Renewed. Recharged. Ready. Your Guide to CPC Renewal and Pathfinder
The New Era of Renewal: CPC Overview
As announced in July, the BOC will introduce Continuing Professional Certification (CPC) Renewal as a new option for maintaining certification, beginning early in 2026. CPC Renewal is more flexible, individualized and relevant to real-world athletic training practice. It emphasizes reflective, outcome-focused learning, using tools that highlight strengths, identify areas for growth and connect Athletic Trainers (ATs) with targeted educational resources.
CPC Renewal requires ATs to earn 40 continuing education units (CEUs) and participate in the Pathfinder platform regularly throughout the renewal period, completing specific criteria, including challenge questions in at least seven of eight scheduled three-month segments throughout the two-year renewal period.
Legacy Renewal: A Bridge Option
All ATs will be automatically enrolled in the CPC Renewal option early in 2026. ATs certified before 2026 will have the choice between CPC Renewal and Legacy Renewal, which aligns with the current requirement of 50 CEUs. While the BOC encourages ATs to use CPC Renewal, the Legacy Renewal option will serve as a bridge for those who wish to continue on the traditional path. ATs certified in 2026 and beyond must maintain their certification through CPC Renewal, which serves as their exclusive renewal pathway moving forward.
Meet Pathfinder: Built for ATs
At the center of CPC Renewal is Pathfinder, an interactive, personalized platform designed for all ATs. Pathfinder provides individualized guidance by combining self-reflection, challenge questions, recommended resources and structured reflection. It’s flexible by design because no two ATs are alike. Each one decides where they want to go professionally, and Pathfinder helps them get there with an active and engaging path to professional development. Pathfinder assists ATs in making meaningful continuing education (CE) selections that encourage them to connect with their learning, rather than just collecting CEUs.
In 2024, the BOC conducted a large-scale pilot of the Pathfinder platform and more than 3,000 ATs participated. Participants strongly agreed that Pathfinder was effective, with over 90% finding the platform easy to use and valuable in raising awareness of strengths and blind spots.
Why You’ll Want to Try Pathfinder
CPC Renewal, supported by the Pathfinder platform, shifts the focus from “counting CEUs” to making CEUs count. It’s designed to be engaging, clinically relevant and adaptable to different practice settings and to you. During the pilot, ATs representing diverse practice settings and experience levels, demonstrated that the Pathfinder platform:
- Promotes self-reflection and SMART goal setting
- Improves awareness of strengths and knowledge gaps
- Provides meaningful, individualized guidance for CE selection
- Supports lifelong professional growth
Renewal is no longer just about maintaining certification, it’s about elevating practice. With CPC Renewal and the Pathfinder platform, your certification becomes a launchpad for sustained growth and impact. For more information and resources, visit CPC Renewal.
This article was originally published in the 2025 winter “Cert Update” newsletter.
