After you submit your certification application, certification staff will review your application and supporting documents. During this review, staff may ask you to provide additional information or documentation. When a question is added, you must respond through the secure application system. Questions and responses may contain confidential information and should be handled within your account.

Before responding to staff questions, make sure:

• You have submitted your certification application.
• You can access the Online Certification Application system.
• You have any requested documents ready to upload, if applicable.
• You are logged in under the correct vendor account.

Responding to Staff Questions

During the application review process, certification staff may determine that additional information or documentation is needed. If this happens, staff will create a question in the system for you to answer. You will receive an email notification when a question is added to your application.

Because staff questions and your responses may include confidential application information, you must respond within the secure application system. Do not send confidential information outside of your secure account unless instructed by the agency.

To review and respond to staff questions:

1. Monitor your email for application review notifications. You will receive a notification if certification staff add a question to your application.
2. Select the link in the email, or log directly in to the Online Certification Application System.
3. Under Key Actions on your dashbaord, select the link Certification Application questions pending response link. Or go to your applications under the Certifications tab. See Understanding the Certifications Tab.
4. Under the Action column, select Respond next to the application with the status Awaiting Q&A Response.
5. Select the Q & A tab. And review the application information displayed, including the application type, application number, status, start date, and submitted date.

6. Use the filter options to locate questions or review previous responses.

   Available filter options include:

   • Show All
   • Show Only Questions
   • Show Only Responses
7. Review the Questions section. If no questions have been added, the page will display No questions present. Continue monitoring your application and watch for email notifications in case staff adds a question later.
8. If a question is listed, select Answer to open it.
9. Read the question carefully. Staff may ask you to clarify information, correct incomplete details, or provide additional documentation needed to continue the review.
10. Enter your response in the Answer field. Provide a clear and complete answer so staff can continue reviewing your application.
11. If staff requested a document, make sure the file is attached before submitting your response.
12. Select one of the following options:
    1. Save Draft if you need to return later.
    2. Cancel if you are not ready to respond.
    3. Next/Review if you have answered the question and attached any supporting documents.
13. If there are multiple questions, selecting Next allows you to answer the next question. If there are no additional questions, you can review your response.
14. If you selected hardcopy documents, review any cover page provided after submitting your response. Include the cover page with any hardcopy documents requested by the agency.

Staff may add additional questions during the review process.

Respond to questions as soon as possible. The review of your application may be delayed or suspended if you do not respond within the required timeframe.

• Respond to staff questions as soon as possible to avoid delays.
• Do not send confidential application information outside of the secure system unless the agency instructs you to do so.
• If the Questions section says No questions present, no action is needed at that time.
• Continue monitoring your email and the Q & A tab until the review is complete.
• If you are unsure how to answer a question, contact Customer Support before submitting your response.

The Q & A tab is used during the application review process when staff need more information from you. You can review questions, submit responses, attach requested documents, and monitor the status of your application from this tab.