CONTACT:   Mary Graybill, APR – Chair, Universal Accreditation Board
                  310-441-2899 / mary@graybillcom.com

Universal Accreditation Board Announces
July-September 2006 Quarterly Results
Applications Up But Completed Examinations Off 5% for Quarter

NEWYORK, November 1, 2006 – The Universal Accreditation Board (UAB), the leading certification body for public relations professionals, today released July-September quarterly statistics for the Examination for Accreditation in Public Relations. This report covers the first quarter of the Accreditation program’s fourth year, reflecting the inception of the computer-based Examination with Readiness Review on July 1, 2003.

“We are pleased to see a sharp quarter-over-quarter jump in candidate applications though other measures show we have more work to do,” said 2006 UAB Chair Mary Graybill, APR. “More candidates are now in the pipeline than at any previous point since the current Examination was introduced. Our focus continues to be supporting our Participating Organizations in the work that they do to encourage candidates to advance through each step, including successfully completing the computer-based Examination. Accreditation volunteers are also intensifying efforts to examine current support tools and services to determine the need for additional resources and improvements that will help advance success with the Examination.”

The UAB has introduced additional reports that depict the Accreditation program’s overall progress since its inception. These graphs demonstrate the considerable fluctuation in quarterly results as well as overall trends. Both a straight linear average as well as a

UAB Announces Jul-Sep 2006 Results

12-month moving average are shown. “Overall, we see a modest dip in the number of applications, while the number of Readiness Reviews and Examinations administered continue to trend upward,” said Graybill.

UAB Announces Jul-Sep 2006 Results
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The Universal Accreditation Board was established in 1998 by a coalition of public relations professional organizations that today includes the Agricultural Relations Council, Asociación de Relacionistas Profesionales de Puerto Rico, Florida Public Relations Association, Maine Public Relations Council, National School Public Relations Association, Public Relations Society of America, Religion Communicators Council, Southern Public Relations Federation and Texas Public Relations Association. Each organization contributes resources and senior-level volunteer members who represent a broad cross-section of the public relations profession.