Step 1: Create an account on Link & Learn Taxes (www.LinkLearnCertification.com)

• Use this website to take the online exam after completing the online training and practice exercises.
• Create a new account (both new and returning volunteers). This account will include personal information needed to register as a VITA volunteer.
• When all exams for the desired certification level have been passed, complete the “Volunteer Agreement”. A copy of this document must be on file at each VITA location at which a volunteer serves.

Guides for how to get started in Link & Learn:

• Quick Start Guide
• Complete Link & Learn Guide

Step 2: Complete “Volunteer Standards of Conduct” and “Intake/Interview & Quality Review Training”

• All volunteers are required to complete the “Volunteer Standards of Conduct” course and exam.
• Volunteers who answer tax law questions, prepare tax returns, or quality review must complete the “Intake/Interview & Quality Review” training and exam in addition to the “Volunteer Standards of Conduct”

Click here for the Volunteer Standards of Conduct Training/Test (Publication 4961)

Click here  for the Intake/Interview & Quality review Training (Publication 5101) 

Step 3: Complete VITA Certification Exam

Once you have completed your training, you are ready to take the exam! The online exam is on the Link & Learn Certification website. The exam is untimed, open book, and you can save your answers to complete the exam at a later time. You are allowed to use all available resources to answer the questions. The passing score is 80% and you will have two attempts. Here is what you will need:

Publication 4012 (Volunteer Resource Guide): This guide will be your ultimate resource! It will have everything that you will need to complete a tax return. 

Publication 6744 (VITA Test/Retest): This is the printed certification exam. It will have the same questions that will be on the exam. It is recommended to work through the scenarios and answer the questions then logging into the Link & Learn Certification website to input your answers. The Basic and Advance certification exams consist of two parts (remember, you do not need to complete the Basic exam before taking the Advanced exam):

• The first few scenarios do not require you to prepare a tax return. Read the interview notes for each scenario carefully and use your training and resource materials to answer the questions after the scenarios.

• The last few scenarios require you to prepare a tax return. Read through the interview notes and complete the tax return using the Practice Lab. After you have successfully completed the return using your resource materials, answer the corresponding questions that are based on the tax return that you just prepared. Example: A question may be “What is the amount listed on the 1040 line 8a?” 

Step 4: Take Certification Exam on Link & Learn Taxes

Once you have completed all necessary exams, you will log into the Link & Learn Certification website (www.LinkLearnCertification.com) and complete your exam. Refer to the Getting Started Guide on how to access the exams 

Step 5: Sign your Volunteer Agreement

The Volunteer Standards of Conduct Agreement shows all the certification exams that you have completed. All volunteers must sign and date the Volunteer Agreement to certify their adherence of the VITA Program Requirements. It is required to be submitted to VITA Program Staff via email and must be on file at every VITA site that you volunteer at.

Click here to view the guide on how to access and electronically sign your Volunteer Standards of Conduct Agreement.