Accreditation, Study Groups

2026 ICAPGen Study Groups: Get Help Preparing for the Accredited Genealogist® Credentialing Process

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ICAPGen℠ has set the application deadlines for 2026 Accredited Genealogist® Study Groups.

ICAPGen Study Groups are a great option to add in preparing for the credentialing process. Study Group leaders are experienced AG® professionals equipped to help you understand, improve, and ultimately succeed.

Spring Test Prep Study Group, application deadline 15 March 2026

This group meets over Zoom every other week for a total of nine weeks. Applicants must have successfully passed the Four Generation Project –OR- completed a Four Generation Study Group AND submitted your project.

Participants in the Test Prep Study Group discuss the written and oral exams and receive assignments designed to prepare them increase their confidence.

Summer Four Generation Project, application deadline 1 June 2026

Applicants must have chosen an accreditation region, have experience researching in the region, and have most of their research completed for one generation of their Four Generation Project. Bring your most challenging generation to the group to receive feedback with the broadest relevance. The group meets over Zoom for seven meeting sessions over a four-month period.

Participants in our Four Generation Study Group receive feedback and targeted help with the Four Generation Project.

Fall Test Prep Study Group, application deadline 1 September 2026

This group meets over Zoom every other week for a total of nine weeks. Applicants must have successfully passed the Four Generation Project –OR- completed a Four Generation Study Group AND submitted your project.

Assess your readiness to participate in a Study Group

Email us for information to help you decide when you’re ready. Make your request and submit your application early to allow time for a potential readiness assignment and feedback.

For more details or to apply, visit the Study Groups webpage or email studygroup@ICAPGen.org for more information.

About the International Commission for the Accreditation of Professional Genealogists (ICAPGenSM)
The International Commission for the Accreditation of Professional Genealogists (ICAPGen) is a globally recognized credentialing organization dedicated to advancing professional excellence in genealogical research and reporting. Through rigorous written and oral examinations, ICAPGen evaluates and accredits genealogists who demonstrate depth of expertise, ethical practice, and mastery of regional research standards. Accredited Genealogist® professionals who earn ICAPGen credentials have met stringent competency benchmarks, providing clients and the public with confidence in their professional capabilities and commitment to industry best practices. 

Accreditation, Application process, Education, Family History, Four Generation Project, Genealogy, ICAPGen, Skillbuilding, Videos

New ICAPGen Videos on Four Generation Project Writing and Methodology

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The Four Generation Project is often the first place ICAPGenSM applicants realize that accreditation is about more than finding records. It’s about how you research, how you evaluate evidence, and how you explain your conclusions clearly and professionally.

To support applicants as they work on the Four Generation Project, two companion videos on the ICAPGen YouTube channel focus specifically on the project—one on writing requirements and one on methodology. Both videos are presented by Bonnie Wade Mucia, AG®, AGL™, and are intended to provide practical guidance for those preparing their Four Generation Project submissions.

The Four Generation Project: Writing Requirements video walks through what ICAPGen expects in the written portion of the project and how to apply those expectations in practice. It explains that the Four Generation Project is not a narrative family history or a simple list of records, but a professional research report written as if for a client. The video focuses on meeting writing requirements through clear organization, consistent formatting, concise sentences, and logical flow, while also demonstrating ways to explain both how and why conclusions were reached. It emphasizes that strong writing is essential, essential because in writing things out, gaps in logic, unclear reasoning, or untested assumptions become apparent.

The Four Generation Project: Methodology Requirements video shifts the focus to the research process itself. This is where applicants demonstrate how they develop and carry out a research plan, select region-specific sources, analyze and correlate evidence, and address conflicts in the records. The emphasis is not simply on identifying the “right” ancestor, but on showing how the research was conducted and whether conclusions are supported by sound, region-appropriate methodology.

Whether you are already familiar with the accreditation process or just beginning to explore it, these videos offer a clear roadmap for approaching the Four Generation Project with confidence. They clarify expectations, address common questions, and help applicants approach their work with intention and consistency.

Videos: 

Four Generation Project Methodology Requirements

Four Generation Project Writing Requirements

A Premier Credential for Family Historians & Genealogists throughout the World!