Academic Policy, Conditions and Fees - CCS (Certified Customs Specialist) Course

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NOTE: The CCS course is offered online

Admissions

An individual may enrol if s/he:

• has one year of experience in a Canadian customs environment; OR
• s/he has completed either the Seneca College International Transportation and Customs program; or the Fleming College Law and Security Administration - Customs Border Services program. Students requesting this exemption must submit a copy of the program completion certificate or a transcript sent directly from the College with their application; OR
• is a current US CCS Designate.

Enrolment for the CCS Course will take place in September and October. To be considered for the current course year, applications and payment must be received by the last business day in October.

Tuition Fees

Enrolment cannot be finalized and online access instructions will not be forwarded to an applicant until the CSCB has received full payment of tuition fees. There will be a $35 fee for NSF cheques.

No HST is charged on the CCS (Certified Customs Specialist) Course tuition fee.

All prices are in Canadian funds.

Communications

Email is the preferred method of communication for the CCS course. Students are responsible for maintaining the reliability of their email address and notifying CSCB by email, fax, or mail of any address changes. Hotmail and Yahoo accounts are not recommended since they can be unreliable.

Withdrawals

The CSCB requires written notice of course withdrawals (email, fax, or mail).

There is a $50 administrative fee if the CSCB receives written notice of enrolment cancellation prior to the CSCB providing a username and password. A refund of the tuition fees, minus a $50 administrative fee will be issued.

There is a $100 administrative fee if the CSCB receives written notice of enrolment cancellation after a username and password has been provided but prior to November 28. A refund of the tuition fees, minus a $100 administrative fee will be issued.

Students may withdraw from the course at any time; however, there will be no refund of tuition fees after November 28.

Course Material

The CCS course is designed to be completed online. Once your enrolment application has been processed, you will receive a username and password from the CSCB. This will allow you to access the course. A print copy of the course material will be sent to each student.

Reference Material

There is no need to purchase reference material. Reference material is available online and links are provided in the course. These include current D-Memoranda, Customs Notices, regulations, and legislation such as the Customs Act, the Customs Tariff Act, the Excise Tax Act, the Excise Act, and the Special Import Measures Act, and the Export and Import Permits Act.

Final Examination

The CCS course includes tests, four of which are submitted to the CSCB. The marks you receive on these four tests will comprise 20% of your final mark. The final examination is worth 80% of your final mark. All students are eligible to write the final examination.

The format of the final exam is multiple-choice. The final exam will be held on the last Saturday in September. For applicants located in Canada, we will endeavour to have the student write at a site that is not more than two hours’ driving distance from the address indicated on the individual’s application. The exam location will be emailed to you two weeks prior to the examination date. The examination is written in person and will be supervised.

All examinations will be held in Canada. For students outside of Canada, the examination site will be confirmed prior to finalizing enrolment.

Examination Deferrals

There is a fee of $100 for students who write the CCS final examination on a date other than its scheduled date. Deferral requests must be submitted to the CSCB in writing no later than October 7. An alternate examination date will be scheduled within 30 days of the original scheduled date. In some cases a medical certificate will be required if you are deferring for medical reasons. Each deferral request is considered on a case-by-case basis; however, deferrals will not be granted where the student feels unprepared to write the examination.

Course Completion

A mark of at least 65% on the CCS course is required to pass.

Upon successful completion of the CCS course, you will receive a CCS course certificate, an official transcript, a CCS designates certificate, a CCS pin, and a CCS membership card. You may also use the designation, CCS (Certified Customs Specialist), as long as you meet the ongoing requirements for professional development points and payment of membership fees.

CCS (Certified Customs Specialist) Course Description

Accessing the Course, System Requirements and Troubleshooting