Certified Fragrance Sales Specialist (C.F.S.S.) FAQ’s

Certificates/Pins

When will I get my certificate and pin?
If you receive a passing score on the C.F.S.S. Certification Exam, you will receive a certificate with your name on it and the C.F.S.S. pin. Both the certificate and pin will be mailed within 6 weeks of the final examination date. Participants who purchase the program individually will receive a certificate and pin at the home address listed when registering. Those who participate through a company will receive their certificates and pins from their training coordinators or supervisors.

What if I don’t receive a pin or certificate?
If you have passed the C.F.S.S. Certification Exam and do not receive your certificate or pin in a timely manner, check first with your supervisor. Most companies distribute their certificates and pins at a planned recognition event and that schedule could be different than the program’s planned distribution.  If you have purchased and enrolled in the C.F.S.S. program independently, call the toll-free Help Desk 877/654-5331 or email the Help Desk at support@FragranceTraining.com for assistance.

How can I obtain a replacement pin?
Please contact Fragrance Support if you need to replace your certification pin. Be sure to include the year that you were certified and the company for which you were working at the time. Once your certification is verified, there is a charge of $25 that must be submitted prior to shipment.

C.F.S.S. Exam

What is the C.F.S.S. Certification Exam?
The C.F.S.S. Certification Exam is a timed, 100-question multiple choice exam. The examination changes from year to year and is taken from a “bank” of 155 questions, which means that each year the test changes. Because the test is also generated for an individual, every test will present questions randomly. You have 120 minutes to complete all questions.

How do I access the exam?
On April 1 for the Spring Session and October 1 for the Fall Session, the C.F.S.S. Certification Exam will be available when you login. Do not begin the test until you are finished studying and are ready to take the examination. YOU ARE ALLOWED ONLY 1 ATTEMPT.

When should I take the exam?
Although you may take the exam anytime during the last 30 days of a session, you are strongly encouraged to take the exam at least a week before the cut off date. This allows you time to deal with an issue that may come up with your login, your personal computer, the company’s security settings, etc. In addition, data collected over the last six years show that the passing rate drops dramatically for those who take the exam in the last 3-4 days of the testing period.

What if I begin but do not finish the exam?
If you exit the examination before you are finished, your score will be recorded based on the number answered. For example if you answered 50 questions and got 25 of those correct, your score would be calculated against the total 100 questions. You would receive a score of 25%. (Note: Occasionally, technical problems may cause the test to be interrupted before you submit your answers for scoring. If this happens, call the toll-free Help Desk us 877/654-5331 or email us at support@FragranceTraining.com for assistance.)

What if I score below 70?
If your score on the examination is between 60 and 69, you are allowed one, free re-take of the examination in the next session of the C.F.S.S. Program.  If you scored below 60, you must re-enroll in the course and pay the $150 member or the $175 non-member registration fee.

How will I receive my score?
You will receive your score automatically after you complete and submit your examination for scoring.  If you complete all questions, submit your examination for scoring, and do not receive a score, call the toll-free Help Line 877/654-5331 or email the Help Desk at support@FragranceTraining.com.

How will I know if my score is the highest score?
If you achieve the highest score for both sessions of the C.F.S.S. program, you will be notified by The Fragrance Foundation immediately after the examination period ends and all scores are validated using the contact information you provide when you registered.

What happens if there is a tie score?
In the event of a tie, The Fragrance Foundation will provide an essay question for you to answer. When your answer is received, it is forwarded to selected Certification Advisory Board Members – without your name or company affiliation – and evaluated. Once the Board identifies a final winner, you will be notified by The Fragrance Foundation or by your supervisor.

Cost of Program

What is the cost of the C.F.S.S. Certification Program?
The C.F.S.S. Program costs $150US member or $175US non-member per individual participant.

Certification Period

Will my certification expire?
The Certification Advisory Board recommends that any C.F.S.S. who was certified more than ten years from the date certification was initially earned should become re-certified. This entails re-taking the program. The cost for those seeking re-certification is $75 for members and $100 for non-members Please contact Support via the toll-free telephone number (877.654.5331) or email the support line to register for re-certification.

How can I be re-certified?
To re-certify, you are required to register and complete the program again. This requirement allows you access to the up-to-date information you need to succeed in the fragrance industry. The cost for those seeking re-certification is $75 for members and $100 for non-members Please contact Support via the toll-free telephone number (877.654.5331) or email the support line to register for re-certification.

Deadlines

What are this year’s C.F.S.S. Program deadlines?
The Fall C.F.S.S. Program begins on August 1, 2011, and ends on October 31, 2011. The examination will not go live until October 1. The Spring CFSS Session begins on February 1, 2012. The Spring CFSS examination begins on April 1 and ends April 30, 2012. There are no exceptions permitted.

What happens if I do not complete the program within this time frame?
If you are unable to complete the program in the time allotted, you will forfeit the registration fee and must purchase the program again at a later session. If your company has paid for you to participate in the program, they will be required to pay for your participation if you have completed the registration process.

Exam Re-Takes

Can I retake the exam?
If your score on the examination is between 60 and 69, you are allowed one, free re-take of the examination in the next session of the C.F.S.S. Program only. If you score below 60, you must re-enroll in the course and pay the appropriate registration fee (Member/Non-Member).

Can I receive the high score award at the annual FIFI Awards Event if I have taken the exam previously?
If you have taken the exam more than once for any reason, you are not eligible to receive the High Score Award at the Annual FIFI Awards Event. Anyone who has taken the exam has an advantage because he or she will have seen those questions which may have been used in a previous exam. Although the exam item bank has 155 questions, many are used from session to session.

FiFi Awards

When/where are the 2011 FiFi Awards?
The Fragrance Foundation’s 40th Annual FiFi® Awards have not been scheduled. Please check The Fragrance Foundation site at www.fragrance.org for the latest information.

Who attends this annual event?
The ceremony is attended by more than 1,000 members of the international fragrance community. Members of The Fragrance Foundation include designers, packagers, retailers, manufacturers and suppliers as well as media, advertising and public relations agencies.

How can I be selected to attend?
Each year the person who achieves the highest score on the Certification Exam in each session is honored onstage at the FiFi® Awards in New York City which take place in the spring. The award is currently open only to participants from the US. (The UK and AU Fragrance Foundations offer similar award programs in their respective countries.)

What happens if there is a tie for the top score?
If more than one person achieves the same “highest” score on the C.F.S.S. Certification Exam, The Fragrance Foundation will determine a winner using a single essay question. The question will be submitted (without the person’s name or company) and scored by Certification Advisory Board members.

Getting Help

How do I get help?
Begin with reviewing these Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s) for resolving the most commonly reported issues. If you need further assistance with login, registration or the online examination, CONTACT US or call our toll-free Help Desk at 877/654-5331. The Help Desk is available Monday through Friday from 8:30 – 5:30 EST. After- hours messages will be returned the next working day.

Login

How do I Login to the C.F.S.S. program
Make sure you register for the C.F.S.S. Program using one of the three available methods (see Getting Started on the Welcome page for steps). After you are registered, you simply return to the FragranceTraining.com Welcome page and click the Login button located on the blue menu bar at the top of the page. (We suggest you add this to favorites in your browser so you can get back easily.) Enter your User Name and Password and presto! You are logged in!

Passwords

Do I need to create a password?
Yes.  You must select a password during the registration process.  In the event that your company pre-registered you, your Username and Password should have been provided to you by your Training Manager.

What if I forget my password?
If you forget and cannot locate your password, e-mail: support@FragranceTraining.com. Include your name, company name, phone number and email address so we can get in contact with you if necessary. You may also call the Help Desk at 877/654-5331.

Can anyone else use my password to access the program?
No. You should not provide your password to anyone else for use.

Practice Test

Why is there a practice test?
The practice test was developed to familiarize you with how computer testing works. Although you will receive a score, it is not recorded or used in any way to calculate your final score. However, if you do not take the practice test, you will not know if there are any issues with your computer’s security settings, firewall, or other technical issues.

Do I have to take the practice test?
No. You are not required to take the practice test. However, if you do not take the practice test, you will not know if there are any issues with your firewall or other technical issues until you have started the final examination. If that happens, you may be locked out of the exam and require technical assistance before you can regain access.

Study Guide

How do I get the Study Guide?
Many companies have decided to provide participants with a hard (printed) copy of the C.F.S.S. Study Guide. The Study Guide for the C.F.S.S. Program is also available when you login via the FragranceTraining.com Welcome page after your registration is complete.

To open the Study Guide on your computer, you will need a software program called Adobe Acrobat. Click here if your Study Guides will not open and you need Acrobat. This software is already on many computers and can be downloaded for free if needed. Once you have the software, simply return to the Study Guide page and click on the file you wish to open.

What if I am unable to download or open the Study Guide Files?
If you are unable to download or open the Study Guide PDF files, call the toll-free Help Desk 877/654-5331 or email the Help Desk at support@FragranceTraining.com.

Updating My Account Information

How do I update my address or other Account information?
If any of your personal information changes during the course of your participation, you can change it! Once you are logged in, just click “Update” and update your account information. Please make sure all of this information is accurate. If you are registered as an independent, this information will be used to deliver your certificate and pin and to contact you for any support issues.