11D15) and communication (D16D18) for copy editing What about the PES for consistency (D5D10)? Do you know the differences between Canadian, American and British style? Do you know how to develop a style sheet?

PES (contd) Two areas to study in PES when preparing to write a certification exam: Part A: The fundamentals of editing: the basic knowledge and practices a professional editor should know, including all types of publications (print and electronic) Part B, C, D, or E (the relevant skill area for the test you are taking)

Certification Study Guides Suggested way to use the guide: Review beginning of guide up to Practice Test Write practice test within the allotted time; important to time yourself so you know you can complete the actual test within the time limit Compare your answers and markup to the answer key Review sample responses and marker assessments Determine your areas of weakness and focus on them in your studying Later in your study period, redo the Study Guide test

Other study materials/resources Meeting Professional Editorial Standards (MPES): Four-volume set of self-tests that covers the four core areas of the standards Work through exercises and compare your answers and markup to the samples provided Later in your study period, redo the exercises Take an EAC branch seminar or college or university course; check the EAC website for upcoming seminars near you Study books about grammar, punctuation, usage, proofreading, editing and publishing For suggested books, visit http://www.editors.ca/certification/preparation.html http://www.editors.ca/certification/preparation.html

Other study materials/resources (contd) Review all books you plan to use during the test, and study at least one of the style guides in depth Refresh your test-taking skills If its been a long time since youve written a test, look for information on test-taking skills, including tips for preparing mentally If you edit on computer, review markup symbols for editing and proofreading on paper For more information on how to prepare, visit www.editors.ca/certification/preparation.html www.editors.ca/certification/preparation.html

Study methods Advantages of studying alone During the actual test, theres no collaboration, so time spent studying and practising alone will help prepare you for the real setting When studying alone, can devote the bulk of your time to honing skills in your personal areas of weakness No scheduling conflicts

Study methods (contd) Advantages of studying with others Study partners can help keep one another motivated and on track Can swap practice work with a partner for review/ marking Can share ideas and strategies with others Can share perspectives and knowledge related to different fields of editing

Study methods (contd) Finding study partners Post message to the EAC groups on LinkedIn and/or Facebook Send message out on the EAC listserv Attend branch speaker nights and network Look around the room! Youre all here because youre interested in taking the exams; exchange contact information so you can get in touch

Study schedule Amount of time needed to dedicate to studying is quite individual, but across the board, certified editors agree that cramming will not prepare you Whether you need six months or a few weeks to prepare, studying a little bit every day gives adequate time to read, practise and review without putting unreasonable or unrealistic demands on time Create a work-back schedule from the date of the exam (see handout, p. 7, for an example). Estimate time it will take you to complete various exam prep tasks, and schedule your time accordingly; stick to that schedule

My study plan Take a few minutes to write down some things you will want to review/practise as you prepare for the exam. (See handout, p. 3.)

Choose your resources Dictionaries Canadian Oxford Dictionary Nelson Canadian Dictionary Gage Canadian Dictionary Style guides Chicago Manual of Style Canadian Press Stylebook and Caps & Spelling (counts as one) The Canadian Style

Choose your resources (contd) Practice Meeting Professional Editorial Standards (MPES) EAC Certification Study Guides Mark My Words The Copyeditors Handbook Other useful resources Editing Canadian English Course handouts/material from professional development seminars

Practice, practice, practice Remember: Part B of examthe scenario and test passageworth approximately two-thirds of the marks To be successful, it is crucial to be able to apply your knowledge of editing effectively If editing experience concentrated in one particular subject, step outside comfort zone and practise editing less familiar subject matter; practising with a variety of subjects can help you remain calm in the exam setting

Practice, practice, practice (contd) When practising a test passage, time yourself; in the exam setting, editing speed is crucial Work on increasing your editing speed as you practise Note areas that give you the most trouble so you can spend extra time reviewing them Exams are written on paper, so practise writing/ printing neatly In addition to completing test passage, may be asked to produce other material, e.g., letter to author explaining changes/concerns or document style sheet; good idea to practise these tasks

Get it together Time to psych yourself up and get it together What do you need to do to minimize your stress on exam day? If you have trouble getting organized and getting out the door, prepare everything ahead of time If biggest problem is anxiety, consider relaxation or breathing techniques to help keep you calm

Pack your bags Youll be allowed pens, pencils, an eraser, a simple calculator, and rulers (no coloured pens or pencils, as tests will be copied in black and white) Some like to bring a pica ruler, magnifying glass, earplugs, seat and/or back cushion or bottled drinking water For resources, a Canadian dictionary, Editing Canadian English and up to three more style guides Allowed to add tabs to reference books, but no additional pages or attached extensive notes If need to bring anything else, must check with EAC office at least 15 business days ahead

Tips from certified editors: Before test Dress in layers; being too hot or too cold can affect your concentration Prior to exam day, look up address where the exam will take place, and find out how to get there If building layout is complicated, know ahead of time how to find room If driving, find parking lot and determine how you'll pay (e.g., cash, credit), and allow lots of time to get to exam site and find parking

Tips from certified editors: Before test day (contd) Pack everything ahead of time and leave by the door or in the car Use document flags to help find key information in resources more quickly; a flagged Chicago Manual of Style is a lifesaver! Practise editing and writing with pen/pencil; if you havent done this in a while, you need to get used to it again. Like any skill, it requires muscle memory and endurance; avoid having your hand cramp up during the test! Make sure you know standard copy editing/proofreading marks; flag appropriate page in Chicago Manual of Style for easy reference

Budget your time In work situations, you can always work overtime or work through your lunch, but not so in an exam Pencils down after three hours, finished or not Tips to help you make the most of your time on exam day DONT do more than what is being asked of you Dont waste precious time struggling on a question that isnt worth a lot of marks Test passage portion of the exam (Part B) is worth about twice as much as Part A; dont spend more than 45 minutes to an hour on Part A

Tips from certified editors: Test day Practise deep breathing or use guided imagery to prepare mentally Eat something nutritious right before the exam If you can, plan NOT to need to use the bathroom during the examyoull lose time If stuck on a question and need to move on, write a reminder on scrap paper so you dont forget to come back Quickly read through test before you begin; may notice something in one section that will help you with another Scan through test to see how many marks are allotted to each question and plan time accordingly Don't use liquid correction fluid (takes too long to dry); use tape dispenser kind instead

How many questions in 15 minutes? Exercise 2 (See handout, pp. 4-6.)

RDMs* *RDMs are really dumb mistakes (Thanks, Wendy Carroll, for the acronym!) Here are a few examples: Not following the instructions Using copy editing marks on proofreading exam or vice versa Introducing errors Marking up manuscript rather than appropriate exam pages Making a style decision and recording it on style sheet... and then not following that style in the test passage Being rude or snarky in your communications with authors (e.g., when writing a query or letter to the author) Ambiguous markup (e.g., failing to indicate clearly where deletions, insertions or other corrections should occur)

Style sheet Exercise 3 (See Appendix 2, pp. 8 and 9.)

For more info For more information on EACs certification program Visit www.editors.ca and click on Certification

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Sherry Hinman Certification Steering Committee Editors’ Association of Canada EAC 2015 Conference—Editing Goes Global June 14, 2015