Credential Information

2025-2026 Academic Year

Entrepreneurship and Small Business

Credential Name	Entrepreneurship and Small Business
Credential Vendor Info	Certiport Christy E Dye Manager; Piedmont-Triad, North Central, Northeast, Sandhills, and Southeast regions Christy.Dye@pearson.com 801.847.3147 Matt Johnson Manager; Western, Northwest, and Southwest regions Matt.Johnson1@pearson.com 801.772.3254
Implementation Year	Before 2022-2023
Credential Auto Collect	Yes
Diploma Endorsement	ME12 = Yes
Validation Artifact	"Results (264) Plus" report from Certiport OR Copy of certificate
Credential Lead Consultant	Felisha Davis felisha.davis@dpi.nc.gov
Course Number and Title	ME12 Entrepreneurship II
Credential as POL	ME12 POL = Yes
Pathway(s)	Entrepreneurship (ENTRE)
Cost of Instructor Training	N/A
Instructor Training Requirements	None
Exam Voucher Expiration	N/A
Credential Lifespan	5 years Expiration dates will begin appearing on most transcripts on June 18, 2025, with Cisco following on July 15th, 2025. Test candidates who have earned a certification before this date will see no change to their current certifications, nor will they expire. After this date, candidates will start to see expiration information appear on the Certiport website and on their certificates. https://certiport.pearsonvue.com/Educator-resources/Exam-policies/Certification-expiration
Renewal Options	N/A
SOC (Standard Occupational Classification) Code(s)	First-Line Supervisors of Non-Retail Sales Workers (41-1012) First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers (43-1011) Food Service Managers (11-9051) Gambling Managers (11-9071) Lodging Managers (11-9081) Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers (11-3071)
Articulation	Yes Students that pass ESB can received 3 hours of college credit through ACE.
Sequencing	Yes
Employer Transferability	Yes
Delivery Format	On-line
Proctored Environment Required	Yes Exam should be given in a quiet room and a proctor is required to be always in the room. Certiport Proctor must enter username and password to allow an exam to be taken.
Test Site Options and Requirements	To become an approved test site center: http://www.certiport.com/go Most schools are already approved to be a Certiport Testing Center. For verification of testing center status, call (888) 222-7890, option 3. If not a testing center, go to the URL above, look at step 2 and follow the appropriate route. If you need help creating a Certiport account for you or your school, contact (888) 222-7890, option 3.
Testing Environment Requirements	The teacher can serve as the proctor for Certiport exams, both through the Compass platform (free) and through Exams from Home. To protect the integrity of the test, and for scores to be valid, everything must be put away. It is the student and the computer. For example, no paper, pencils, or cellphones on a student's desk while testing.
Proctored Requirements	Create a Certiport account, if you do not already have one, at https://www.certiport.com and select the "Login/Register" button at the top right of the screen. During the registration process, or later, a registered Certiport user can accept the proctor agreement to be an eligible proctor.
Exam Time Allotment	50 minutes
Exam Passing Requirement	700 or higher out of 1000
Retakes	Yes If a candidate does not achieve a passing score on an exam the first time, the candidate must wait 24 hours before retaking the exam. If a candidate does not achieve a passing score the second time, the candidate must wait 2 days (48 hours) before retaking the exam a third time. A two-day waiting period will be imposed for each subsequent exam retake. There is no annual limit on the number of attempts on the same exam.
Student Accommodations	Yes https://certiport.pearsonvue.com/Educator-resources/Exam-policies/Accommodations
Multilingual Resources*	Yes Practice tests are available in other languages.
Directory Notes	https://www.credly.com/org/certiport/badge/entrepreneurship-and-small-business-certification-esb

The North Carolina Office of Career and Technical Education provides multiple opportunities for students to obtain Industry-Recognized Credentials during their high school career.
Industry-recognized credentials hold immense value as they not only validate student skills and knowledge in a specific field but also serve as a powerful stepping stone toward future careers.

They provide a competitive edge in the job market, making students more attractive to potential employers and increasing their earning potential.
Moreover, industry-recognized credentials often lead to more job opportunities and pathways for advancement, helping students embark on successful and fulfilling career journeys.
Beyond the immediate benefits, these credentials instill a sense of accomplishment and confidence, motivating students to pursue higher education or dive directly into the workforce with the skills and certifications needed to excel.
Ultimately, industry-recognized credentials empower high school students to bridge the gap between education and real-world employment, setting them on a path toward a brighter and more prosperous future.

Access the NCDPI Credentials and Reporting website to submit a credential application and to view the latest Credential Attainment Report.

Footnotes:
^ Indicates the pathway is an approved Local Course Option (LCO) pathway.

* Where multilingual exams are indicated, please be advised that the state of North Carolina adheres to general statute as follows:
G.S.§115C-81.45(a) requires classes (silent on exams) to be conducted in English "[e]xcept when a board authorizes teaching in a foreign language to comply with federal law."
Therefore, NC CTE will abide with the Accountability guidance that LEAs are not required to provide exams in other languages. If they choose to do so, it will be at local discretion.